The New York Times recently ran a recipe for “a simple broth with a mild kick,” full of heart-healthy garlic. The recipe looked like a great vegan alternative to chicken stock, so I decided to give it a try. The recipe is very simple, but a bit time consuming as the broth needs about an hour of simmering time to develop flavor. Aside from being a vegetarian option for preparing soup, this recipe also gives you complete control of the fat and sodium content (no mystery “msg” ingredients here). In total, I used less than 1/2 of a teaspoon of sea salt (a little salt is required to bring out the taste of the broth, as is a small amount of fat from the olive oil).
The recipe called for a bouquet garni, which is basically herbs tied together with kitchen string and allowed to simmer in a dish to impart flavor. By tying the herbs together, it makes them easier to find and remove before serving. Since the broth already needs to be strained, I skipped that step and just tossed the herbs into the stock pot. Smashing the garlic cloves slightly allows the flavor and healthy benefits to steep into the broth, but do not chop or the broth will be too strong.
Simple Garlic Broth
adapted from the New York Times
5 cups water
2 heads garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 fresh bay leaf
2 fresh sage leaves
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
salt, to taste
Separate garlic cloves and smash each one slightly. Peel garlic cloves and cover with water in a large stock pot. Add olive oil and herbs. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered tightly, for 1 hour. Remove from heat and strain, discarding herbs and garlic. Add salt, about 1/4 or 1/8 of a teaspoon at a time, whisking and tasting between additions.
If not using immediately, allow to cool to room temperature before storing, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Yeilds about 1 quart of garlic broth.
Instead of discarding the garlic, consider using in another recipe. The softened cloves will mash into a paste and would be great to mix into mashed potatoes or hummus.
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