Seasoning Soup
How to spice up your favorite broth
November/December 2006
Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay
Select one or more of the following seasonings for 10 to 12 cups of broth.
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| Amount | Seasoning |
| 1 1/2 to 2 cups | Aromatic vegetables such as onion, celery, mushrooms or bell peppers |
| 3 to 4 tablespoons | Chopped fresh herbs – single herb or mixture of mild and robust (substitute 1 to 2 tablespoons dried herbs) |
| 10 to 12 sprigs | Fresh herbs – single herb or mixture of mild and robust (remove woody stems) |
| 1 to 2 teaspoons | Ground seeds such as coriander, cumin or fennel |
| 1/2 to 1 teaspoon | Ground spices such as allspice, cinnamon or cloves |
| 2 large cloves | Garlic, peeled and mashed or roasted |
| 1/4 cup | Chopped fresh shallot |
| 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon | Ground hot pepper (two or three times more if using fresh, hot chiles) |
| 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons | Salt (assuming unsalted broth is used) |
| 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon | Freshly ground pepper |
| 4 to 6 slices | Fresh lemon, lime or orange (or chopped zest and/or juice) |
| 3 to 4 tablespoons | Herbal vinegar |
Festival Hill Vegetable Stock
Makes about 1 gallon
Keep plenty of this stock on hand. It can be the base of any soup or stew recipe.
4 cups cubed potatoes
4 cups chopped onions
3 cups chopped carrots
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup cored and chopped, unpeeled apple (sweet type preferred)
2 cups chopped turnips
2 to 3 cups sliced green leek tops (optional)
3 to 4 cups cubed winter or summer squash
Place all ingredients in large, heavy pan, cover with cold water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding water to keep ingredients covered by at least 2 inches, until all ingredients are very soft. Strain and discard solids. This can be refrigerated for two to three days or frozen for several months.
Note: Vegetable peelings may be used if they’re not too dark or shriveled. Onion skins will discolor stock, as will red cabbage or an overabundance of carrots. Avoid large amounts of strong vegetables such as cabbage and turnips. Do not salt or add any seasonings unless you are preparing the broth for a specific recipe. In that case, add whatever herbs, seeds or spices called for in the recipe as you’re making the broth; then refresh with more seasonings when the soup is prepared.