I personally find this stock to be the boring cousin in the stock family. It's the stock that only gets invited to parties because it's family. However, we have to cater for vegetarians and this stock is primarily for addition to veg dishes.
To make the stock more exciting or to impart some umami flavor, use dried mushrooms (not button but like dried wild mushroom or porcini or shitaake)
You will need:
1/4 cup dried mushroom, rehydrated
1 leek coarsley chopped
2 carrots cut into chunks
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1/2 head of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
Olive oil
Salt to taste
In a stock pot, add the olive oil, onions, leek, garlic, salt , carrot and mushroom and saute over a medium heat until the onions soften. Once soft, add the rest of the vegetables, herbs and spices and simmer on a medium heat for about 15 minutes then take of the heat.
Once cooled, strain the liquid and freeze in ice cube trays before transferring into Ziploc bags or you can store it in Ziploc bags if you need it in large quantities.