Equipment
Ingredients
Roasting Base
- 400 g yellow onions, quartered, unpeeled
- 300 g carrots, scrubbed and chopped into 5cm chunks
- 250 g purple top turnips, scrubbed and quartered
- 1 garlic, head halved crosswise
- 30 ml olive oil
- 30 g tomato paste
Simmering Liquid & Aromatics
- 3500 ml water, cold
- 100 g celery, chopped
- 5 g black peppercorns, whole
- 10 g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 5 g fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 15 g fresh parsley, stems included
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 79 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 12 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 60 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 314 mg
- Calcium
- 55 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 21 mg
- Phosphorus
- 47 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 263 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 15 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 34 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 25 mcg
- Water
- 452 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Ensure the rack is in the center position.
On a large baking sheet, toss the onions, carrots, turnips, and garlic head halves with olive oil. If using tomato paste, rub it onto the vegetables now. Spread them in a single layer.
Roast the vegetables for 40-45 minutes, turning once halfway through, until they are deeply browned and caramelized on the edges.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large stockpot. Place the hot baking sheet on a heat-safe surface and pour 250ml of the water onto it. Scrape up any browned bits (fond) with a wooden spoon and pour this liquid into the pot.
Add the remaining cold water, celery, peppercorns, dried mushrooms, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 1 hour. Do not let it boil vigorously, or the stock will become cloudy and emulsify impurities.
Place a fine mesh sieve over a large heat-proof bowl or container. Carefully strain the broth. Press the solids gently to extract flavor, or let drain naturally for a clearer broth. Discard the solids.
Let the broth cool to room temperature before transferring to storage containers. Refrigerate or freeze.
Chef's Notes
- Leave the onion skins on during roasting and simmering; they act as a natural dye, giving the vegetable broth a rich, golden-brown hue similar to beef stock.
- Do not salt the stock during the cooking process. Leaving it unsalted allows you to reduce it later for sauces without it becoming too salty.
- If you want a clearer broth (consommé style), line your sieve with cheesecloth and do not press down on the vegetables when straining.
- The dried mushrooms are the secret weapon here; they provide natural glutamates (MSG) that mimic the savory mouthfeel of meat-based stocks.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Keep in airtight jars.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in ice cube trays for easy portioning.
Reheating: Bring to a simmer on stovetop before using.
Troubleshooting
Broth tastes bitter
Cause: The vegetables were burnt during roasting rather than caramelized, or the turnip skins were too old/thick.
Fix: Add a pinch of sugar or a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance the bitterness.
Prevention: Watch the oven closely during the last 10 minutes of roasting; peel turnips if they are very large or old.
Cultural Context
While traditional French vegetable stocks (fonds de légumes) are often light and pale, intended to be invisible supporters, modern American vegetable-forward cooking emphasizes extraction and depth. This technique of roasting root vegetables borrows from the preparation of brown meat stocks, treating the vegetables as the primary protein to extract maximum Maillard reaction flavors.
