Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder
This easy Vegetable Bouillon Powder is a great way to add incredible flavor to those soups, casseroles, and veggie dishes. It is super quick and simple to make in only minutes and also makes a terrific vegetable broth substitute.
Growing up, we always used bouillon cubes to flavor dishes because it was easy, inexpensive, and just made stuff taste better. Nowadays, I opt for a better option that is bursting with flavor and without any of the negative traditional ingredients.
You’ll love this vegan bouillon powder because it’s…
- Herby
- Super-flavorful
- Can be made in minutes
- Inexpensive
- Requires few ingredients
- Adds amazing flavor to dishes
- Customizable
- Delicious!
Back in the day, Mom had no idea that those little seasoning cubes from the grocery store were not the least bit good for us. They are actually loaded with some pretty nasty ingredients.
How do you feel about monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed soy/corn/wheat gluten protein, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, beef fat, beef extract, water, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, hydrogenated soybean oil, and sulfites?
No wonder many people report allergies and headaches after eating that stuff!
A much healthier vegan bouillon option
Thankfully, there is a much healthier way to flavor food, and it doesn’t take a lot of time or cost much money. This homemade vegetable bouillon is perfect for seasoning soup, stews, chowders, casseroles, and so much more.
I love to use it to season my beans and even on vegetables like roasted Brussels sprouts or corn on the cob. It tastes delicious sprinkled over a fresh-baked potato as well. Another great seasoning to try is this Savory Spice Blend Recipe from Dr. Michael Greger, MD.
The main ingredient is nutritional yeast. If you haven’t heard of it before, that needs to change because this stuff is delicious!
What is nutritional yeast?
Have you heard of nutritional yeast before? It is different from bakers’ or brewers’ yeast that most of us are used to hearing about. It is a deactivated yeast that is used for flavoring food.
Nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheesy, savory flavor and can be sprinkled directly on foods like potatoes, pizza, vegetables, and more.
It comes in flakes or powder form and can usually be found in the baking aisle at many grocery stores and can often be purchased in bulk at specialty or health food stores.
Nutritional yeast is a great source of protein, B vitamins, and trace minerals.
It’s the addition of all of the herbs and spices that transforms this powdery yellow substance into a perfect substitute for those store-bought cubes and powders.
Tips for making vegan stock powder
This is the easiest herb and spice mix and takes only minutes to make. There are a couple of different options for mixing.
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Shake/Whisk Method
The simplest way to make this vegetable bouillon powder and the way that I like best due to ease is the shake or whisk method.
Simply add all ingredients to a jar and shake or to a bowl and whisk thoroughly until blended well. To use, for flavoring, combine one heaping tablespoonful with one cup hot water: 1 TABLESPOON mix + 1 cup hot water.
Blender Method
Some folks like to make it more powdery and prefer to add all the ingredients to their blender or food processor. Because the final product is broken down more, you’ll want to adjust the measurements when using to 1 TEASPOON mix + 1 cup of hot water.
Vegetable bouillon powder should be stored in an airtight container in your cupboard or refrigerator. Keep it on hand for adding to all your favorite dishes.
It can even be used as a vegetable broth substitute. When a recipe calls for 1 cup broth or stock, simply replace it with one cup of prepared vegan stock made with this powder.
Other great seasonings
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Easy Vegetable Bouillon Powder
Ingredients
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Shake/Whisk Method
- Add all ingredients to a jar and shake or to a bowl and whisk thoroughly until blended well.
- Poultry seasoning is completely vegan and can be found at many grocery stores or online.
- To use, for flavoring, combine one heaping tablespoonful with one cup hot water: 1 Tablespoon mix + 1 cup hot water.
Blender Method
- Some folks like to make it more powdery and prefer to add all ingredients to their blender or food processor. Because the final product is broken down more, you’ll want to adjust the measurements when using 1 teaspoon mix + 1 cup hot water.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Thanks for sharing this, it’s great. I had a potato and mushroom soup that I just couldn’t add the right final touch to. This sprinkled on top was the ticket. It has been yummy on veggies and my lunch bowl concoctions.
Lyn- Potato mushroom soup sounds absolutely fabulous! I’m so glad that this bouillon recipe ended up being what perfected your recipe. Thanks so much for letting me know!
This is wonderful! I make the ground up version minus the salt and with celery seed instead of celery salt. It’s so good. I will never buy veggie stock again. So much flavor. I’ll even have a hot cup of broth on its own when it’s cold out. Thank you for this recipe. It’s used almost daily in my kitchen.
Hi Maggie- I’m so glad you’ve found it so useful. We love this stuff too!
Just a clarification. When you say you can sub 1 cup of broth for 1 cup of powder, I assume you mean all powder then in that case and not the teaspoon/tablespoon in a cup of water otherwise?
Hi Adam- Yes, you are correct. When it means to sub out the prepared mixture of 1 TEASPOON mix + 1 cup hot water for one cup of broth. Hope you enjoy it!
hi Terri Edwards (thank you for all you do on this website and YouTube VDO’s)… i’m still a little confused regarding stock and/or broth substitutions…assuming a recipe called for 6 cups vegetable stock (broth)…exactly how much ‘shaken’ mix would be added to 6 cups of water as a substitute? I’m assuming 6 tbs and not 6 cups of mix…please clarify for me please…i thank you in advance…Jeffry
Hi Jeffty- If a recipe calls for 6 cups of vegetable broth, I would mix up 6 Tbsps of bouillon powder and 6 cups of hot water. Hope that helps!
completely helps and will simplify my food prep life as this seems to be an easier way than making one’s own vegetable stock…thank you so much for your reply…I’m clear now
I just made this and cannot believe how GOOD it is! I didn’t have celery salt so I used celery seed. Instead of Sea Salt I used Kosher salt( was out of sea salt) After tasting, I decided to personalize by adding poultry seasoning. Perfect sub for chicken broth. I am so excited to change this up with Cumin and pepper flakes for Mexican dishes. Never have to buy jarred bouillion again.
Thanks so much Terri! Love It!!!
Hi Pat- I’m thrilled that you like the vegetable bouillon! It’s so handy for seasoning. Thanks for letting me know.
Great recipe!! I totally agree broth cubes contain some scary ingredients. And broth in a box just never cuts it for me. Flavorless and full of salt. Stumbled upon this recipe. We are big fans of nutritional yeast (love it on our popcorn) so I was excited to try this out, Used it in my homemade curry soup and it gave the soup a wonderful taste and color. Glad I found this. I will always keep it handy in my pantry now. Thanks again😊
Hi Audrey- That’s awesome! I do love this for flavoring soups and casseroles. I’m very glad you stumbled upon it too! 😀
Thank you Terri for the great veggie bouillon recipe. It’s the answer to how to have healthy ramen 🍜 for me!!
I tried this recipe for a broth substitute for nettle polenta soup. Everyone loved it and wants the recipe. Nutritional yeast is awesome! Fabulous on avacado toast too.
Thank you, this recipe helped me in a pinch and now will be a staple in the kitchen.
Hi Laurel- That’s terrific to hear! I’m thrilled that everyone wanted the recipe. That’s a great review! Thank you. 🙂
I love this vegetable bouillon recipe. I use it all of the time. I use it in every soup and chili. Thank you so much!!!
OMG thank you!!! I have been looking for vegetable broth without any oils or sugar. Thank you, thank you. I’ll be mixing this up this evening.
I use this almost every day! It’s Wonderful
Hi Heather- That’s awesome to hear! There really are so many uses for this seasoning. 🙂
How much of this would I use in place of one bouillon cube? Sorry if I missed it, I couldn’t find that information.
Hi Brandi- That’s a good question, and I’m not 100% sure of the answer. I would guess maybe about 1 tablespoon.
Made it tonight and it’s SO GOOD. I blended it for 10 seconds in Nutribullet. Followed the recipe except:
1. • ¼t celery salt 1t CELERY SEED INSTEAD
2. no sea salt
3. added 1T dried mixed veggies. Not this product but similar or same • http://www.iherb.com/r/frontier-co-op-deluxe-vegetable-blend-for-soup-16-oz-453-g/30744
I put 1T of the powder in a mug of hot water and it was verrrrrry pleasant.
5 stars!!
Can you freeze the powdered mix and use tablespoon at a time? (Not sure if the mixture would become frozen solid). How long will it last in the freezer or on the shelf/ fridge?
Thank you
Cathy- All of the ingredients used are dry spices and seasonings, so it will last on the shelf for many months. To extend the flavor in the spices, you could refrigerate in an airtight container. Since the spices are dry, they shouldn’t become solid if frozen.
How is this vegan if it’s got poultry seasoning? What’s a good substitute?
Rosie- Poultry seasoning is just dried spices, so it is vegan. We have a recipe for it on on this website. It is only called ‘poutry’ because people mostly use it to season chicken.