Vegetable Stock

Yield: 7-8 cups of stock

This soup stock is great for cold winter days. Make up a batch and use as the basis for your morning miso soup and/or for lunch and dinner stews and noodle dishes. On especially cold mornings add 1 heaping tablespoon of kuzu to thicken the soup. This will keep you warmer for a longer time.

2 large carrots

3 celery stalks

1/2 pound winter squash

1 onion

1 1/2 inch fresh ginger

2 leeks (white part)

10 c. water

2 cloves garlic

1-6 inch piece kombu seaweed

2-4 dried shiitake mushrooms

Cube and simmer all ingredients for 1 to 2 hours over low heat, strain the broth, and discard the solid portion. Additional options: 1 tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 beets, 1 broccoli, 1 turnip, 1 c. parsley, or 1/2 cabbage.