The base of any good soup and many other dishes is stock. Making your own vegetable stock is easy and helps use the parts of vegetables you would otherwise throw away. You can tailor stock to meet the needs of any recipe or personal taste.

If you are going for bold flavor, you may want more onion or garlic in the stock. For mild and savory, you might want to cut back the garlic and add some herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, etc).

You don’t have to go shopping to make a great vegetable stock. Simply save the trimmings from the vegetables from different dishes you make. For example, use the leaves and core from cauliflower, ends from celery, ribs from kale or collard greens, and the tops from radishes and other vegetables. Wash the vegetable scraps before placing in a one-gallon sealable bag for freezing. The vegetables will be soggy when you thaw them and you won’t be able to wash them at that time. Store the bag in the freezer. You can add more to it over time until the bag is full.

When you need a vegetable stock, pull a full bag out of the freezer. Place the contents in a stockpot. Cut an onion into quarters and add a rib of celery. Add a little salt and pepper. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil.

Once the stock boils, reduce the heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. At this point you can give the stock a taste. Add salt and pepper as needed. Let the stock cool. Pour the stock through a strainer into a large bowl or measuring cup, to remove the vegetables. If you need a clear broth, strain it a second time, lining the strainer with cheesecloth.

Tip: Start the stock before you begin prepping your other ingredients. By the time you are ready to use the stock, it should be just about done.

© Luvs Good Food/Bob Mack

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