Soup Stock? What is it?

amother

Sat, Aug 09 2008, 2:12 pm

When a recipe calls for soup stock, what do you do? I sometimes have these great recipes that I can't do anything with, because a) I'm not quite sure what soup stock is, and b) even if I knew what it was I'm not about to make it just to do the recipe. So please help! What is it and do you freeze it so you can use it whenever you want? Or can you substitute something else? Thanks! I'm posting as amother because I'm embarrassed about my cooking skills.

Raisin

Sat, Aug 09 2008, 6:16 pm

you can either use soup powder or cubes mixed with hot water, or you can make your own. If I have leftover chicken soup from shabbos I freeze it in cups and use a cup when a recipe calls for stock. You can make a pareve stock if you want, just don't put in chicken. The stock is the liquid, you throw away the vegetables.

you can use water instead, the recipe will just lack a little flavour.

bandcm

Sat, Aug 09 2008, 10:02 pm

Just use water, and add a bit more garlic powder,salt and pepper.
Stock just means soup liquid, but water is fine.

rexie

Sat, Aug 09 2008, 11:07 pm

Lots of recipes I have call for chicken stock. Osem makes a pareve chicken consommé that I use for these kind of recipes. I just mix a little consommé with water and there you have stock.
Osem makes other flavors as well, like vegetable, beef and onion.

Tamiri

Sun, Aug 10 2008, 3:04 am

If you want to be healthy about it: when I lived in the U.S. (left 5 years ago) Trader Joes had parve OU stock in cartons (did not need refrigeration before opening). They were probably 99 cents or $1.50, vegetable and IIRC organic. They worked great and were not unhealthy like soup powder.

Raisin

Sun, Aug 10 2008, 5:34 am

Tamiri wrote:

I wish I could get those!

freidasima

Sun, Aug 10 2008, 6:03 am

Raisin, in any health food store you can get a small bag of dried soup vegetables. Dried onion mixed with red pepper and scallions and parsley and carrots etc. Take a bag of that, boil in water with real garlic and one real onion if you really want and spices and salt. Makes a terrific stock. Strain and use the liquid. Eat the veg. Actually if you don't have time, just add the dried stuff to boiling water and boil with salt and garlic powder for fifteen minutes. That's enough. No fats, no MSG, nothing unhealthy.

Tamiri

Sun, Aug 10 2008, 6:36 am

freidasima wrote:

I have done this too (in the U.S.) but did not love the results. Maybe I took the wrong dried veggies.

Raisin

Sun, Aug 10 2008, 6:51 am

freidasima wrote:

there would be kashrus issues with buying cut up onions. Although you know, they do sell ready prepared bags of cut up root veggies. I guess I would do that if I felt like it. but anyway, as I said, I freeze chicken soup for this purpose.

Tamiri

Sun, Aug 10 2008, 6:56 am

Ya get 'em kosher, girl!

My mother, saves everything. When she steams veggies, for example, she will many times freeze some for later use.
She saves meat juice.
Etc.

greenfire

Sun, Aug 10 2008, 1:26 pm

stock is basically the liquid part of a soup ... so next time you make soup - put aside a container or two and freeze it ...

I personally never could figure out why one would need this flavour if you are cooking fresh homemade food anyways ... doesn't the meat or whatever have flavor from the veggies and spices you are cooking with ...

MOE

Tue, Aug 12 2008, 3:04 pm

hi

to make stock take chicken bones or turkey bones (for chicken stock) meat bones (meat stock) a bunch of root vege like onions, garlic,leek, carrots, celery, parsnip, I like to add dill, thyme but not necesary. put in stock pot fill with water bring it to a boil, then turn down to simmer for a good 12 to 24 hours.
strain let cool and put in fridge...use as needed...every 4 days I bring it to a boil cool put back in fridge....if you want to make the stock a darker colour sautee the vege and chicken bones untill brown then follow the top steps....with beef stock usually add tomato paste.....I use it to make soup,sauces and braising liquid.

good luck