Vegetable stock paste

Ingredients

• 200 g celery stalks (trimmed, cut into pieces)
• 2 carrots (cut into pieces)
• 1 brown onion (cut into halves)
• 1 fresh tomato (cut into halves)
• 1 zucchini (cut into pieces)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 dried bay leaf (optional)
• 1.5 sprigs fresh basil (leaves only; 1-2 sprigs)
• 1.5 sprigs fresh sage (leaves only; 1-2 sprigs)
• 1.5 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaves only; 1-2 sprigs)
• 8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley (leaves only)
• 150 g rock salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Steps

1. 1

   Place celery, carrots, onion, tomato, zucchini, garlic, bay leaf, basil, sage, rosemary, and parsley into the Thermomix mixing bowl.

2. 2

   Chop the vegetables and herbs for 10 seconds at Speed 7.

3. 3

   Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with the spatula.

4. 4

   Add the rock salt and olive oil to the mixing bowl.

5. 5

   Cook for 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 2, placing the simmering basket instead of the measuring cup onto the mixing bowl lid to allow steam to escape and prevent splashing.

6. 6

   Remove the simmering basket and insert the measuring cup.

7. 7

   Blend the mixture for 1 minute, gradually increasing the speed from Speed 4 to Speed 9, until a smooth paste forms.

8. 8

   Transfer the paste into a sterilized glass jar and allow it to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

Notes

This paste is very salty as the salt acts as a natural preservative. To use, dissolve 1 teaspoon of paste in 500g of water to make vegetable stock. The paste will keep for several months in the refrigerator.

Nutrition per serving

• base
• condiment
• vegetarian
• vegan
• gluten-free
• dairy-free
• thermomix
• meal prep