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Published: · Modified: by Debra Klein · This post may contain affiliate links · 18 Comments
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Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder takes just 5 minutes to make with common pantry ingredients. It’s quick and easy to use when you don’t have enough time to make homemade vegetable stock. Just add water and go from vegan bouillon powder to flavorful vegetable broth in 1 minute! Instantly ready to use in all your favorite recipes.
Jump to:
- Homemade Bouillon Powder vs. Store Bought
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- How to make bouillon powder
- How to make vegetable broth from bouillon powder
- How to serve and store
- More recipes that use Nutritional Yeast
- Nutritional Yeast FAQs
- 📖 Recipe
I know I have shared my recipe for vegan vegetable stock with you before. I love how easy it is to make and store in the freezer. But, even I find myself, without any stock (punny, I know) available sometimes. Vegetable bouillon powder to the rescue!
Oh, you’re going to love having a jar of this vegan stock powder in your pantry. It’s the perfect vegan chicken broth substitute for seasoning soup, with all the convenience you get from a bouillon powder and none of the chemicals in store bought brands. Trust me, you’ll never buy store bought again!
Homemade Bouillon Powder vs. Store Bought
Read the label. Always read the product label when you’re buying packaged foods. Most brands use ingredients like hydrogenated palm oil, autolyzed yeast extract, monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, artificial preservatives, and added sugar to make their vegetable base. Also be aware that when a package lists ingredients like natural flavors, it refers to a broad group of chemical flavor compounds and there is often a reason they haven’t been more specific.
Oh, I know the allure of buying those packaged little bouillon cubes…you want a quick solution to flavoring your soup when you have no choice but to use water instead of homemade chicken broth….but, guess what? There’s a better solution.
This vegetable bouillon cube recipe uses simple ingredients that you recognize, and lets you control the amount of salt to add. So, if you’re on a low sodium diet, making your own version of Knorr cube seasonings is a great way to stay on track. You can find the nutritional information for the cubes online or on the package at your local grocery store vs. the nutritional information on the recipe card below.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Nutritional yeast: This is actually deactivated yeast, and contributes a bit of cheesy flavor along with the yellow color common in regular chicken stock. Substitute with a combination of dried mushrooms, and ground sunflower seeds. You can also add 1 teaspoon miso paste to the hot water before blending with this vegan bouillon powder for additional flavor.
- Garlic powder: make sure it’s not garlic salt.
- Onion powder: Substitute onion flakes or granulated onion, but NOT onion salt.
- Italian seasoning: If you don’t have a blend, use any combination of dried parsley, oregano, thyme or basil.
- Celery seed: Use ground celery seed if you have it, otherwise use whole celery seeds for a really earthy flavor. In a pinch, use dill seeds.
- Turmeric: If you’ll be using this in place of chicken broth, the turmeric will add the perfect yellow color.
- Dried Bay Leaf: Adds a subtle, earthy and savory flavor.
- Sea salt: If you’re on a low sodium diet, omit and you’ll have salt-free vegan bouillon powder.
- Ground black pepper: Helps make the curcumin in the turmeric more bioavailable.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Takes just 5 minutes to make.
- This pantry staple has a long shelf life.
- Budget friendly.
- Just add water. Go from vegetable bouillon powder to warm and soothing vegetable broth in just 1 minute!
- Low-salt bouillon perfect for those on a low-sodium diet
- A great substitute for chicken bouillon cubes, free from chemicals and much lower in sodium.
- Delicious, savory flavor enhancer.
- Naturally vegan, gluten-free and contains no preservatives, thickeners or MSG!
- Enhances the flavor of all your favorite veggie dishes, soups and stews.
How to make bouillon powder
Step 1: Place nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, celery seeds, turmeric, salt and pepper in the bowl of a small food processor or spice grinder. Break the bay leaves into small pieces and add them.
Step 2: Grind until everything is uniform in size, resembling a fine powder.
Step 3: Transfer spice mixture to a clean, dry jar. Store in a cool, dark location.
How to make vegetable broth from bouillon powder
Add one Tablespoon vegetable bouillon powder to one cup hot water. Mix well.
How to serve and store
- Serve: Substitute 8 oz. water plus 1 Tablespoon bouillon powder for every 1 cup broth in any recipe. Use in soups, stews, chowders, marinades, dips, dressings, sauces and casseroles. Or, sprinkle onto any food to add a salty, umami flavor.
- Use: For oil-free veggie saute, use water with a sprinkle of this powder instead of olive oil.
- Store: Glass spice jars or small mason jars are my preference for storing stock powder. But any clean airtight container will do. In a cool, dark pantry, vegan bouillon powder will stay good for a year.
More recipes that use Nutritional Yeast
- Gluten-Free Stuffed Mushrooms
- Creamy Tahini Caesar Dressing Recipe
- Meaty Vegan Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Vegan Basil Pesto Recipe
Nutritional Yeast FAQs
What is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast is made from an inactive dry form of yeast. It is fortified with vitamins, minerals and nutrients like B12 and folic acid. It is also a great source of plant-based protein with all the amino acids. It is also referred to as baker’s or brewer’s yeast.
What is it used for?
It is most often used to add a cheesy, nutty and savory flavor to vegan sauces, soups, stews, casseroles, dips, and dressings. It’s delicious sprinkled onto popcorn, roasted veggies or pizza.
Where do you buy nutritional yeast?
You can find nutritional yeast in most larger grocery stores or small health food markets. You can also buy larger canisters of nutritional yeast online.
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📖 Recipe
Vegetable Bouillon Powder
Author: Debra Klein
Homemade vegetable bouillon powder takes just 5 minutes to make and is quick and easy to use as a substitute for homemade veggie stock. Go from vegan bouillon powder to vegetable broth in 1 minute!
5 from 38 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Condiment, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Tablespoons
Calories 39 kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup Nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground celery seed
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a small food processor or spice grinder.
Blend until consistency is powdery. It's OK if the bay leaf doesn't grind down to a fine powder, as long as the pieces of bay leaf are super small and the rest of the spice mix is finely ground.
Transfer to a clean, dry jar with a lid and store in a cool dark place.
To turn vegetable bouillon powder into veggie broth, combine 1 Tablespoon soup mix with 1 cup boiling water.
Notes
Use a spice grinder, small food processor, or coffee grinder for best results. If mixing by hand, take some time to crumble bay leaf into as small of pieces as possible first. Then, add all ingredients into a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously until fully mixed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1TablespoonCalories: 39kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 3gFat: 0.5gSaturated Fat: 0.05gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 294mgPotassium: 179mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 21IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag me @dkhealthcoach or use hashtag #dkhealtcoach on Instagram so I can see it!!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
The Sudden Cook
Thank you SO Much for this recipe. I’ve never thought of making homemade vegetable stock powder. This is definitely a recipe to try. Thanks again!Reply
Debra Klein
You’re welcome…you’ll be making it and then making it again before you know it!
Reply
Jerika
Wow! Can’t wait to make my own Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder!:) Thanks for the tips. This will become handy on my pantry.:)
Reply
Debra Klein
I’m surprised how often I reach for it!
Reply
Debra
Great Idea!
Not that it won’t be used up swiftly especially in soup season, but what is your best guess as to the shelf life?
Thanks!Reply
Debra Klein
It will last in a cool, dark pantry for one year.
Reply
Nora
I didn’t realize how easy it is to make a vegetable bouillon powder! Really great tutorial! Thank you!Reply
Debra Klein
Thanks Nora. You’re welcome.
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Megan
I love how easy this recipe is. The powder is so tasty too.Reply
Debra Klein
Right? I keep a jar in my pantry at all times, and when it runs out, I love how quickly I can make a new batch!
Reply
Judy Shea
This is my go to at least 2 to 3 times a weekReply
Debra Klein
So happy to hear that Judy..thanks for sharing!
Reply
Gabriela
Hi, is there a sub for celery seed? Thank you.
Reply
Debra Klein
That’s a hard one because they have such a distinct flavor profile….if you have dill seeds, use them, otherwise I would just leave that ingredient out.
Reply
Ronald Reeser
OMGOODNESS!!!!!! I am so glad I stumbled on this recipe, as I have never heard of powdered bouillon – this is amazing!!!!!! Thank you so very much, I have already sent this to friends!Reply
Debra Klein
You’re welcome. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Reply
Michelle Goodman
My son can’t have yeast. You mentioned subbing dried mushrooms and sunflower seeds. Do you have specific amounts? Someone just shared your site on a Passover fb post and I’m so exited to look through recipes. (Son does specific carbohydrate diet for UC so it’s no refined sugar, gluten, corn, soy, lactose or additives/preservatives/emulsifiers.) I’ve been looking for a homemade bouillon to use when I run out of broth. Ty!
Reply
Debra Klein
The recipe calls for Nutritional Yeast…and there isn’t actually any yeast in that product…so maybe your son can eat it? As for the substitution, I would follow the recipe….so substitute 1/2 cup combined (doesn’t have to be a 50/50 split…use what you have, more of the mushrooms produces a richer broth) of dried mushrooms and sunflower seeds to replace the 1/2 cup nutritional yeast.
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