Chinese Vegetable Stock
Submitted by oops99
Homemade Chinese vegetable stock built from dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger, Szechuan peppercorns, leeks, and tamari. A fragrant, vegan-friendly base for soups, stir-fries, and braises.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
65 minREADY
95 minGood stock is the backbone of great cooking, and this Chinese vegetable version is no exception. Dried shiitake mushrooms bring deep umami, fresh ginger and Szechuan peppercorns add warmth and tingle, and a base of onions, carrots, celery, and leeks rounds things out.
Everything gets a quick stir-fry before simmering for about an hour, which builds layers of flavor you just can’t get from a store-bought carton.
Keep a batch in the freezer and you’ll reach for it constantly. Use it as the base for noodle soups, hot and sour soup, congee, or anywhere you want an aromatic Asian-style broth.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak the dried shiitakes for a full 20 minutes; that soaking liquid is liquid gold, so add it to the pot too
- Stir-frying the vegetables before simmering caramelizes them slightly and deepens the stock’s color and flavor
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a clear, restaurant-quality stock
- Freeze in ice cube trays for easy portioning; pop out cubes as needed for quick weeknight cooking
Ingredients
Directions
Cover shiitake mushrooms and soak for 20 minutes.
Coarsely chop the vegetables.
In a soup pot, heat oil for a moment.
Add the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients except the mushrooms, tamari and water.
Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the remaining 3 ingredients.
Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered for about an hour.
Strain and cool to room temperature.
Any stock not being used within 2 or 3 days, freeze.
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