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Homemade Veggie Bouillon

By Katherine Deumling, from the Katherine Deumling collection

Introduction

This recipe is adapted from Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks, who in turn adapted it from Pam Corbin in The River Cottage Preserves Handbook.

This recipe requires a food processor. If you don’t have one, borrow one from a neighbor or friend and give them some bouillon in exchange. Everyone wins.

Ingredients

	5	oz. (about 1 medium) leek, sliced and well-washed
	7	oz. (about 3 medium) carrots, well scrubbed and chopped
	3½	oz. (about 2 big stalks) celery
	3½	oz. (a 3-by-4-inch chunk, 1 inch thick) celeriac (celery root), peeled and chopped
	1	oz. (30 g; about 6) sun-dried tomatoes
	3½	oz. onion or shallots, peeled
	1	medium garlic clove (more garlic than this easily overwhelms the broth)
	5¾	oz. (about 1 cup) kosher salt
	1½	oz. parsley, loosely chopped (about ⅓ of a big bunch)
	2	oz. cilantro, loosely chopped (about ½ bunch)

Steps

Place the leek, carrots, celery, and celeriac in your food processor and process for about 10 seconds or until the veggies are fairly finely chopped. Add the tomatoes, onion or shallots, and garlic, and pulse again. Add the salt and pulse some more. Then add the parsley and cilantro. You may need to scoop some of the chopped vegetables on top of the herbs, so that they get chopped evenly. You should end up with a moist, loose paste.
Keep the paste in jars in the freezer and scoop out whatever you need for your soup, sauce, etc. (The bouillon will be scoopable, even directly from the freezer.) Start by using 1½ teaspoons of bouillon per 1 cup water and adjust from there based on your taste and preference.

Notes

You can also just make this with what you have on hand: onions, celery, carrots, and parsley are enough. Use the proportions that make sense to you. Use 1/3 cup salt for each 2 cups of finely blended veggies/herbs.

The River Cottage Preserves Handbook

Souper Mix

Dinner Guest Blog

Homemade veggie bouillon

A just plain clever idea

Local Flavors

Barley becomes ‘risotto’

A soup with options

Dinner Guest Blog

Make quick chicken soup

Or a vegetarian version

There are 13 comments on this item

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15% recommend this recipe

1. by anonymous on Jan 20, 2011 at 1:43 PM PST

I also got this recipe from 101 Cookbooks and made some last weekend. I immediately employed it in place of the vegetable broth in a recipe of barley stew with leeks, mushrooms, and kale. I also tried it out in place of salt when I sauteed spinach. It worked out great in both applications. I am so excited to have this recipe in the arsenal. While I love my chicken boullion, it’s great to have a homemade alternative.

This is a fantastic recipe that I cannot recommend highly enough.

-Teresa (Sacramento, CA)

2. by Fasenfest on Jan 28, 2011 at 2:44 PM PST

Thank you, thank you. This is just the sort of smart cooking I love. Make a big parcel and use it in tons of things. You’re sweet for sharing your magic.

3. by anonymous on Jan 30, 2011 at 10:24 AM PST

I made this last week and just tried it - it was great. I used 1 teaspoon of concentrate per cup of water and after the soup boiled, added in some thin noodles and sliced zuchini and it was a great, quick soup.

4. by Jyll on Feb 16, 2011 at 10:06 AM PST

This is the most fabulous and delicious time saver! I have used this for everything and will never, never buy vegetable bouillion again. I did not use the sun dried tomato, celeriac or cilantro and used all shallots for the onion component. The taste is just amazing. Thanks so much!

5. by anonymous on Jan 25, 2012 at 3:03 PM PST

Great recipe! Roughly how long can I expect this concoction to last in the 1) freezer or 2)fridge?

6. by Lisa Garrison on Jan 25, 2012 at 3:48 PM PST

Brilliant!

7. by anonymous on Jan 25, 2012 at 7:54 PM PST

I made this about 6+ months ago and it still seems fine.

8. by Katherine Deumling on Jan 26, 2012 at 7:49 AM PST

I’m so glad so many of you are making and using this bouillon. In terms of how long you can store it, I always recommend freezing it since it remains scoopable when frozen (because of the salt content) so I don’t think there’s a need to keep it in the fridge. And I’m not sure how long it would last in the fridge. In the freezer, as another person noted, I think 6 months is fine. I always use mine up much more quickly but honestly with the salt, it’s frozen shelf-life is pretty long.

9. by jyll on Jan 26, 2012 at 8:22 AM PST

I have made this bouillon three times now. I always keep it in the freezer and it has lasted for about three months, the time it takes me to use a batch. I would not keep it in the fridge.

10. by dgreenwood on Feb 8, 2012 at 4:54 AM PST

Made this last weekend and it is fantastic! I used about 2 Tbs. to season a pot of slightly overcooked black beans I rescued from the freezer that I partially emulsified for a great soup. Black beans always seem to eat whatever seasoning you add, but this was a perfect blend. Love this recipe!

11. by Maureen Wyatt on Sep 4, 2012 at 8:03 PM PDT

I’ve pinned this and will be trying it very soon. Thanks!

12. by Britteny on Apr 18, 2013 at 11:09 AM PDT

I am curious if you could dehydrate this so it would last longer. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

13. by Katherine Deumling on Apr 18, 2013 at 11:19 AM PDT

Hi Britteny, It lasts so long that I don’t think I’d go to the trouble and I’m not sure it would work. The salt acts as a preservative and as long as it’s well-sealed it keeps for a very long time. I’ve had it taste perfectly fresh after one year in the freezer. And I imagine you’ll use it up long before then.

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