FOOD NEWS
The Pantry Ingredient That Fills Vegetable Broth With Umami Flavor
BY JULIA HOLLAND
Using vegetable broth instead of water to make a soup or stew will provide a more flavorful foundation, but the broth needs to be at its best for the greatest results.
Seasonings and herbs can improve a vegetable broth's flavors, but you should also use umami-rich dried mushrooms to make a far more substantial impact.
Dried mushrooms have a high concentration of the amino acid guanylate, giving them an ultra-savory flavor, and their long shelf-life makes them convenient to store and use.
You can buy your favorite mushroom variety in dried form, or make a blend of different mushrooms. Throw them directly into your pot of broth like you would a cinnamon stick.
Make sure to wash the mushrooms thoroughly to remove any dirt before using them. Once they've simmered with the broth and other ingredients, you can remove them before serving.
Another option is to add dried mushrooms to a seasoning sachet. This makes them easy to remove and catches any debris that would otherwise drift into the broth.
You can also make a mushroom broth by soaking the mushrooms in boiling water for 15 minutes before straining the liquid through a cheesecloth.
You can then add your mushroom broth to your vegetable broth at a ratio of one cup of mushroom broth to four cups of vegetable broth.