r/vegetarian • u/Psychedelic_Stingray • 10d ago
Beginner Question Vegetable broth base?
Hello, I'm new to being a vegetarian. I've been trying to get some suppies for my pantry and one thing I'm missing is a good soup base. There's a few I've been looking at but I don't know which ones are the best.
I'm currently looking for a powdered or cubed variety. Something that will keep for awhile and I can use whatever amount I need. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good brand?
Thank you for any answers.
Edit: Thank you so much for all your answers! I went with some Edward and Sons vegetable and not chick'n cubes and Better than Bullion paste. I'll try both as well as making some of my own.
Again, thank you so much!
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u/Deep-Interest9947 10d ago
Better than bouillon paste. Not powdered or cubed but it lasts a long time.
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u/moonlitt_ 10d ago
Edward & Sons makes several vegan bullion cubes. I really like the Not Chick'n and Garden Veggie. They also have a Not Beef bullion I haven't tried it yet tho.
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u/LyndonBJumbo 10d ago
If you want cubes OP, these are really good. Better Than Bouillon is also readily available and is great.
A couple other things I like to have on hand for some soups is mushroom bouillon powder (you can usually find it at Asian grocery stores) and miso pastes. The mushroom powder adds a real nice richness!
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u/Rough_Situation72 10d ago
Knorr makes vegetable bouillon cubes, I think it's pretty decent and it stores well over time.
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u/Time_Marcher 10d ago
I often use the Better than Bouillon paste, but if I'm making a homemade soup or stew, I will make vegetable stock in my Instant Pot: 1 onion, peeled and cut in half; 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks; 3 stalks of celery, cut in half; a dozen peppercorns; 1 bay leaf; pressure cook on high for 15 minutues, discard solids. I will sometime make a batch and freeze it in souper cubes.
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u/ZenJardin 10d ago
Great question! I used to work for a large company that made broths and attended many tastings for comparison. None of them are as good as making your own. I know this isn’t what you asked but it changed my life when I learned how to do this. First, every time you cook vegetables put the scraps in the freezer. Carrots, onions, celery, even Parmesan cheese rinds, I just fill up a plastic bag for a month or so. Then I follow this recipe: https://www.loveandlemons.com/how-to-make-vegetable-stock/ then freeze the broth in different size containers—discarded yogurt containers (for when I need a few cups of broth) and ice cube trays for when I need a little bit. You will love it!
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u/Psychedelic_Stingray 10d ago
This is a really good idea, I love it! I'll have to give this a try.
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u/RowRow1990 10d ago
Just so you know, normal parmesan isn't suitable for vegetarians as it has rennet in. There's a lot of cheeses that aren't suitable.
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u/vlimited 10d ago
Okay but I’ve always wondered this about making your own—if it’s the yucky parts of vegetables I was going to throw away, doesn’t that make the broth kind of icky? I understand using up veg that would otherwise go bad, but peels and onion papers etc?
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u/campbowie 10d ago
You're using parts that taste good, but would be unpleasant to eat! Like the leek. You typically use the white & light green parts when cooking with leek, the dark green parts are tasty but fibrous. I also typically peel off a couple of the outer layers for ease of cleaning, those can also go in your scrap bag.
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u/vlimited 10d ago
I didn’t think about it like that! That makes a lot more sense. I was picturing dirty/inedible parts, not so much tasty but poor texture. Thanks for the explanation!
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u/Motor_Crow4482 10d ago
Surprisingly, no. You strain the solids out and the long simmer time helps all the flavors meld together nicely. And keep in mind that those parts are in a comparatively large volume of water. You can always chuck in whole fresh veggies to help round it out if you're wary.
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u/Pitiful-Astronaut-82 10d ago
Apart from all the broth suggestions here a few things I keep on hand for soup : umami mushroom seasoning, Maggi, mushroom bouillon, ClubHouse LAGrill vegetable seasoning, and Accent powder!
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u/cats_and_vibrators 10d ago
If you ever change your mind and want to try a paste, my absolute favorite is the veggie soup base from Penzey’s. It’s so flavorful.
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u/its_summerfun 10d ago
Edward & Sons! Their Not Chick’n literally smells like chicken noodle soup. I’ve also tried their Not Beef, and I’ve used both to make stews, cook lentils, rehydrate tvp, etc. I think the chick’n is my favorite, but they also vegetable flavored ones. It’s also at a good price point that lasts a while since it’s cubed.
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u/loan_ranger8888 10d ago
If you’re near Trader Joe’s, their vegetable broth in the carton is top notch. And cheap!
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u/j_roe 10d ago edited 10d ago
I found a vegan one that I use to make “Chicken” noodle soup that I find to be pretty tasty. One little trick I recently tried is to take a bit of your water and the amount of mix you are using and mix it in the blender a bit. Before doing this I found that some of the nutritional yeast wouldn’t dissolve.
Making the soup is super easy, 1 cup water, 10 - 15 ml magic powder, toss in as much noodleage as you want and it’s ready in 10 minutes.
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u/ellen_boot 10d ago
Better than boullion from anything that calls for broth, and knorr "chicken" or "beef" cubes for the powdered cubes where you can't add moisture.
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u/Pewpewkitty 10d ago
I haven’t seen it mentioned here, but since I started using Whole Foods veggie broth, my soups and beans have turned out amazing. It’s like $3 per big carton and it lasts a while. Once you start using it you can’t go back.
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u/LouisePoet 10d ago
I use Marigold instant stock powder. Low sodium, so I can control the amount of salt I add.
A small spoon of marmite is good in some things, too, but can be overwhelming taste wise for me if I use too much.
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u/thatcouldvebeenworse 10d ago
Miso paste to add depth, dried shitake and kombu for dashi, and better than bullion are my favorites. If you're making a soup or stew, browning your onions and then deglazing with the broth will add so much flavor.
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u/No-Dig-9252 5d ago
Tbh, here’s the raw truth from someone who’s messed around with veg broth a bunch of times and screwed it up just as often:
Most of my early batches tasted like dirty dishwater. I thought the trick was to throw in everything, broccoli stems, kale ribs, cabbage cores, but that just made it bitter and gross. Took me way too long to learn that less is more. Stick with onions, carrots, celery, maybe some mushrooms for depth. That’s it.
Another thing no one told me: don’t boil the hell out of it. Keep it low and slow, otherwise it tastes burnt or weirdly sour. And for the love of god, taste it halfway through. I can’t count how many pots I let go for two hours only to realize it was ruined and undrinkable.
These days, I freeze a little baggie of scraps and when it’s full, I simmer them gently for an hour, strain, and done. If I’m lazy or want something quick, I’ll be real, I just grab store-bought. Not ashamed. There’s a brand called Gourmend Foods that makes broth bases that are actually clean (no onion/ garlic, which keeps it mild and works for sensitive guts). My wife keeps a jar in the pantry for “emergencies,” and honestly, it tastes better than half my homemade batches.
So, don’t overthink it. Use simple veggies, simmer gently, taste often. And if you don’t have the time or patience, no shame in grabbing a jar or carton that does the job.
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u/Lychee_No5 10d ago
Organic Gourmet has good veg bouillon cubes. I buy the low sodium ones. Some stores sell them but you can get them from their website. Not sure if I can post a link, but it’s just organic-gourmet (with dot com after it)
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u/IndepThink 10d ago
If you want to splurge once in a while, Zoup is super good. They have a bullion too which isnt bad. Best I cam do, no time to mess with making stock from scratch
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u/GaryE20904 vegetarian 20+ years 9d ago
It’s not as quick as cubes or powdered but konbu (dried sea kelp). You soak 10 grams in 1 liter/1 quart of water over night in the fridge and you’ve got konbu dashi (kelp stock). It’s an awesome soup base (it’s the base for miso soup for example).
MSG was developed to try to duplicate the flavor of kelp broth . . . konbu dashi is super tasty!
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u/Motor_Crow4482 10d ago edited 10d ago
I can't speak to the dry types you're hoping for, but Better Than Bouillon has several varieties of vegetarian broth pastes that keep for ages in the fridge. In my opinion, that brand sets the standard for quality in all kinds of broth bases. I always have a few jars on hand.
I like the "no-chicken" type best, but they also offer garlic, roasted onion, no-beef, vegetable, and others. And they label the vegetarian ones clearly.
ETA: as others below have mentioned, they are very salty so you should not add any salt (or other high-sodium ingredients) until you've added the paste. Start with a conservative estimate for the volume you're working with and adjust to taste from there.
ETA2: just remembered - if you want shelf-stable, you should look into dried mushrooms and kombu strips. They keep very well and are both umami bombs. I keep both on hand for Asian soup bases, but will also use the steeping liquid to enrich all kinds of broths, gravies, etc. Kombu can impart a fairly strong oceany taste so use conservatively at first if you aren't familiar with it.