Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Cubes
These homemade vegetable bouillon cubes are going to be the perfect replacement to those store-bought ones that are packed with additives, preservatives and flavor enhancers.
Don't get me wrong- while I myself turn to packaged seasonings every once in a while for convenience, I absolutely love making my own seasonings and spice mixes that are everyday essentials- like my chaat masala seasoning and my garam masala powder.
Over the last few weeks, I've been on a mission to try making essentials (think seasonings, marinades and classic condiments) on my own, from scratch. And while it may seem like a lot of work, it actually isn't, and it's made my life SO much easier.
My homemade ginger garlic paste, green chili chutney, tikka masala sauce and yellow curry paste are all staples, and I end up using them for weeks. So of course, I just had to try a classic flavor enhancer too, and veggie stock cubes seemed like the perfect idea.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- These compact cubes can make things SO much easier for you all throughout the week- and even weeks, if you make a huge batch and store it over the weekend. Plus, they're gluten-free, dairy-free and come together super quick as well.
- You can use them as the base for your soups (I've used it for my Napa cabbage soup), stews and curries and even add it to your pasta dishes.
Recipe Ingredients
Veggies: You can use pretty much any veggies you like. I used the classics- carrots, celery, onions, zucchini, tomatoes and a potato (to bulk it up).
Aromatics: Fresh garlic and turmeric, to add that savory flavor and that bright color. Use turmeric powder if you can't find fresh turmeric root.
Salt: I used sea salt for that deeper flavor. You can use regular table salt too.
Oil: Any vegetable cooking oil will do. Sometimes, I like to use my habanero infused oil (when I want to add a kick of heat to the bouillon) or my garlic rosemary infused olive oil for that herby deliciousness.
Parsley: For that pop of color and freshness.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- To lend the bouillon cubes some extra umami flavor, add some sliced mushrooms along with the other veggies.
- I also like to add a dash of apple cider vinegar or my hot pepper vinegar to add slight acidity to the cubes.
How to Make Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Cubes
Step 1: Peel and slice all the veggies into thin slices.
Step 2: Heat oil in a large pot and sauté the veggies for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
Step 3: Add salt and chopped parsley and mix. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Take it off heat and allow it to cool down slightly. Use a stick blender to blitz the mixture until it is a slightly chunky paste.
Step 5: Transfer the paste to a parchment paper lined glass container. Cover with a lid and freeze for about 5 hours.
Step 6: Remove from the freezer and let it sit out for a couple of minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut the mixture into cubes.
Step 7: Wrap the individual cubes in parchment paper or wrapping paper.
Step 8: Transfer to an airtight glass jar and freeze until you're ready to use.
💭Top Tip
To make things quicker, you can transfer the paste to souper cubes or the sections of an ice cube tray.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Taste and add more seasonings, herbs and spices to amp up the flavor of these veggie stock cubes if you want to. Spices like black peppercorns, bay leaves and chilies and veggies like parsnips and bell peppers can be great additions to this.
- For extra depth of flavor and a bright color, add a couple of teaspoons of tomato paste into the mix, towards the end.
- Dried herbs and spices like dehydrated jalapenos, garlic powder, onion powder and ginger powder can also be added to this. Play around with the flavors and taste as you go. Remember that the mixture is supposed to have that concentrated flavor.
- I love using flavored and infused salts like garlic parsley salt, my favorite homemade herb salt or celery salt to season the mixture.
- Remember that due to the high salt content, these cubes won't be completely solid. Don't be alarmed if they seem just a bit softer than your regular store-bought bouillon cubes.
- I used butter instead of oil as the base while making my gluten free Japanese curry roux, and if you're not sensitive to dairy, you can do that too.
How to Use Homemade Vegetable Stock Cubes
These DIY vegetable bouillon cubes are super versatile- you can use them in a TON of ways.
Dissolve them in a cup of water to quickly make a cup of veggie stock, which you can use for your soups, stews and curries (I love using it for my chickpea tikka masala). For a more concentrated flavor, add 2 cubes.
You can also crush a stock cube over some pan-fried veggies (like my aloo methi)to give them a flavor boost, or sprinkle it over a meat dish for that extra oomph. You can also add it to your rice cooking water (just like my homemade rice seasoning) or sneak it into a simple pasta sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Store the bouillon cubes in an airtight container, individually wrapped, in the freezer to keep them fresh for a longer time. They can stay good for up to 6 months, if not more.
Veggies like spinach, peas, fennel, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and oven dried tomatoes can be great additions to the bouillon mixture. Just make sure you avoid adding veggies (like leek) that taste a bit bitter.
Yes, you can. Simply spread the mixture in a thin layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at the lowest temperature until the moisture dries out. Then, allow it to cool and blitz in the food processor or a blender.
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If you tried these homemade vegetable bouillon cubes or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Cubes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 zucchini
- 1 bunch celery
- 1 potato
- 1 inch turmeric
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley
Instructions
- Peel and slice all the veggies into thin slices.
- Heat oil in a large pot and sauté the veggies for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Add salt and chopped parsley and mix. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Take it off heat and allow it to cool down slightly. Use a stick blender to blitz the mixture until it is a slightly chunky paste.
- Transfer the paste to a parchment paper lined glass container. Cover with a lid and freeze for about 5 hours.
- Remove from the freezer and let it sit out for a couple of minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut the mixture into cubes.
- Wrap the individual cubes in parchment paper or wrapping paper.
- Transfer to an airtight glass jar and freeze until you're ready to use.
Notes
- Taste and add more seasonings, herbs and spices to amp up the flavor of these veggie stock cubes if you want to. Spices like black peppercorns, bay leaves and chilies and veggies like parsnips and bell peppers can be great additions to this.
- For extra depth of flavor and a bright color, add a couple of teaspoons of tomato paste into the mix, towards the end.
- Dried herbs and spices like dehydrated jalapenos, garlic powder, onion powder and ginger powder can also be added to this. Play around with the flavors and taste as you go. Remember that the mixture is supposed to have that concentrated flavor.
- I love using flavored and infused salts like garlic parsley salt, my favorite homemade herb salt or celery salt to season the mixture.
- Remember that due to the high salt content, these cubes won't be completely solid. Don't be alarmed if they seem just a bit softer than your regular store-bought bouillon cubes.
- I used butter instead of oil as the base while making my gluten free Japanese curry roux, and if you're not sensitive to dairy, you can do that too.
