Roasted Vegetable Broth (crock Pot/slow Cooker)

Total Time: 10 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 9 hrs

Ingredients

• 180 ounces filtered water
• 3 small leeks, sliced (divided)
• 2 large sweet onions, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 parsnips, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 tablespoons celery leaves, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 summer squash, diced
• 5 plum tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 2 tablespoons mccormick's salt-free all-purpose seasoning
• 2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• 2 cut leeks in half lengthwise, and then into 1/2" slices. rinse in water a few times to remove embedded sand and dirt. spin dry if possible.
• 3 cut onions, parsnips and carrots into 1/2" dice and toss with half of the leeks in 1 tablespoon of oil. (i like to massage in a ziplock bag.).
• 4 spread these on a baking sheet or stoneware pan and roast for 40 minutes. toss a few times to ensure even browning.
• 5 meanwhile, cut peppers, celery and squash into 1/2" dice.
• 6 heat 1 tbsp oil over med heat in dutch oven, and sauté peppers, celery and squash with remaining leeks for approx 10 minutes. **sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt to sweat vegetables. add spices and celery leaves after 5 minutes.
• 7 stir in 1/4 cup and stir to evaporate, increase heat a bit if necessary. scrape pan.
• 8 remove from heat and stir in 2 cloves chopped roasted garlic.
• 9 after 40 minutes, remove vegetables from oven and add to sautéed vegetables. stir to incorporate.
• 10 increase oven heat to broil.
• 11 broil tomatoes at 8" from heat for a few minutes to blacken skin.
• 12 divide vegetables and bay leaves between two crock pots.
• 13 add approximately 180 ounces or 1.5 gallons of water to fill crock pots.
• 14 cook on low for 8-10 hours.
• 15 usually, i will strain broth though cheesecloth and freeze.
• 16 sometimes i mill the vegetables and add back to broth for a thicker stock.