Stock

We make this rich, intensely flavored stock for our mushroom soups, sauces, and ragouts. The dried shiitake mushrooms give the stock depth and tremendous flavor. They're readily available in the Asian section of most grocery stores, but if you can't find them, substitute another variety of dried mushrooms — fresh mushrooms alone will make a weak stock. This stock freezes well.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 4 hr

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 18 hr (includes chilling)

The ideal starting point for soups, stews, risotto, and more—with a heavy hand of umami and deep, roasty flavors.

Umami-rich and flavorful all on its own, this vegan hot pot base is also a welcome palate cleanser when served alongside a spicy broth.

Carla Hall’s deeply savory take on potlikker is made by slowly simmering country ham with garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.

In this untraditional, smoky-sweet, plant-based potlikker, Carla Hall uses smoked paprika, red wine vinegar, and sun-dried tomato paste to bring umami.

This fiery red broth is a labor of love, but it’s worth it—your hot pot spread depends on a rich, flavorful base.

By adding a splash of Pernod to her fennel-based potlikker, Carla Hall doubles down on licorice-y flavor, creating an aromatic, anise-based broth suited to seafood and vegetables.

Browning the onions and using mushrooms gives this stock a deep golden brown color and plenty of structure and savory flavors.

You will get as much richness and depth from this stock after 40 minutes under pressure as you would from 3 hours of simmering on the stovetop.