Adding a slice of Kombu, a splash of soy sauce, and/or dried mushroom soaking water, things that have umame, can help with boosting the flavor of a vegetable stock. Roasting the vegetables first can make for a good dark stock.

Sally

Yeah, Grainlady, It's a meat meal so the parmesan--not that I've done that--is out. :) For Passover, one is more kosher than at other times of the year, so no dairy on the table at all. And no meat because that was why I wanted an alternative. So "vegan". I agree with you that "vegetable" should cover it, but "vegetable soup" is often made with beef stock, so I wanted to be clear. I'm allergic to most fish, especially when it's hot, and even the steam, so that's out too. Vegan is a good word for it. :)

Thanks for the recipe (looks good), but it's the vegetable broth you make that I really wanted the recipe for. My veg stock isn't flavorful enough to be a soup.

Sally, thanks for the suggestions! I was trying to keep away from mushrooms because I'm putting whole ones in and wanted more contrast, but I wouldn't have ever thought of kombu. That would help. Maybe even some greens, too, now that you have me thinking in that direction. I'm only imagining, but kombu sounds like a winner for adding depth--and easy to do.

Okay, and believe it or not, it never occurred to me to roast the vegetables, even though roasted vegetables are a staple food around here! DUH! Thank-you, thank-you, Sally!!

I think I have my answer, though I'll be glad to know any other suggestions.

In one of my vegetarian cookbooks, I recall that when they roasted the veggies for stock they also tossed those veggies with a bit of soy sauce to deepen the flavor.

Thanks! I have a couple of people who can't have soy, but you've also reminded me that I could use a little Bragg's. :)

I celebrate all holidays, all religions. Any excuse to make something different. You got me thinking about Passover.

For vegan soup for Passover, I will add kosher MSG.

Some starch to thicken for texture.

Sesame oid for aroma.

Dehydrated vegetable of all kinds give unique complexity, especially mushrooms.

dcarch

Kosher MSG?

Sally

I'm not adding MSG isolate (glutamates from food are fine).

Sesame oil is an interesting notion. Thanks, Dcarch.

Sally, to be kosher for Passover the MSG would have to be produced in a facility that could be certified not to have any kind of flour residue in it.

Pillog, I've been trying to respond to this for days but my computer won't let me respond to anything! I can't figure it out, but at least my phone is cooperating.

Wanted first to say that I hope you get a special place in Heaven for being so hospitable! As a lifelong vegetarian/almost vegan the hardest part by far is the guilt of feeling like a high maintenance guest. I went for years not telling anyone about my food habits and just taking extra helpings of salad! It's really terrific of you to be so thoughtful.

Also, if it's not too inconvenient an ingredient for you to come by, yeast extract is a great additive for any veggie broth if you want it to have some umami richness.

Thanks, Kiwigem, you're very kind. You're also a terrific guest, not wanting to put your hostess out. I have a vegan friend who insists on bringing a "side dish" for the company that can serve as her main, though I think it's up to me to make a protein for the vegans. I think Passover is hardest for vegans, especially with Ashkenazim who don't do "small things" which include all grains and pulses. We don't observe that, though don't use any of them for alternative flours, other than "gluten free matzah-like squares" for the Celiac. If I know for sure vegans are coming, I'll make bean and lentil loaf for them, but someone will bring gefilte fish, so the pescatarians are covered there for protein.

The rest is easy, since we're always mindful of what has meat or dairy in it. I don't keep kosher on a daily basis, but I am careful of what will be acceptable to my family and friends. That kind of mindfulness makes it much easier to accommodate vegans. I don't cook the vegetables in stock, and don't butter them, for instance. The hardest part is the eggs. This is the meal of the many eggs. :) Luckily, most vegans are mostly vegan, rather than religiously so, and most of the ones I know will accept a little bit of free range egg. I try to make sure they're well informed first.

Is "yeast extract" the same as nutritional yeast? I have that. I've never used it in soup though...

It's very similar, but through some fancy science they remove the cell walls first, so it's easier to blend into things. There are no leavening aspects to the yeast anymore, but i dont know if its mere presence would make the broth not be kosher for Passover?

It gives kind of an MSG flavor. Some people say "meaty" but I don't really know what that means, lol.

Last year (or was it the year before?), I made a minestrone type soup for the vegetarians with small matzah balls in it instead of pasta. For the matzah balls, I used olive oil instead of chicken fat, whole wheat matzah meal to give them a bit heartier flavor and some italian herbs (oregano and basil, IIRC). Saute onion, garlic, celery, carrots. Add other vegetables like summer squash, bell pepper and some kind of leafy green (e.g. chard, spinach) maybe some white beans and some herbs. A can of diced tomatoes and water for the liquid. Season with salt and pepper.

Another way to go is a vegetarian French onion soup base with slow caramelized onions.

When our vegetarian son and his family were living with us, we gave up on the Ashkenazi kitnyot (beans and pulses) restriction. There are very good arguments against it and the Conservative Rabbinate in Israel has decided that it isn't required.

Excellent suggestions, Cloud Swift. Our family has never held kitnyot, but I don't generally use them at Seder if I don't have a vegan to feed. I try to keep the meal "as if" so the youngsters don't get confused. :) We have mixed influences, but generally do Eastern in such things, however, the kids' parents don't really have the knowledge to explain the difference.

I'll make the stock soon, and see how it goes.

Pllog,

If I remember correctly, Braggs is made from Soybeans. You may want to skip that if people are allergic or bothered by Soy. Mushrooms and Kombu will add huge umani to the broth. Make a small batch of vegetable broths to taste before you go full hog. I was watching Mind of Chef where David Chang made a vegetable broth using dried everything, Mushrooms, onions, green peppers, etc. He claimed it tasted wonderful. For my vegetable broths, I usually add a little bit of tomato powder to give it richness. I actually don't like roasted vegetables in my broth.

Good luck!

Thanks, Homepro! I just checked the bottle and, indeed, Bragg's is made from soy protein. I don't know why that didn't occur to me, so I really appreciate your pointing it out explicitly before I had the pot all simmering!

Thanks, too, for mentioning that you don't like roasted veg in your broth. I think the roasted flavor would go well with the kind of thing I want to make, but I think it could get too strong, so I'll start out with only some roasted. Maybe the onions and rutabaga. I can imagine what that would taste like.

Kiwigem, good point! Probably not. :) Technically, it's activated yeasts that grow naturally on foods combining with wheat that are at issue--we drink wine, after all, which has yeast--but the yeast extract would have to be labelled kosher for Passover (there is kosher for Passover baking powder, based on its flour content, rather than puffing ability, as it is not biblically proscribed, but that doesn't fly if your traditions don't allow it (ours don't)). I do make exceptions for the vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian crowd, but the soup is supposed to be for everybody.

Dried vegetables does sound like an interesting idea, but unless I find sufficient at the store, for a reasonable price, it's not happening this year. My previous vegetable stock isn't bad. It's just not ready for prime time, as it were.

I'll make a pot of enhanced soon, and see how it goes.

Cool! Thanks for the report, Grainlady!

Do you get Marmite your way? It's a yeast extract - a by-product from beer production and 100% vegetarian. Very tasty and is a good booster for veggie stock.

Thanks. But that puts us back in the yeast problem. :) It's not in the big chains (most Americans don't know what it is), but marmite is available. So's Vegemite. :)

Sorry, I missed the bit about the yeast.

Thanks for the answer about the MSG. I don't know all the ins and outs of kosher, so I find this an interesting thread.

Plllog, you are the host/hostess with the mostest.

Sally