Easy Healthy Homemade Bouillon Cubes (Vegan)

If you’re looking for a simple way to add flavor and nutrients to your meals and spend less time in the kitchen, homemade bouillon cubes are the best meal prep hack you’ll ever learn.

Not only are they easy to make, but they’re also healthier and more affordable than the store-bought version. With just a few simple ingredients and a little time, you can create your own cubes that are free of artificial flavors, colors, sugar, MSGs, and preservatives.

These easy healthy homemade bouillon cubes are vegan, nightshade-free, and pack a ton of flavor. They will bring your cooking and meal prep game to the next level! No dehydrator is needed.

What are homemade bouillon cubes, and how are they different from store-bought ones?

They are small cubes made of dehydrated vegetables, meat, salt, and other seasonings. They are used to add flavor to soups, stews, sauces, and other dishes and are typically dissolved in hot water to make a broth or stock, which can then be used as a base for soups and other dishes.

Let’s have a look at the ingredients in typical commercial bouillon cubes; the reason I never buy them:

• Salt
• Hydrogenated vegetable oil or palm oil
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) or yeast extract
• Sugar
• Cornstarch
• Chicken or beef flavoring (for meat-based bouillon cubes)
• Dehydrated vegetables (such as onions, carrots, celery, and garlic)
• Spices and herbs (such as parsley, thyme, and bay leaves)
• Artificial colors and flavor enhancers (depending on the product)

On the other hand, homemade ones can be made with much healthier ingredients and without MSGs, artificial colors, flavorings, starches, and sugar.

What ingredients are needed to make them?

These are the ingredients I use in my recipe:

• Vegetables: onions, leek, celery, fennel, parsnips, sunchokes
• Umami flavor: dry mixed mushrooms
• Spices, herbs, and flavors: ginger, turmeric, black garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, black pepper, salt, parsley
• Fat: extra virgin olive oil
• Acid: apple cider vinegar

The list of ingredients can be personalized depending on available seasonal produce, your taste, preferences, or food sensitivities. This recipe is created to maximize flavor and nutritional value, so I recommend following it as closely as possible for the best results.

Can bouillon cubes be made for vegetarian or vegan diets without meat or animal products?

Yes, this recipe is vegetarian and vegan. Adding meat requires different tools and methods.

How do you make healthy bouillon cubes, and what is the process like?

Making vegetable bouillon cubes at home is the best meal prep hack. It saves time and money and allows you to add a ton of flavor and nutrition to your meals in no time.

This is how you make them, step by step (see the recipe card at the end of this post for exact quantities of ingredients):

• Wash and chop all the vegetables and prepare the spices and herbs.
• Heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, then add all the ingredients except for the parsley, apple cider vinegar, and the two extra tablespoons of olive oil.
• Cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start releasing some moisture. Cover the skillet and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so. Check occasionally, and when the vegetables start sticking to the pan, lower the heat to low-medium, cover, and cook for about ten more minutes.
• The cooking process will take about 35-40 minutes in total. You can taste it, and it’s ready when the vegetables are softened but not completely mushy.
• Turn the heat off and add the chopped parsley (I added a little more after making the paste), two extra tablespoons of olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Let it cool.
• Blend the mixture in a high-power blender or a food processor, or even using an immersion blender, but in this case, you might have to transfer the content to a taller pot; add another handful of chopped parsley (not necessary, but I do it).
• Fill the silicon mold or spread the paste in a tray and freeze for a few hours or overnight until solid.
• Take it out and portion it into 1/8 cup cubes.

For freezing, I use the Souper Cubes Half-Cup Tray with six compartments. Then I cut each block into four pieces, 30 grams or 1/8 cup each. This quantity makes about 30 cubes, 30 grams each. To make stock, add one cube to one cup of water, or even two cubes if you want it more concentrated. You can also use ice cube trays.

How do you store homemade bouillon cubes, and how long do they last?

After portioning in cubes, I wrap each cube in culinary paper (you can use parchment paper). I don’t like to use aluminum paper when it’s so close to food. I put them in silicon Stasher bags (or you can use a freezer plastic bag) and store them in the freezer for three to four months.

How to use bouillon cubes in cooking?

You can use these homemade bouillon cubes in your cooking in so many ways. Let’s explore a few of them.

1. To make homemade stock or broth: Dissolve one cube in a cup of hot water and simmer for one minute to make a flavorful broth or stock that can be used as a base for soups, stews, gravies, and sauces.
2. To season vegetables: Add a crumbled one when you sautee vegetables to flavor the vegetables as they cook. Add it to vegetable casseroles, stews or curries.
3. To flavor grains: Add one to the water when cooking lectin-free grains like millet, sorghum, fonio, and teff. It can also be used for Indian basmati rice, black or red rice. It’s perfect for dishes like risotto and curry.
4. To enhance meat dishes: Crush a cube and sprinkle it over chicken, beef, or pork during cooking to add more flavor to the meat. It works particularly well with ground beef.
5. To make instant soup: If you feel like a warm instant soup, simply add one cube to one cup of boiling water, simmer for one minute, and season with salt to taste. You can also add more parsley, collagen powder, or even some healthy noodles or leftover cooked chicken.
6. To add flavor to sauces and gravies: Dissolve it in a small amount of hot water and add it to a pan sauce or gravy to enhance its flavor.

Are homemade bouillon cubes healthier than store-bought?

They certainly are! Look at the difference in ingredients. These ones are made with wholesome, healthy ingredients. The store-bought ones have MSGs, artificial colors and flavor enhancers, sugar, cornstarch, and vegetable oils.

Can you customize the flavors of these cubes to suit your tastes?

Yes, you certainly can. But I wouldn’t use broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or green leafy vegetables. This recipe’s ingredients are perfect for bouillon cubes and are all lectin-free vegetables (nightshade-free).

If, for some reason, you don’t want mushrooms, you can skip them. I love dry mushrooms because they add a ton of umami flavor and nutritional value. A good quality mushroom powder can also be used.

Are there any safety precautions or tips to remember when making and using homemade bouillon cubes?

Like with any homemade food, work with clean ingredients in a clean environment. Freeze immediately after cooling and keep them frozen until you use them. Consume within three to four months.

More healthy meal prep hacks

For more ideas about healthy meal preparation and how to make quick and easy nutritious meals at home, check out our article: How to Prepare Nutritious and Tasty Low-Lectin Meals in a Few Easy Steps.

*This post contains affiliated links, which means I get a small commission if you choose to purchase something via one of my links, at no extra cost to you.

Print Recipe

Easy Homemade Bouillon Cubes (Vegan)

(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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By Claudia Curici, Health Coach – Serves: 28 cubes

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 40 minutes

If you're looking for a simple way to add flavor and nutrients to your meals and spend less time in the kitchen, homemade bouillon cubes are the best meal prep hack you'll ever learn. Not only are they easy to make, but they're also healthier and more affordable than store-bought bouillon cubes. With just a few simple ingredients and a little time, you can create your own homemade bouillon cubes that are free of artificial flavors, colors, sugar, MSGs, and preservatives. These homemade bouillon cubes are vegan, nightshade-free, and pack a ton of flavor. They will bring your cooking and meal prep game to the next level!

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for cooking + 2 tablespoons
• 2 yellow onions
• 1 leek
• 1 fennel bulb
• 5 celery ribs
• 3 carrots
• 2 parsnips
• 1 sunchoke (optional)
• 1 thumb-size ginger
• 1 thumb-size turmeric
• 15 grams dry mushrooms (a mix or whatever you find)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry rosemary (or use a few fresh sprigs)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme (or use a few fresh sprigs)
• 1 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt or ancient sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon black garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 big bunch fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1

Wash and chop all the vegetables and prepare the spices and herbs.

2

Heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, then add all the ingredients except for the parsley, apple cider vinegar, and the two extra tablespoons of olive oil.

3

Cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start releasing some moisture. Cover the skillet and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so. Check occasionally, and when the vegetables start sticking to the pan, lower the heat to low-medium, cover, and cook for about ten more minutes.

4

The cooking process will take about 35-40 minutes in total. You can taste it, and when the vegetables are softened but not completely mushy, it's ready.

5

Turn the heat off and add the chopped parsley (I added a little more after making the paste), two extra tablespoons of olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Let it cool.

6

Blend the mixture in a high-power blender or a food processor; then, add another handful of chopped parsley (not necessary, but I do it).

7

Fill the silicon mold or spread the paste in a tray and freeze for a few hours, until solid.

8

Take it out and portion in cubes.

Notes

This recipe makes about 30 cubes. Each cube is a 1/8 cup portion, or about 30 grams, which can be used for 1 cup of hot water to make stock. The amount of salt needs to be adjusted when making stock. I didn't add more than one tablespoon of salt for the entire quantity to allow for flexibility of use—season with more salt as necessary.