Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, halved, skin left on
- 1 garlic, head halved horizontally
- 100 g carrot, roughly chopped
- 80 g celery, roughly chopped
Herbs and Spices
- 30 g fresh parsley, stems and leaves left whole
- 10 g fresh rosemary, whole sprigs
- 10 g fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 10 g fresh sage, whole leaves
- 3 g black peppercorns, whole
Liquid
- 1500 ml water, cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 94 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 51 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 337 mg
- Calcium
- 120 mg
- Iron
- 2.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 37 mg
- Phosphorus
- 50 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 255 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 23 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 136 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 35 mcg
- Water
- 465 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the aromatics. Wash all vegetables and herbs thoroughly. Rough chop the carrot and celery, and halve the onion and the head of garlic, leaving the skins intact for better color.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Place the onion and garlic halves cut-side down into the pan, along with the carrot and celery. Let sear undisturbed for 5 minutes until lightly caramelized.
Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, black peppercorns, and cold water to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, reaching 100C or 212F.
Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan partially, and let the stock simmer gently for 30 minutes. Do not allow it to boil vigorously.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully pour the stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large heat-proof mixing bowl. Press down gently on the solids with the back of a spoon or ladle to extract the maximum amount of liquid, then discard the solids.
Allow the filtered stock to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, use immediately or portion out for refrigeration or freezing.
Chef's Notes
- Do not salt the stock during the cooking process. Unsalted stock provides maximum flexibility when you reduce it into sauces later, preventing the final dish from becoming overly salty.
- Bruising the fresh herbs slightly with the back of a knife before adding them to the pot helps rupture their cell walls, releasing essential oils much faster.
- Using herb stems rather than just leaves provides profound flavor and prevents the stock from taking on a murky green color.
- Starting with cold water rather than hot water encourages a slow, even extraction of flavors and results in a clearer finished stock.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container. The flavor remains optimal for the first 4 days.
Freezer: 6 months — Freeze in ice cube trays, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for easy portioning.
Troubleshooting
The stock has a bitter aftertaste.
Cause: The herbs were boiled vigorously or simmered for too long, extracting bitter tannins.
Fix: Cannot be fixed completely. Try adding a small pinch of sugar or use the stock in heavily spiced dishes to mask the bitterness.
Prevention: Ensure the stock stays at a very gentle simmer and do not exceed 45 minutes of total cooking time.
The stock lacks depth and tastes watery.
Cause: Insufficient caramelization of aromatics or too much water for the amount of herbs.
Fix: Return the strained stock to the heat and simmer gently to reduce the liquid, concentrating the flavors.
Prevention: Allow the onion and garlic to brown well before adding liquid, and measure water accurately.
Cultural Context
Herb-forward broths have historically formed the backbone of restorative peasant cooking in rural France and Italy. Often referred to as a bouillon aux herbes, this preparation extracts the fleeting volatile oils of fresh garden herbs, acting as a quick, elegant, and inexpensive substitute for long-simmered meat stocks.
