Homemade Mushroom Vegetable Broth
Don’t be daunted by homemade broth. With a little bit of planning and a little bit of work you too can enjoy the rewards of homemade broth.
I simply chop up an onion, a few leeks, a couple ribs of celery, a couple carrots, a handful of mushrooms, then cover with 8 cups of water, throw in a couple crushed garlic cloves, a few whole peppercorns, two bay leaves, a sprig of rosemary, a big pinch each of savory and thyme and a package of dried wild mushrooms. For this recipe I would even throw in a handful of fennel greens.
I bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for an hour, then pour the broth out through a strainer into a large bowl. The broth will keep in the refrigerator in a jar for about a week.
One week at the farmer’s market, I spied a big pile of fennel bulbs. Fennel is such an alluring vegetable because of it’s large wispy greens and funny layered bulb. I have to admit, it is not my favorite vegetable, as it’s licorice flavor can be overwhelming. However, I have found that fennel can be quite tasty when it’s cooked up. So I decided to bring some home with me.
The rest of the inspiration for this recipe comes from my first experience with making homemade vegetable broth. I’ve always been intimidated by this in the past because it seems to involve too much time and too many vegetables. Turns out it’s actually quite easy if you plan ahead and it produces delicious results.
I had made a batch of mushroom vegetable broth for a recipe I was trying from The Artful Vegan, a cookbook I received as a gift. I didn’t start that recipe until 6pm, and after making the broth and everything else, it was midnight when I finally ate and was too tired to really taste the dish properly. The next day, however, the leftovers proved to be exceptionally flavorful, thus proving that the broth was worth the extra effort.
With my leftover broth and fennel sitting around, I was inspired to throw together this pasta dish, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavors that came out. The fennel was still a little crunchy in my first go, but I think a longer simmer time would soften it up nicely. The dish was surprisingly hardy and filling, full of many different flavors and textures.
Fennel Mushroom Ragu
Serves 4
- 2 Leeks, thoroughly cleaned inside, ¼” chopped
- 2 bulbs Fennel, thinly sliced, coarsely chopped
- 1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 cups sliced Crimini Mushrooms
- 6 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Homemade Mushroom Broth, or Vegetable Broth
- ½ cup Tomato Paste
- ½ cup Red Wine
- 1 tsp dried Thyme
- 1 tsp dried Savory
- ¼ tsp salt
- Dash of pepper
- Dash of red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 2 cups chopped Cauliflower
- ½ lb Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Pine Nuts (optional)
- Fennel Greens, minced
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the leeks and fennel and cook until just starting to brown, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and two thirds of the garlic and continue cooking for another two minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the broth, then add the tomato paste, wine, thyme, savor, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix together well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and simmer, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta. After two minutes, add the cauliflower. Continue cooking until the pasta is done, drain.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and remaining garlic to the sauce then add the pasta and cauliflower. Mix well to coat.
- Adjust the seasoning and taste a piece of fennel to see if it has reached desired doneness. Transfer to pasta bowls and garnish with chopped fennel greens and pine nuts.
This is a great looking blog. Love the color and the design.
Will check out your recipe collection later.
Thanks for dropping by!
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