Pressure Cooked Stock- Vegetable 2

A pressure cooker cuts vegetable stock time from hours to minutes. Ten minutes at high pressure extracts the same depth of flavor that traditional simmering takes 60 to 90 minutes to achieve.

Browning the onions first is what gives this stock its color and backbone. A quick 5 to 6 minute sauté until golden builds sweetness. For a darker, richer stock, push that to 15 minutes until the onions are deep brown. Those caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot dissolve into the stock as it pressurizes.

Carrots, celery, parsnips, bay leaves, thyme, and fresh herb sprigs round out the aromatics. Then eight cups of chopped vegetables go in along with water up to your cooker’s maximum fill line.

A few things to avoid: beets stain the stock pink, onion peels make it bitter, turnip peels add an off flavor, and anything from the cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) gives the stock a sulfurous smell that overpowers everything else.

Pro Tips

• Scrape up every browned bit from the bottom of the pot before locking the lid. Those caramelized onion pieces are concentrated flavor and also prevent scorching under pressure.
• Use this stock within 2 to 3 days. It loses significant flavor when frozen, unlike meat-based stocks which freeze well.
• Let the pressure drop naturally for the best extraction. Quick release works but natural release gives you those extra minutes of cooking.
• Don’t salt heavily. You can always add salt when using the stock in recipes. Under-salted stock is versatile; over-salted is not.

Variations

• Roasted vegetable stock: Roast the vegetables in the oven first at high heat before pressure cooking for a deeper, smokier flavor.
• Asian-style: Add ginger, lemongrass, and star anise instead of thyme and bay leaves for a stock suited to Asian soups.