Ingredients
Vegetables, herbs, and water
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms 227 g, cleaned and quartered
- 2 medium yellow onions 300 g prepared, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots 200 g, scrubbed, trimmed, and roughly chopped
- 3 stalks celery 150 g, washed and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic 9 g, peeled and lightly crushed
- 15 g fresh parsley washed stems and leaves, about 1 small handful
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme about 0.5 g
- 1 dried bay leaf about 0.2 g
- 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns about 1 g
- 10 US cups water 2.37 liters
Equipment
- 6-quart stockpot
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale for gram measurements
- Long-handled spoon
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Large heatproof bowl or second pot
- Ladle
- Small shallow refrigerator/freezer-safe containers
Instructions
Simmer, strain, and store
- Wash the mushrooms, carrots, celery, and parsley. Peel the onions and garlic. Quarter the mushrooms, roughly chop the onions, carrots, and celery into similar-size pieces, and lightly crush the garlic.
- Put all the vegetables, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a 6-quart pot. Add 10 US cups (2.37 liters) water. The vegetables should be just submerged; press them down gently rather than packing the pot.
- Heat over medium-high until the liquid just begins to boil, about 10–15 minutes. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, with small bubbles rather than a rolling boil.
- Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice. Taste a cooled spoonful: the stock should have a mild, savory vegetable flavor. Keep it unsalted so you can season the finished dish later.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl or second pot. Ladle or carefully pour the stock through it without pressing the vegetables. Remove the spent vegetables, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Expect about 8 cups; evaporation and liquid retained in the vegetables affect the final amount.
- Use immediately, or divide into small, shallow containers and refrigerate promptly within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep at 40°F/4°C or below for 3–4 days. Freeze for 2–3 months for best quality, leaving expansion space.
Video
Notes
Yield is approximate. This is a cooking stock, not a ready-seasoned soup. It is not a canning recipe. No nutrition panel is supplied because the vegetables are strained out and nutrient extraction has not been measured.
Video credit: Gennaro Contaldo on Jamie Oliver’s channel, published July 8, 2015. The demonstration covers basic vegetable-stock preparation; follow this recipe's measured mushroom mixture, herbs, and simmering time.