Simple Slow-Simmered Vegetable Broth | Lunch

Just toss some ingredients in the slow cooker, set it, and forget it. A few hours

later, you’ll have a pot full of flavorful and nutritious broth to use in soups,

stews, and sauces. A large cooker is best so that you can make a big batch of

broth. If you use a smaller cooker, just cut back proportionately on the amounts

of the ingredients used. You can leave the peels on the vegetables as long as

they’re organic and well washed. The dried mushrooms add depth to the overall

flavour in this medium-strength broth. The colour is fairly dark, but the flavour is

milder than you might assume. To make this broth soy-free, omit the soy sauce

and use a soy-free sauce

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 celery rib, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, crushed

⅓ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

8 cups of water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

3 dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the onion, carrots, potato, celery, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, and

peppercorns in the slow cooker. Add the water, soy sauce, salt, and dried

mushrooms, if using. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.

2. Let the soup cool slightly, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pot

or bowl, pressing the vegetables against the sieve to release their juices.

Portion the cooled broth into airtight containers and store in the refrigerator

for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.