Adding more than burnt onion to broth: a secret vegetable for extra flavor and color

It's no breaking news that broth is a go-to option during colder days; it nourishes, warms and remains delicious. It often stirs childhood memories when a bowl of warm, aromatic soup awaited us at the table. Now, we make broth ourselves and rely on well-known recipes. However, how about throwing in a small change? After learning of the color-enhancing properties of a certain vegetable, I couldn't resist giving it a try.

It can be a challenge to achieve a drool-worthy golden hue in broth. Usually, burnt onion aids this variant, but it isn't always the preferred choice. Fortunately, there's an alternate vegetable at our rescue. However, there's one constraint – it's seasonality. This particular vegetable is most abundant during late fall, with its peak on the last day of October. If pumpkin was your guess, you nailed it.

Once I discovered this product's "magic" potential, I endeavored to test it myself. It was as simple as adding a few pieces to the broth towards the end, and presto! The broth turned golden with a touch of sweetness, slightly differentiating it from the classic onion-based broth.

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon of water,
• 3 chicken wings,
• 2 chicken legs,
• 2 large carrots,
• A large onion,
• A parsley root,
• A piece of celery,
• About 10 oz of pumpkin,
• 3-4 grains of allspice,
• 3-4 bay leaves,
• Pepper and salt to taste.

Preparation method:

1. Pour water over the meat, add bay leaves and allspice, then simmer for an hour on low heat.
2. After this time, add the peeled vegetables and burnt onion. Allow everything to cook for another two hours.
3. Then, add the peeled pumpkin and season the broth. Your soup will be ready after simmering for an additional 15 minutes.