Lets start with the conventional wisdom on veggie stocks, broths and brodos.
The inspired version–roast vegetables with some aromatics and boil the heck out of the them, layering with desired spices along the way–opinion seems to vary on whether 40 mins. is sufficient or to extract max. flavor, you stoke the fires for hours on end. Either way, this is supposed to be a laborious process: chopping, roasting, layering, boiling….
The less inspired version–wash the vegetables in water, strain desultory looking liquid and boil….a literal walk in the park….
I would have no quibble with either approach if they even pretended to succeed in their mission–a flavorful liquid. Chicken stock presumably reminds the diner of chicken flavor, beef stock of beef flavor and so on. Most veggie stocks remind me of…..well nothing. They are murky at best and flavored water at worst.
This is particularly irksome to me as a noodle lover. A good veggie pho or ramen needs a companion stock like a toddler needs a tantrum. One cannot subsist without the other.
So my advice? Craft your own stock by steaming, roasting or sauteeing the veggie profile you are looking for, with of course the desired spices and aromatics and then blend with some water. Let the veggie speak for itself. The only cautionary note is to look out for the consistency of the liquid. You want the flavor of the veggie but a thin broth at the same time, not a puree.
Made this way, the diversity of flavorful stocks/ broths/brodos at your disposal increases exponentially: mushroom–fennel, tomato-leek, carrot-cauliflower, miso-garlic….Indeed it really becomes the subject for another blog or two.
There is the laborious stoking the fire way. The even more dubious flavored water way. Or the blend your way to brodo freedom way. Is there really a choice?
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