The perfect vegetable soup

Simple Vegetable Stock

Makes 5-6 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, peeled and sliced
1 leek, stemmed, washed, and sliced
½ cup white mushroom scraps, washed, if available
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1.  In a medium pot, add the olive oil and all of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. ?Sweat" the vegetables for 5-8 minutes, stirring, and then cover with about 1 1/2 quarts cold water. (Cold water will yield a stock that is less apt to be cloudy.)

2.  Bring the water to a gentle boil, skim and reduce the heat, so the stock simmers. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Strain, pressing gently on the vegetables to extract the maximum flavor. Use immediately or freeze to use at a later date.

Tips:

- Less is more. How much stock do you really need? Not much. Better to make less stock with more flavor. Be skimpy when adding the water and generous when adding the vegetables. You can always add more water, but you can never take it out. I made a lot of vegetable stock that tasted like dish water before learning my lesson.

- If you are mixing a lot of different vegetables, try to strike a balance between inherently sweet vegetables (squash, peas, corn) and slightly bitter ones (chicory, endive).

-Vegetable scraps definitely belong in a stock but don't go overboard. One of my mentors wisely told me " stock pots are good for scraps but they are not garbage cans."

-Make sure your vegetables, both whole and scrap, are cut to a similar size and thickness when they go into the pot. That way, they will cook more evenly and result in a better flavor.

-Avoid any really strong herbs (i.e. dill or an abundance of rosemary) or vegetables that may have a bitter skin (i.e. squash or rutabaga). You can always experiment by using the scraps from a vegetable you like to see if it performs well in a stock. Mushroom scraps are "gold" (but don't forget to wash them first)!

-For a naturally thick stock, use vegetables tied in cheesecloth and sprinkle a handful of lentils or dried white beans. Cook until tender.  Once tender, purée the beans and put them back in the stock to thicken.

-Experiment with a "brown" vegetable stock by lightly oiling and roasting some peeled shallots and onions together in the oven. Once cooked tender, transfer the vegetables to a pot and cover them with cold water. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, salt lightly and strain.

- Unlike meat stocks, vegetable stocks don't need long-term cooking to bring out their flavors. When you have your mix of vegetables, simply cover them with cold water, boil, skim, add a pinch of salt, and simmer for no more than a half an hour.. Don't let the stock "steep" too long. Once it is cooked, strain and discard the vegetables. It will leave the liquid with a cleaner flavor.

-How will you know when your stock is "done"? Taste it! Flavor is the best indicator of all.