The Ultimate Vegetable Stock

Name: The Ultimate Vegetable Stock
Yield: Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients: 2 , medium onions (about 12 ounces), peeled and chopped coarse; 10 - 12 cloves, garlic, from 1 head, each clove peeled and smashed; 8 , large shallots (about 8 ounces), sliced thin; 1 rib, celery, chopped coarse; , Vegetable cooking spray; 1 , small carrot, peeled and chopped coarse; 4 , large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and chopped coarse (about 5 1/2 cups); stems, fresh parsley leaves (from 1 bunch); 2 , bay leaves; 1 1/2 teaspoons, table salt; 1 teaspoon, black peppercorns, coarsely cracked; 1 pound, collard greens, washed, dried, and sliced crosswise into 2-inch strips (about 10 cups packed); 1 small head, cauliflower (about 12 ounces), chopped fine (about 4 cups); 8 - 10 sprigs, fresh thyme; 1 stalk, lemon grass, trimmed to bottom 6 inches and bruised with back of chef's knife; 4 , medium scallions, white and light green parts, cut into 2-inch lengths; 2 teaspoons, rice vinegar

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated September/October 2000

Too often, vegetable stocks are labor-intensive, drab, too-sweet stepchildren of chicken stock. Here is a recipe that can actually hold its own with "the real thing."

SERVESMakes about 1 quart

TIME2 hours

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We wanted a nicely balanced, robust vegetable stock recipe that vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike would consider making. We achieved this goal by caramelizing good-quality alliums and aromatics and tossing in nontraditional ingredients: ...

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