I think any chef worth his salt would make his own stock. And if you are buying bought ingredients like that, you may as well buy the thing ready made data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Humour me- what's your process for making a good, concentrated vegetable stock?
It probably would humour you as I don't make stock! But nor do I use stock cubes - maybe I don't cook enough. I don't eat out much either, but at the prices being asked, I would be very annoyed if they were using anything but freshly prepared ingredients.
But back on topic, I don't see why there is any need for stock in a chilli. The tinned plum tomatoes have all the liquor needed - at least it worked for me.
Stock came up due to someone's dislike of MPW. Off-topic. Back on track: no need for stock in a Chil(l)i, unless someone knows better. And the thing is, here's a dish where everyone thinks they know better. And that's why we cook it.
Boil up a load of vegetables and herbs for an hour and then strain the juice off? Same as chicken or beef, you boil the bones and then strain. I don't know the exact ingredients for a vegetable stock, but I imagine most half-decent restaurants will make their own.
The stock doesn't need to be concentrated unless you're diluting it (or packaging it to be sold in supermarkets data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 )
If you're making chicken soup, you can either add water and then concentrated chicken stock, or just use normal chicken stock.
You would approve of this then that already includes the onion, chilli and garlic
http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=229797#.Uo9d-sRdVc8
Before you wonder, no, I've never tried it. Although what is probably worse is because I don't like kidney beans, I use baked beans instead.
I likes the Kallo vegetable stock concentrate in little tear-off pots. Not in a Chilli though.
Use a pressure cooker for stock, it intensifies the flavour of the stock. Also when making Chicken stock, don't bother using the breasts as they add little to the flavour, wings, thighs and giblets are the best to use.
It's all about the bones data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Though I've never used giblets...
Trust me, I know the theory (and have made stock before) but getting homemade veg stock to taste of anything is seriously tricky and labour intensive. The suggestion that you shouldn't bother cooking something if you bypass this stage is frankly bonkers.