VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good

by Mark Bittman

FAST AND FLAVORFUL VEGETABLE STOCK MAKES: MORE THAN 2 QUARTS TIME: ABOUT 45 MINUTES Nowhere is the gap between homemade and store-bought greater than with vegetable stock. The kind you buy in the store tastes so much like water that if I don’t have time to make my own—well, I just use water. (Which is fine, in many cases.) Fortunately, this recipe is both quick and easy, since the mushrooms, tomato paste, and soy sauce (all ingredients that have lots of umami, or “savoryness”) flavor simmering water faster than meat bones do. But even if you’ll just simmer some carrots, celery, and onions in water for 20 minutes, you’ll have something infinitely better than what you’d find at the store. If you have a big enough pot, double the recipe and freeze whatever is left. It’s most convenient to divide the stock into small serving sizes (or even freeze it in an ice cube tray) so you don’t have to thaw out more that you need, although you can always refreeze what you thaw and don’t use. 2 medium or 1 large onion, quartered 4 carrots, cut into chunks 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped 1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed but left whole 4 (or more) whole garlic cloves, unpeeled, crushed 1 bunch fresh parsley, stems and leaves 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or a big pinch of dried 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 4 bay leaves ¼ cup tomato paste ¼ cup soy sauce ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste Black pepper to taste 1 Combine everything in a stockpot with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and adj...