Nitrate & Nitrite Free Classic Mirepoix
Mirepoix is one of those foundational building blocks that quietly makes everything taste better — soups, stews, braises, and sauces all owe a serious debt to this humble trio of onion, carrot, and celery. The slow, gentle cook in unsalted butter coaxes out a deep, sweet fragrance without any browning, leaving the vegetables pale, soft, and perfectly mellow. Every single ingredient here is a whole, unprocessed food, so there's nothing lurking in the pan that shouldn't be — no cured meats, no packaged seasonings, no preservatives of any kind. That matters more than people realize, since so many shortcut flavor bases and store-bought stocks rely on processed ingredients that can sneak in unwanted additives. A pinch of kosher salt and an optional bay leaf are all the seasoning this needs, letting the natural sweetness of the vegetables do the heavy lifting. Make a batch now and you've got a ready-to-go flavor foundation waiting in the fridge for whatever you're cooking next.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion (about 2 cups), cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 medium carrots (about 1 cup), peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 stalks celery (about 1 cup), cut into ¼-inch dice
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until foamy and just beginning to subside.
- 2
Add the onion, carrots, celery, and salt, then stir to coat everything in the butter. Add the bay leaf, if using.
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