All-Purpose Vegetable Broth  

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Makes 3 quarts • Cooking Time 9 to 11 hours on Low or 6 to 8 hours on High • Slow Cooker Size 4 to 7 Quarts

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Vegetable broth is essential to full-flavored vegetarian cooking, enhancing meat-free dishes with clean vegetal flavor. It needs gentle cooking, and the slow cooker is the perfect medium in which to bring out the subtlety of many types of vegetables. We knew that in order to create a balanced, intensely flavored broth we needed a precise mix of ingredients. First, we found that a base of onions, scallions, carrots, and celery along with a generous dose of garlic provided a strong background to the broth that was neither too vegetal nor too sweet. The addition of half a head of cauliflower, cut into florets and added with the water, gave our broth pleasant earthiness and nuttiness. Finally, a single tomato added acidic balance, and thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns rounded out the flavors. To cook our broth, we initially wanted to be able to dump all the vegetables into the cooker raw, but we found that we needed the additional flavor developed from browning the aromatics. We chose a longer cooking time than our meat-based broths so that the flavor of all the different vegetables could shine through. To prevent the broth from looking cloudy, do not press on the solids when straining.

2	teaspoons canola oil
3	onions, chopped
4	scallions, chopped
2	carrots, peeled and chopped
2	celery ribs, chopped
15	garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3	quarts water
½	head cauliflower (1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
1	tomato, cored and chopped
8	fresh thyme sprigs
½	teaspoon salt
1	teaspoon black peppercorns
3	bay leaves

1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, scallions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.

2. Stir remaining 11 cups water, cauliflower, tomato, thyme sprigs, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves into slow cooker. Cover and cook until broth is deeply flavored and rich, 9 to 11 hours on low or 6 to 8 hours on high.

3. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into large container, without pressing on solids. (Broth can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)

Per 1-cup serving:
Cal 20
Fat 0g
Sat Fat 0g
Chol 0mg
Carb 3g
Protein 2g
Fiber 1g
Sodium 140mg