I have really gotten into making vegetable stock using this new method. It is the most economical thing you can make if you cook with vegetables and enjoy soup. The trick is this: you save the discard bits of the vegetables you chop up and use in other dishes. These can be saved over time in a large tupperware container in the freezer (or fridge, if you’re going through vegetables fast enough). Save the ends of onions, stems of green vegetables, mushrooms and fresh herbs. Potato peelings… pretty much anything you want.
I thought it would be a hassle to do at first, so it took me about a year to actually try it. Really though, it’s quite easy. Just keep a tupperwear in the freezer and add vegetable scraps to it as you make other things. Then, once you’ve collected enough to fill your pot, take them out. In your largest soup pot, dump the frozen veggies and fill the rest with water.
Put it on to boil, then reduce and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on. Strain out vegetables and whisk in one or two or more tablespoons of miso and nutritional yeast. This addition makes the stock cloudy and adds a wonderful flavour dimension, as well as some really excellent nutrients. Also add any herbs or spices you want. I put some cayenne in last time—spicy!
This recipe appeals to my experimental cook tendencies. You never know exactly what kind of stock you’re going to get! Last time I made this stock it was great! There were mushrooms, onions, fresh cilantro, leeks, carrots and green vegetable stems. In the new batch I made today, I included eggplant ends, a lemon rind, and an extra head of garlic cut in half. Did I mention I’m really excited about the experimental aspect?
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Big Sis Little Dish 
Edible cheese rind from hard cheeses is another great thing to save to add to stock.
Interesting! How do you know if the cheese rind is edible?
Sylvi, Ema would be so proud of you. Nothing was wasted in her kitchen!
She was so ahead of her time and she made great vegetable soup, which she pronounced “weggietable”. It is one of my fondest memories of her. Love,
Glenda
By edible, I really mean palatable. If it is a wax rind, don’t use it. or take the wax off. Basically, take a bite of it. Parmigiano reggiano works great. Most hard cheeses work great. With Parmesan, the melty chunks left in the stock make great chewy treats in the soup if you choose not to take them out.
Cheers
Thanks for the tip, Micheal!