Basic vegetable stocks have a light flavour making them suitable for a variety of uses. This is a white stock, while a brown stock is darker, richer and fuller flavoured, which is achieved through browning the vegetables first. Both stocks rely on vegetables such as carrot, onion, leek and celery to form the flavour base. Mushrooms are always good to add here as are tomatoes. Herbs add their own flavour and complexity but can easily overpower so use carefully and think about the final use for the stock.
2L water
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 stick celery, sliced
4-5 mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
a few parsley stalks
1 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
a few black peppercorns
1 Farro bay leaf
Put all the ingredients in a stockpot, bring up to the boil, then simmer gently for 3 hours. Cool and strain. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months
For a brown vegetable stock, fry the vegetables first in your choice of oil or butter, add tomato paste and cook for a minute or two, then add water and proceed as for the white stock