Vegetable Broth

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, portobello mushroom stems, or whole white mushrooms
1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 leek, well rinsed and coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped parsley
5 sprigs thyme
5 black peppercorns

• Place all the ingredients with 8 cups of water in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, until the vegetables are very tender.
• Let the broth cool slightly, then strain it, pressing hard on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Adjust the seasonings to taste. (This broth can be refrigerated for up to 6 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)
From The Candle Café Cookbook
by Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza with Barbara Scott-Goodman

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Makes 6 to 8 servings