veg soup, what do you use as stock?

[gingerninja]

I like to cook veg soup but generally use a veg oxo cube for the stock supplemented with a handfull of herbs from the garden. Presumably amongst the chefy types this is a frowned upon practice. What is the alternative? Prizes for quickest. This week I tried it with just a few herbs from the garden and it was quite bland.

I went to Delia cookery demo a few years ago - and the recommendation was just to use water, as you should get the tastiest veg possible and you won't want to lose the flavour of those. If Delia said it, it must be right ...

Bugger Delia - there's nothing wrong with using a vegetable stock cube. Some are better than others; I like Just Bouillon or Marigold. But any old stock cube will do - you can use chicken, as long as you're not feeding vegetarians.

You can make your own stock - boil up a load of veg or veg peelings with some garlic, bay leaf, herbs, then strain it. But life's too short, tbh.

I obviously had the untastiest veg then! I think a lack of salt didn't help to be honest.

Ah good, thanks Shitehawk, I wasn't entertaining or anything just wondered what the 'correct' method was. I like to pretend I can cook proper.

i make mine with:

onion
celery
carrot
bay leaf
parnsips

any root vegetable hanging around

I just bung all the veg in and boil then blend,

sometimes add chicken stock if no veggies eating it

i generally use
a spud
swede
leek
red lentils
carrot

bay leaf
sprigs of thyme
maybe a sage leaf

if I use an oxo, tis fine. If I don't it tastes a bit bland. Perhaps it is just a salt thing.

water

Seriously, if it's a veg soup then the veg will give it flavour. I find sweating them in a little butter first helps add to the flavour.

Lots of salt and pepper than make it taste nice.

gingerninja, in cookery there is no one 'correct' method. It is an artform, and like art, there is no one right way to do it.

Onion
Leek
Celery
Peppercorns
Bayleaf
Fresh parsley

boil boil boil the shove through a seive. Freezes well.

ONly problem with using bought stock (and I use Marigold) is that all your soups can end up tasting a bit samey......I tend to cut down on the amount used so the flavour of the veg comes through...

I use kallo organic and it is absolutely lovely - asda do a smart price veg one which is okay and doesn't have msg in.

think oxo has msg and knorr

mmmmmm msg

nothing like that magic white powder to bring out the flavour in food