I recently came across a recipe for something referred to as Vegetable Stock Paste, which is easily made and used as a vegetable broth substitute. Y’all—this recipe has changed my life for the better. I love it so much! I’ve been making and using it for months now, and I just have to share it with you, with an herbal twist, of course.
What Is Vegetable Stock Paste and How Do You Use It
First, Vegetable Stock Paste is a mixture of vegetables that are mixed with herbs, spices, and sea salt. This mixture is blended into a puree of sorts and cooked down in a saucepan to remove as much liquid as possible. The mixture is then stored in the freezer (it stays completely soft thanks to all the salt in it), and you can use it as a shortcut to making vegetable stock in your recipes. All you have to do is mix 1 teaspoon of Vegetable Stock Paste with 1 quart of water, and voila! You have instant vegetable broth for your soup, stew, or whatever other recipes you’re making that call for any kind of broth. It’s so easy and convenient, and you never have to worry about making—or buying it, for that matter—and storing large amounts of liquid broth again.
How To Boost the Mineral Content of your Vegetable Stock Paste with Herbs
If you want to give your Vegetable Stock Paste a mineral boost this winter—beyond what the vegetables already contain—herbs can help you do that very thing.
Many herbs are considered nutritive, meaning they have a good amount of vitamins and minerals. Most of these herbs have a salty, mineral flavor, so if you taste an herb with that flavor, chances are its a nutritive herb.
Some common nutritive herbs are:
- Alfalfa (Medicago farfara) aerial parts
- Chickweed (Stellaria media) aerial parts
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) leaf
- Nettle (Urtica dioica) aerial parts
- Oat (Avena sativa) straw
- Red clover (Trifolium pratense) aerial parts
- Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaf
- Violet (Viola spp.) leaf
You can also find several seaweeds high in minerals like dulce, kelp, nori, and even the algae, spirulina!
To boost the mineral content of your Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste, simply grind a mixture of these dried herbs in a coffee grinder or small blender to create a powder, sift it through a fine-mesh sieve, and add it to your Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste after it has cooked down and you’ve added the salt.
I like to use 1 part herb powder to 4 parts Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste, but play around with the ratio to find what suits you best.
I like to source high-quality organic herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs!
Why Add Minerals During Winter?
Winter is a perfect time to nourish your body. This season is all about rest and nourishment so we can build up reserves in our bodies and have energy for the busier times of the coming year.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the winter season is the time of the year to nourish and strengthen the kidneys, bones, and adrenal glands. While adaptogen herbs can help to strengthen the adrenal glands, adding extra minerals into your diet through herbs is a great way to support both the kidneys and bones.
Not only do vegetables and salt contain minerals, but adding nutrient-rich herbs into your diet will enhance your mineral intake even further, allowing deeper nourishment to these organs and tissues than you would normally get.
Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste
If this sounds good to you, and you’re ready to give this recipe a try, here’s how to make it. Keep in mind that you are more than welcome to substitute whatever vegetables you have on hand for the ones listed below. This is a great way to make use of vegetables that are no longer fit to eat or on the brink of going bad.
Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste
Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 2 leeks
- 2 celery ribs
- ½ celery root
- 6 medium carrots
- 1 parsnip
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1 handful of kale leaves
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 9 oz table salt
- ¼ cup mineral-rich herb(s), coarsely ground or powdered
Directions:
- Begin by washing your veggies and removing any roots or cores as needed. There is no need to peel vegetables for this recipe!
- Next, cut the veggies in large chunks and process them in a high-speed blender (I use my Vitamix) or food processor and blend until you have a fairly smooth texture.
- Transfer the blended veggies into a saucepan. Add fresh herbs, spices, and salt. Mix well and heat over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly, to allow the flavors to meld and the water to evaporate.
- While the vegetable stock is cooking down, transfer your dried mineral-rich herbs into a small blender or coffee grinder and grind them into a powder. Set aside.
- After 20 minutes, remove the saucepan from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes. Add the powdered herbs to the mixture and blend well. Fill glass canning jars with the finished Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste, and store them in the freezer.
- To make vegetable stock, mix 1 tsp of Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste with 4 cups water. Because of the high salt content, the paste will be ease to scoop out of the jar right out of the freezer!
Now Go Make Some Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and will give this Herbal Vegetable Stock Paste recipe a try this season. I’d love to know what you think of it and whether it makes your life a bit easier!
Love and light,
Meagan