Vegetable broth options, episode II

Way back in episode 36, I covered various options for vegetable broth, which I seem to need ever more often nowadays. I came to the conclusion that Edward & Sons Low Sodium Not-Chick'n Bouillon Cubes were probably the best option, but I haven't been able to find them at Whole Foods (or anywhere else) lately. So I finally broke down and made America's Test Kitchen's D.I.Y. vegetable broth base, and I think I have a new favorite. It's mild in flavor and not overly salty, so it's a great starting point for lots of soups and the risotto in episode 36, among other things. On the down side, it hasn't worked out to be quite as convenient for me as I hoped. ATK promised that it wouldn't freeze solid because of the high salt content, so I'd be able to scoop it straight out of the freezer, but that hasn't been true for me for whatever reason. Still, it's not too hard to let it thaw for a few minutes while I'm boiling the water to make the broth, so it's still a high-quality veggie broth option if you have some time on your hands for a D.I.Y. kitchen project.

Vegetable Broth Base

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated (Jan. 2015, with video) via The Splendid Table (podcast)

2 leeks
2 carrots
½ of a small celery root
½ ounce/14 grams (~½ cup) fresh parsley leaves and thin stems
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
23 grams (1½ tablespoons) tomato paste
51 grams (3 tablespoons) soy sauce or tamari

    1. To prepare the leeks: Trim the root and discard the dark green leaves. Slice the remaining white and light green parts of the leeks in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into half moons. Measure out 5 ounces/142 grams (~2½ cups) for the recipe. Place the chopped leeks in a medium bowl and rinse thoroughly in cold water to remove any dirt or sand, then drain them well.
    2. To prepare the carrots: Peel the carrots, then cut them into ½-inch pieces. Measure out 3 ounces/85 grams (~⅔ cup) for the recipe.
    3. To prepare the celery root: Using a sharp chef’s knife, trim the root end. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin. Cut into ½-inch pieces. Measure out 3 ounces/85 grams (~¾ cup) for the recipe.
    4. To make the base: Place the prepared leeks, carrots, celery root, parsley, minced onion, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade. Process into as fine a paste as possible, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and process for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl after 20 and 40 seconds. Add the soy sauce and process for another minute.
    5. Scrape the mixture into an airtight container. Tap the container firmly on a counter to remove any air bubbles. Cut a small round of parchment to fit onto the top of the mixture, and press flush. Cover, and freeze for up to 6 months. America's Test Kitchen says there’s enough salt in the mixture to keep it from freezing solid, so it’s easy to scoop out a few tablespoons at a time, but that's not the case for me. Because my base freezes pretty solid, I take it out of the freezer while the water is boiling to let it thaw just a bit before scooping out what I need.
    6. To make vegetable broth: Stir together 1 tablespoon of broth base with 1 cup of boiling water for every 1 cup of broth you need. To make a smooth broth, let the mixture steep in the boiling water for 5 minutes before straining through a fine-mesh strainer. The recipe makes ~1¾ cups base, enough to make 7 quarts of broth.