Winter Vegetable Stock

Ingredients

• 2 T butter or olive oil
• 1 onion, diced into 1/2'' squares
• 1 cup leek greens, roughly chopped
• 2 med carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 to 4 outer stalks of celery, plus some celery leaves, diced
• 1 cup winter squash, cubed
• 1 cup chard stems, cut into 1'' lengths
• 1 medium potato or 1 cup potato pairings
• 1/2 celery root, scrubbed and diced
• 1/4 cups lentils, rinsed
• 6 branches thyme or 1/4 t dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 handfuls borage leaves, chard leaves, lettuc, or nettles
• 3 sage leaves
• 10 branches parsley, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 t salt
• 2 t nutritional yeast(optional)
• 8 cups cold water

Directions

1. Heat the buttor or oik in a wide pot, add the vegetables, herbs, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast, if using, and 1/2 cup water, and stew over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Pour in the 8 cups cold water and bring to a boil; then simmer, partially covered, for 30 to 40 minutes. Pour the stock through a sieve and press out as much of the liquid as possible. Use it as is, or reduce it further for a richer flavor. Tast, and season with more salt if needed.