This full flavoured vegetable stock is another amazing Italian recipe from giallo zafferano. 

It couldn’t get any simpler. The holy trinity of vegetables (onion, carrot, celery) and a tomato is all you need.

Note:

1. Takes about 20 minutes to prepare and an hour to simmer.
2. You will get about 1 – 1.5 litres of stock that keeps for a few days in the fridge and also freezes well.
3. Making stock is a great way to use your older veggies up, I even got the tomato from the grocer’s seconds bin.
4. You are also reducing food packaging waste and if you source local ingredients you are cutting down on food transport miles.

Preparing the vegetables

1. Peel the onion then slice in half. 
2. Splash a bit of olive oil in a stock pot and cook the inside face of onion halves until slightly charred.
3. Remove the onion carefully and wipe the stock pot free of oil with a cloth or paper towel.
4. Return the onion to the pot.
5. Roughly chop the 2 celery sticks and the carrot.
6. Halve the tomato.
7. Chuck the lot into the pot along with 2L of water, salt to taste and a sprinkle of whole peppercorns.

Simmering

Bring to to a rolling boil and then simmer on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Straining

Use a small meshed sieve or strainer to remove the vegetables. These can go into your compost bin.

Enjoy,

PK

Here are some more Italian cooking secrets and ways to use your stock :