Savory Vegetable Stock
For me, nothing soothes the soul more on a chilly day than a bowl full of homemade soup. The ritual of assembling all of the ingredients into a pot is incredibly meditative too and fills your home with the warm of aromatic spices and herbs. The more I hone the art of the soup, the more it is apparent that the foundation of any good soup lies in the stock. This winter vegetable stock is filled with heating spices and cleansing vegetables that help the body warm itself from the inside out as well as flush out any unwanted toxins.
Directions:
Heat the ghee or olive oil in a 3 to 4 quart sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns and cumin and toast for 10 to 15 seconds, until the spices release their aroma. Add the salt, celery or celery root, fennel and parsnip and saute, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes - this step adds new flavor and activates the fat soluble molecules of the ingredients.
Add 4 cups of water, basil, cilantro, cover and bring to a full boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and discard the vegetables, reserving the stock.
To store, keep refrigerated in a covered container up to 48 hours.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of ghee or olive oil
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1 inch cinnamon stick
10 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 of a celery root, thinly sliced OR 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 cup of thinly sliced fennel stalk, fennel bulb or broccoli stems
1 small parsnip
3 basil leaves
10 sprigs of cilantro
Adapted from “What to Eat for How You Feel” - Divya Alter