200g leek, roughly chopped in 1/2cm rounds
300g carrot, roughly chopped as above
1 parsnip, roughly chopped as above
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped in 1cm lengths
a handful parsley, with stalks
1,5 – 2 litres water
Chop the leek, carrot, parsnip, celery to approximately the same size. Wash the herbs. Put all the ingredients and water into a large heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to the boil and let it simmer lightly on a low heat with a lid on the pan for 20 to 25 minutes.
Pour the liquid through a sieve into a bowl. At this point you can season with salt and use it for a recipe, or let the liquid cool in order to pour it into an ice-cube tray to keep for convenient future use.
