Ultimate Browned Vegetable Stock

Ingredients

• 3 onions, unpeeled, quartered
• 3 large carrots, unpeeled, halved, stem ends removed
• 8 celery ribs, with leaves, each broken in half
• 3 beets, quartered
• 2 heads garlic, whole heads, papery skin left on, cut in half across the middle to expose each garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, use a mild flavored one
• 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (low sodium) or 1/4 cup shoyu soy sauce (low sodium)
• 7 cups room temperature water, preferably spring, divided
• 1 -3 cup shiitake mushroom stems (see description above) (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon peppercorn