Taking Stock: The Base of Homemade Soups

Not only are homemade stocks nutritious and chock full of vitamins and minerals, they are also delicious and give off a wonderfully rich, savoury aroma that fills your home and makes your family crave dinnertime.

The combination of vegetables you use to make stock is up to you, but we recommend avoiding strongly flavored vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. 

You can keep vegetable stocks in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze them. To freeze, pour stock into 2-cup (475 ml) freezer containers, leaving a half-inch space at the top. Seal the containers, label them with the date and contents, and freeze for up to six months.

Since some flavour is usually lost in freezing, you may want to add additional herbs and seasonings when reheating. Use either of the following vegetable broths as the base for a vegetable or fish soup.

Soup Stock Tips:

• Be sure the vegetables are very clean before using, even if they are to be peeled.
• Simmer the vegetables for just about one hour or the broth may become bitter. For richer broth, continue cooking the strained broth for up to 30 minutes to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavour.