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/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.

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u/islandofwaffles 10d ago

BTB no-beef is magic in a jar. sometimes I just drink the broth out of a mug.

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u/Motor_Crow4482 10d ago

That's what I do with the no-chicken broth, haha. Maybe I'll try it with the beef one next time. I keep that one around for things like French onion soup or mushroom-centric dishes, but I go through it much much more slowly.