As the weather is getting colder, a good vegetable stock is a great staple to have on hand. Whether you’re making a stew or soup, dressing, casserole, or sauce —vegetable stock is an equally versatile and flavorful component for a variety of dishes.
We find the best vegetable stock is one that is made from scratch. Why? When you prepare a stock recipe with real, whole foods, you get to control the quality of ingredients and the level of sodium. You can also concentrate the flavors in the stock as you like, and choose which ingredients and aromatics you want to use to build flavor.
On the other hand, store-bought stocks are convenient but often contain low-quality ingredients, additives, and high amounts of sodium. But if you don’t have any vegetable stock on hand and need to purchase ready-made stock, we recommend reading the labels. You should be able to find higher-quality stocks that contain organic ingredients, are made from whole foods and are lower in sodium.
Below are two very versatile plant-based stock recipes: Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder and a Simple Mushroom Stock. Plus, we’ll show you how to use them and ways to use the leftovers.
Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder
This chicken-less bouillon powder adds a rich umami-ness that takes a dish from good to really good. You can use it as you would any other powder, cube, or stock. For example, it can be used in Garlic Onion Buttah, Roasted Poblano Rice Pilaf, and Cabbage Rolls (seen below).
Note: the powder can also be used as a seasoning. For example, we often use the powder to finish dishes when they need a bit more seasoning.
See the full ingredients list and recipe: Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder.
Simple Mushroom Stock
A mix of mushrooms, onions, and garlic make this Mushroom Stock flavorful with an earthy taste.
This stock will keep for several days in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen. Use this it to cook things like our Mushroom Tarragon Braised Tempeh dish, Mushroom and Barley Soup, or a variety of other grain and pasta dishes. If you have leftovers, you can simply pour it into a mug and drink it throughout the day. It makes for a healthy and satisfying alternative to coffee.
See the full ingredients list and recipe: Simple Mushroom Stock.
Get inspired by more cooking tips for ways to eat more veggies – even on the weekend!
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Sharon J. ( 2yr ) – Sounds good. No tofu or spicy meals for me. Stomach problems
Swich C. ( 2yr ) – Hi Sharon! Please let us know if you’ve made either of these stocks. We’d love to hear what you thought.
Sally B. ( 2yr ) – I like these 2 ideas for stock. Especially the Chicken will be good for CKD.
Swich C. ( 2yr ) – Hi Sally! Have you made either of these stocks yet? Please let us know what you think!
Penelope J. ( 2yr ) – Yes, I have put them in my cookbook to make! Thank you! I find the store-bought are fairly expensive organic or not.
Swich C. ( 2yr ) – Hi Penelope! Happy to hear that. Have you made any of these plant-based stocks yet – please keep us posted!
Alice C. ( 2yr ) – No excuse not to make my own now. I don’t like all the sodium in store bought stocks. Thanks
Swich C. ( 2yr ) – Let us know what you think! :)