Vegetable Stock and Broth

Stock is a flavored liquid obtained by boiling vegetables in water or other liquid such as wine. It is the basis of soups and sauces.

In classic vegetarian stock preparation, the chef often simmers portions of vegetables such as carrots, onions, garlic, pumpkin, and celery (often called mirepoix) accompanied with a small porous bag of cotton that contains spices or herbs. The aroma of spices or herbs is introduced into the stock enhancing its flavor.

The stock preparation is started with immersing pieces of desired vegetables into cold water and boiling them on low flame slowly. The stock is boiled for 20 to 30 minutes. Once it reaches room temperature, the stock is stored in a container without adding salt. Its shelf life can be 3 to 4 days if stored in the refrigerator. The shelf life can be extended by boiling it again.

The difference between the stock and the broth is that the broth is served as a finished dish whereas stock is the base for further cooking. Also, the stock does not contain any solids but the broth may contain vegetable pieces or noodles.

Vegetable Soups

Soup is a type of liquid food prepared using vegetable stock. There are three types of soups. They are −

Clear Soup

It is a see-through watery soup without pieces of vegetable or noodles in it. This soup can quench hunger and fulfil the requirement of liquid in the body. It is a good appetizer.

Thick Soup

It is thickened by use of roux, rice flour, potato starch, or cream. These agents blend well with other foods. The thickening may vary depending upon the agent used. Use of a roux creates a smooth and even texture. The roux is cooked along with the longer-simmering vegetables until the desired color is reached. Then the stock is added slowly by stirring constantly to avoid lump formation. As the soup warms, it thickens.

Pureed Soup

It is prepared by cooking starchy or leafy vegetables in the stock and pureeing the ingredients finely. It generally does not require thickening agent.

Some famous vegetable soups around the world are −

• Borscht − It is a soup prepared from beetroot puree from England.
• Faki Soupa − Red Lentils + onions, parsley, and carrots + olive oil + tomato sauce. It is from Greece.
• Gazpacho − concoction of bread, tomato, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar. It is a Spanish soup.
• Ginataan − Made of coconut milk, from Philippines.
• Sambar − A South-Indian soup made of pigeon peas + vegetables + tamarind pulp + spices.

Sauces

Sauce is a liquid, semi-liquid, or creamy food cooked by blending multiple foods. Sauces are essential culinary components all over the world. Sauce coats the food such as pasta or bread. It enhances the taste and moisture in the main food. Their tempting bright colors also add visual appeal to various dishes.

Five Mother Sauces

The five mother sauces are the heads of their own unique families of small sauces. There are five mother sauces in classic food preparation −

• Bechamel − Blend of Roux and milk or cream.
• Veloute − Roux + White Vegetable Stock.
• Espagnole − Roux + Brown Vegetable Stock + Butter + Tomato Puree.
• Tomato − Roux + Tomatoes or tomatoes pureed and thickened on heat.
• Hollandaise − Egg Yolks + Melted Butter + Acid (lemon juice or white wine)

From these basic sauces, a chef can make hundreds of various sauces to dress or compliment the dish.

Some famous vegetable sauces are −

• Rujak − Palm sugar + peanuts + tamarind pulp + chilli.
• Salsa − cooked tomatoes + bell peppers + onion and garlic + fresh cilantro.
• Wine Sauce − White/Red/Burgundy wine + mushrooms + spices.
• Mustard Sauce − Husked mustard seeds + Egg + Vinegar + Pepper Powder.
• Blue Cheese Sauce − Butter + Milk + Chopped Blue Cheese.

Salads

Salad is an important part of the menu. Salads are considered as a separate course during fine dining. Vegetable salad is prepared by combining shreds, slices, or stripes of salad vegetables such as tomatoes, celery, cabbage, lettuce, onions, carrots, and cilantro, often pairing them with flavorful salad dressings.

Various versions of veg salads can also be prepared using contain cubes of Tofu or Cottage cheese, bean sprouts, cooked beans, olives, boiled sweetcorn nibbles, diced fruits, dried fruits, and citrus fruit juices. For example, Green salad, Carrot-Raisin salad in orange juice, Coleslaw are some famous salads.