What Is A Vegetable Broth Substitute?

There are many alternatives to vegetable stock. You have to choose the substitute wisely so that your recipe doesn’t go bad. You can make your vegetable stock or use soy sauce and water or just water. All the stocks can be used interchangeably which means the dishes that need vegetable stock can be cooked with chicken or beef stock as well.  

1. What is broth?

The broth is nothing but water that has absorbed flavors from external vegetables or meat. It is not a very hard thing to make and can easily be made with regular ingredients. Chefs usually use chicken, beef, or lamb broth as substitutes for vegetable stock in many recipes. Only the chef can decide what kind of broth is needed for the recipe. The flavors of other ingredients in the dish need to be considered to determine which broth to use in that particular recipe. For example, if we think of risotto, chicken or beef broth can be used instead of vegetable broth. 

You can easily make broth at home by using some very common ingredients that are usually there at our houses. You can make vegetable stock at home instead of using vegetable broth cubes. You will need vegetables like carrots, onions, parsnips, and celery. Boil the vegetables in water for around two hours. You can also shallow fry the vegetables before putting them to a boil for extra flavor.

1.1. What is the most common vegetable broth substitute?

The easiest broth preparation needs soy sauce and water. This mixture is considered to be the most common substitute for vegetable broth. The quantity to be used is I tablespoon of soy sauce for one cup of water. Though the resulting mixture does not give the flavor the same as vegetable stock, it can be used as an alternative. Try to make the cooking process a little longer so that the flavors are infused well with the mixture.

1.2. Is water a good vegetable broth substitute?

Although water is not a very good substitute for vegetable stock, you could use it if left with no other option. If you are using water instead of broth, you have to cook the ingredients for a long time so that the ingredients are infused well like actual stock. 

1.3. Is chicken broth a good vegetable broth substitute?

The precise answer is yes. You can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth in your recipes if you are not cooking for a vegan or vegetarian person. Some people cannot eat meat-based broth so for them, it is best to go for only vegetable broth. 

If you use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, it may enhance the flavor and taste of your recipe. The soups that are traditionally made with meat-based broth do not go well with vegetable broth. In these cases, chicken broth will make your dish taste better. Certain types of soup with seafood also go well with chicken broth in it. 

The flavor profile of vegetable broth has its uniqueness. The taste of the broth depends on the vegetables used in it.

2. Is it possible to make vegetable broth with food scraps?

You can try making vegetable broth from food scraps but not essentially every food scrap. Some good scraps are garlic, onion peels, roots, and leaves of celery, tomatoes, herbs, leeks, and mushrooms. Try to avoid veggies like bitter greens, potatoes, and peppers. 

You can save the vegetable cuttings in plastic and store them inside the freezer for later use. Once the scrap collection has become large, you just put them to boil and make a fine vegetable broth. 

Summary;

You have to choose the substitute wisely so that your recipe doesn’t go bad. You can make your vegetable stock or use soy sauce and water or just water. If you use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, it may enhance the flavor and taste of your recipe. The soups that are traditionally made with meat-based broth do not go well with vegetable broth. In these cases, chicken broth will make your dish taste better. Although water is not a very good substitute for vegetable stock, you could use it if left with no other option. If you are using water instead of broth, you have to cook the ingredients for a long time so that the ingredients are infused well like actual stock. 

Read More: How to Make Vegetable Powder and Use It?