This was intended to be a post about vegetarian shepherd’s pie. But I want to give credit where credit is due and that, my friends, is with this rich vegetable stock.
If you think of vegetable stock as thin, brown water that smells bad then you have something in common with the me of one week ago. But this recipe converted me to a vegetable stock lover. What I miss in a mainly vegetarian household is the smell of something rich and brown and beefy simmering away on a chilly day. I turned up the radio and tidied my living room while the wine reduced and steamed up my kitchen window and I felt happy in that all’s well, cozy winter way. That’s why I now love the homemade stuff.
You can find the complete recipe here. I roasted mushrooms, carrots, 1 onion in its skin (for color), bell pepper, parsley stems and fresh thyme in a little olive oil until deep golden brown.
Then I stirred it on the stovetop with a squirt of tomato paste, letting the pot dry out so the paste broke apart and began caramelizing.
Deglaze with red wine and water, add a bay leaf and let simmer 45 minutes to an hour before straining out the vegetables.
The result is a very rich and deeply savory broth for winter stews and vegetarian gravies.
Here’s the shepherd’s pie with a garlic mashed potato crust.
And the vegetables stewing in the rich stock below.
I have a feeling my vegetarian stuffing is going to taste a lot better this Thanksgiving. Have you made homemade veg stock?
xoxosl
