Thermobexta’s Odds and Ends Vegetable Stock Concentrate

This recipe also appears in my cookbook, Main Meals Made Easy, which you can check out here

Vegetable stock concentrate is an essential ingredient in most meals at my house.  It adds so much flavour and depth and I add dulse to mine to up the nutrient content too.  This is my variation of the TMX recipe that you will find in your Every Day Cookbook, or Basic Cook Book (the books that come with TM31’s and TM5’s).  I have named this version “Odds and Ends Vegetable Stock Concentrate” because it is perfect for using up the leftover ends of veges left at the bottom of your vege drawer, as well as parts of veges that you would normally throw out.  You can swap and change the veges, just try to stick to roughly the same total weight.  And my gut tells me that if using cauliflower, cabbage, potato or sweet potato, just use small amounts of them.

The high level of salt does two things – adds flavour to your dishes and acts as a preservative.  This will last months in the fridge!  And please remember, it is a concentrate, so very strong in flavour.  I advise you to not taste it when it’s first cooked, but when it’s been added to your dishes 🙂  I see people saying they reduce the salt in it and freeze it (because reducing the salt will decrease the fridge life) so if you want to do so, feel free, but I would advise sticking to the amount specified and just using less of the concentrate in your meals.

200g zucchini, roughly chopped
150g celery leaves and heart
100g leek, roughly chopped (the green part that you would normally discard)
2 garlic cloves
100g broccoli, broken into florets
2 medium sized tomatoes, quartered
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 large handful of baby spinach leaves or silverbeet (approximately 20g)
20g fresh herbs of your choice, tightly packed – I use whatever I have in the garden at the time of making the stock, usually some mix of basil, parsley, Thai basil and a little rosemary
120g Celtic or Himalayan sea salt
30g extra virgin olive oil
10g dried seaweed, such as dulse or wakame (optional)

1. Place roughly half of the ingredients in mixer bowl. Blitz for 6 seconds/speed 6/MC on.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Blitz for 20 seconds/speed 6/MC on. You may need to use your spatula to assist (if you do this, please ensure you only use the spatula that came with your machine, that you know is safe to use while the blades are running). Cook for 20 minutes/Varoma temperature/speed 2.

3. Puree for 1 minute/speed 8/MC on.

4. Transfer to a sterilised glass jar.  Store in the fridge and always use a clean spoon when using.