Good vege stock is one of those things that throw up a few un-intuitive hurdles that make it a little harder to figure out without some pointers. Plus people take the process for granted when they rely on animal-based stocks or cubes, so the info takes a little more searching.
Taste testing - When you're trying to test the stock (to see if it's done or needs more something etc), take your test amount and salt it. You won't be able to really taste the details of the stock without the salt bringing those flavors out. This is one of those things you never really get told, and applies to non-vegetarian stocks too! You don't need to salt the stock itself, if you wanna control your salt intake or the recipe you're using will add salty things you can just store it unsalted, but salt your taste tests.
Lotta garlic - Garlic can supply some savory, sweet, and "bite" that stocks need on it's own. Don't be sparing, any of that harshness it has from adding too much is broken down by the simmering. For a batch of stock I would just add a whole bulb or two, cut in half through the cloves. No need to peel, maybe just take off the outer layers quickly just in case it's been sprayed. There are even stocks that are just garlic, food52 has a yt vid here.
Onion - Won't need to saute, unless you are trying to get a darker color. Sauteed onion flavor is surprisingly weak, you need to add a LOT of sauteed onion to get it to come through. That's why french onion soup is mostly sauteed onion to the point that it's thick. Just chop one in half then chuck it in, again maybe the outer layer of skin off in case of spraying from the farms.
Savories - Different savory flavors compliment each other, so it's good to add multiple types. Garlic of course, and onion adds a bit (but they're more for sweetness), but you can also add a tomato, or a few mushrooms (dried shiitake work great for more than just asian style food). Or the rind of a Parmesan cheese if you have one lying around. Those various savory compounds work better together, and this tends to be the thing vege stocks are missing compared to meat ones (where multiple savories are all in the one meat source)
Chopping up - No need to be fine, or even medium. I'll often just snap a carrot in half by hand and put it in. As long as veges with a more water resistant skin are opened up it'll work.
Cooking time - The good thing about vege stock is that most things in it wont take more than 30 minutes at most to leech out all their flavor. Probably only need 15 minutes in most cases.
Acidity - A hint of acidity also really wakes up a stock. Just a dash of vinegar, or a glug of white wine at the start. Go sparing here though, like just add a teaspoon and check the acidity before adding more. You should *just* be able to notice the taste of it. (And *this* step won't need salt to taste test).
Other tips - Black pepper is also good for bite, add a teaspoon of peppercorns in (or ground, but it's harder to filter out later). Bell peppers are also good in place of carrots. The cilantro you mentioned is good, if you have coriander seeds too they add a different note as well.
I realize this has been quite a bit of info, so let me know if I need to clarify anything!
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