Ingredients
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3 large carrots, unpeeled, halved, stem ends removed
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8 celery ribs, with leaves, each broken in half
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3 beets, quartered
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2 heads garlic, whole heads, papery skin left on, cut in half across the middle to expose each garlic clove
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3 tablespoons vegetable oil, use a mild flavored one
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1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (low sodium) or 1/4 cup shoyu soy sauce (low sodium)
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7 cups room temperature water, preferably spring, divided
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1 -3 cup shiitake mushroom stems (see description above)
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2 bay leaves
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2 sprigs fresh parsley
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3 onions, unpeeled, quartered
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1 teaspoon peppercorn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F Spray and 11 X 13-inch backing pan with cooking spray.
- Place the onions, carrots, celery, beets and garlic in the pan. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat the vegetables. Pour over the soy sauce and bake until the vegetables are deeply browned, almost burnt-looking, about 1 hour.
- Transfer the vegetables to a large heavy soup pot. Add 5 cups of the water and the remaining ingredients.
- Pour the remaining 2 cups of water into the baking pan, and using the blade since of a spatula, scrape up all those wonderful browned, caramelized bits on the bottom. Add this to the soup pot.
- Bring the water to a boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes. Cool slightly and strain.