Great Vegan Broth/Stock for Fall

Fall is the time when the ice cream goes back in the freezer and the soup pot comes out of hiding in my house. I'm not saying the ice cream disappears, it just makes fewer appearances. But that pot, that pot is a major player.

Today's recipe is for an absolute essential recipe that every vegan concerned about their health should have, and anyone who likes nice soup should have too. Rustic Vegan Broth. This broth is nice enough to enjoy as a soup and lends lovely depth of flavor and nice color to many savory dishes. I like to cook rice and grains in it, along with some water and coconut cream -- delicious.

Brown basmati and Cal-rose rice cooked in vegan broth and coconut cream

Though instant broth and stock is readily available I prefer this broth. Its pretty easy to make a lot of it and you can save what you don't use of it in your fridge in mason jars or freeze as ice cubes. I mostly make this broth because I have a few food allergies and most commercial stocks are full of foods I cannot eat -- like wheat, mushrooms and soy. I find almost all commercial stocks also contain yeast or refined sugar which I also limit in my diet.

There is also something to be said about knowing where your food comes from. A commercial stock can have a giant list of ingredients including stabilizers and preservatives. In this stock I use a lot of fresh vegetables and spices. You can change the recipe by changing your spices -- like using sesame oil in place of olive and adding turmeric, chili powder, and lime juice and more coconut seasoning sauce to give the broth an asian flavor.

I made my husband this broth a few weeks ago when he was down with a flu. I liked it so much I had some as soup along with him. There is a lovely feeling that comes with the smell of fresh broth simmering on the stove in the fall. It's comforting and inviting and lingers in your home for hours. I love it. If you try this recipe, I hope you do too.

Rustic Vegan Broth
(soy-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, vegan, paleo)

Makes a lot of great stock/broth

1 large leek, washed and roughly diced
4 small carrots, washed and diced
1/2 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp evoo
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground sage
4 bay leaves
4 dashes coarse sea salt
1 500 ml bottle mineral water
500 ml filtered water
1 tbsp balsamic
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp organic ketchup (I like Bodacious Ketchup which is honey-sweetened)
3 tbsp sauerkraut brine
1 tbsp unsweetened pear butter or apple butter
1 beta carotene capsule
1 beta carotene capsule
1 beta carotene capsule
1 tbsp coconut seasoning sauce (optional, I use Coco Natura brand -- tastes like slightly sweet soy-sauce but is soy-free, low GI and low sodium)

Add oil, spices and onion to soup pot over medium high heat, stirring often. Add carrots, leeks and bay leaves and stir through, sauteing lightly to color a bit.

Cover with water and remaining ingredients. Bring all ingredients to a boil together in a large pot, scraping the bits off the pan bottom with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or longer, covered, stirring occasionally to develop the flavors of the broth.

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