If you are like me, you like to use freshly made ingredients in all the foods you make. When making some soups store bought vegetable stock may not be the right choice to achieve the taste you are trying create. Making a fresh stock allows you to perfect the flavor to your liking. With this vegetable stock recipe you can create your very own stock in about one hour and a half.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 leeks (Roughly Chopped)
• 2 Carrots (Chopped)
• 1 Celery Stick (Chopped)
• 1 Small Potato (Chopped)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (Halved)
• 2oz Red Lentils (Dried)
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1⁄2 Teaspoon Peppercorns
• 1⁄2 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• Pinch of Thyme (Dried)
• 6 Sprigs of Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

Method

Put the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat and saute the leeks, carrots, celery, potato and garlic until slightly browned. Add 2pt water and the remaining ingredients.

Bring the combination to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for one hour. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and leave to cool. Store in the refrigerator and use within three or four days, or divide into portions and freeze until needed.