on Oct 29, 2023 Plus, the ingredients you need are probably already in your fridge, and they can last for 3-4 months without any preservatives. These nutrient-packed stock cubes will add depth and richness to your soups, stews, and sauces, elevating their taste with the goodness of wholesome ingredients. Say goodbye 👋 to artificial flavor enhancers and hello to homemade, delicious stock cubes.
Why You’ll Love These Vegetable Stock Cubes
Making your own vegetable stock cubes is a great way to replace store-bought versions that often contain additives and preservatives. Most commercial vegetable stock cubes consist of dehydrated broth and various artificial flavors, colors, and other additives 👎. With homemade vegetable cubes, you can control the ingredients and tailor the flavor to your liking. Additionally, these homemade stock cubes save space and are perfect for long-term storage. You no longer need to worry about bulky broth containers taking up valuable space in your refrigerator. Instead, you can store perfectly portioned cubes in your freezer, which take up minimal space and are readily available for any recipe 👌!
How to Prepare These Vegetable Stock Cubes
To prepare these homemade vegetable broth cubes start by heating up some olive oil in a large pot. Add the washed and chopped veggies and sauté for a few minutes. Once sauteed, add salt 🧂 and cover the pot. Let the mixture simmer until the water evaporates and the veggies are soft. Once the veggies are soft, transfer them to a food processor and blend until you obtain a smooth, velvety veggie purée 🤤. Be sure to scrape down the sides to ensure an even consistency. Next, line a baking dish with parchment paper, spread the vegetable purée evenly using a silicone spatula or spoon, and freeze ❄️ until solid. Once frozen, remove the frozen block from the baking sheet, and cut it into equal-sized squares. Wrap each square into a 5 by 5-inch foil (or parchment paper on top of foil) and transfer them into a Ziplock bag ready to be stored in the freezer. Alternatively, you can use an ice cube 🧊 tray to freeze the purée. Either way, you’ll be left with perfectly portioned, flavor-packed, homemade vegetable stock cubes!
Variations and Substitutions
Here are some ways you can get creative with this recipe and make it your own:
Experiment with different flavor profiles by adding other vegetables like mushrooms 🍄, bell peppers, fennel, butternut squash, sweet potato 🍠, or anything else that’s lying around in your fridge. Add herbs and spices 🌿 to enhance the flavor. Some great additions would be thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, parsley, cayenne pepper, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, or even some ginger for an extra immuno-boost. For a slightly deeper and richer vegetable flavor, consider roasting the veggies in the oven instead of sautéing them. Instead of salt 🧂, you can use alternatives such as nutritional yeast, soy sauce, tamari, or even Vegeta (my Eastern Europeans know 😉). Consider making different shapes and sizes of the cubes. Larger cubes might be suitable for big batches of soups and stews, while smaller cubes might be appropriate for quick seasoning.
Other Creative Ideas
There are many different ways to use these bouillon cubes such as:
Throw them into rice 🍚 as it cooks for extra flavor. Add 1-2 squares to a cup and pour hot water on top. You can add a pinch of salt and sip away when you feel under the weather. Sneak it into pasta sauces for picky eaters. You can also take a look at my Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce. Use it as a base for any bean or lentil stew 🍲. A perfect example would be my Coconut Chickpea Stew. Make Pastina Soup by adding 1-2 cubes to a pot of water, then add the salt and pastina. When the pastina has cooked, take it off the heat and add grated Parmigiano on top. Enjoy!
Best Served With
Add these vegetable stock cubes to any soups, stews, or sauces that call for broth or stock. Try my:
Lentil Soup Lasagna Soup Hidden Veggie Meatball Soup Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup Spinach Soup or any other Soups and Stews on my website!
Similar Recipes
Easy Pastina Soup Hidden Veggie Meatball Soup Hidden Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup Hidden Veggie Orzo Soup
Common Questions
