PREPARE THE VEGGIES: as you prep each one, throw into a large stock pot. Quarter the onions, leaving the skins on if your prefer a more intensely colored broth. Peel (or don't peel and just scrub with a loofa) the carrots and parsnips and roughly chop. Large pieces are fine. Clean and trim celery and then roughly chop. Peel the garlic, but leave the cloves whole. Rinse the parsley, leaving the stems on.

Pour in 5 quarts (20 cups) filtered water, plus the bay leaves and whole peppercorns, to more than cover the vegetables.

Over medium high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour.

Strain and put cooked veggies aside*

Transfer cooled veggie stock to covered containers. It will stay good in the fridge for up to a week, in the freezer for up to 3 months*

Freeze in quart sized containers for easy access when making a pot of soup, or in ice cube trays (pop into zip top bags once frozen) so you can easily defrost small amounts when needed (perfect when a pan is dry and you don’t want to add additional oil).