European Alternative for Better Than Boullion Veggy Chicken?
Anyone know any EU vegan chicken broth alternatives for Better than Boullion?
Seeing a ton of textured vegetable protein recipes that use BtB to make vegan chicken dishes that I want to try, but to order one jar in europe is 35+ euros.
by Gshama
9 Comments
Mountain-Tip-813
Where do you live in europe?
BearsLoveToulouse
Have you tried vegeta powder?
Mountain-Tip-813
Okay, so I‘m from Germany and get it from a Website called ‚iherb‘. I think they ship all over europe so you could try it on there. I costs about 9 €
MasterpieceNarrow855
Can’t you just use any veggie boullion?
LtRegBarclay
Not sure if it is widely available in Belgium, but in the UK I use this kosher chicken stock powder which is accidentally vegan.
I love the Better than Bouillon but it’s super salty and has a slight off character to it. I mix this Seitenbacher powder with BTB for broth to balance out the flavor and also prefer it when seasoning tofu to keep it as dry as possible so the tofu will crisp up nicely.
Sanpaku
In US vegan recipes, Better than Bouillon is mainly a way of sneaking *umami* ingredients like yeast extract and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (from soy, corn or wheat) into dishes. Even their omnivore products are highly reliant. In the US, consumers shy away from equivalent sources of free glutamate like monosodium glutamate and 5′-ribonucleotides like disodium guanylate on labels but frankly I’d prefer those as I’m more sensitive than most to the taste of yeast extract.
Here are the the ingredients in the BtB ‘No Chicken Base’ (umami ingredients in bold):
For most recipes you could substitute just about any vegan bouillon/broth product that includes umami ingredients like hydrolyzed protein, yeast extract, MSG, and guanylate/inositol. This includes a number of Alnatura, Knorr, and Maggi products.
Knorr Delikatess Brühe/delicacies broth, Maggi vegetable boullion or Maggi Würze/liquid seasoning (would require salt) look especially promising from their ingredients lists, though they each would be stronger in flavor than the BtB (adjust to taste). Though there are no apparent animal products in the ingredients, they do warn about egg and milk allergens: your discretion here. I would caution against the gemuese bruehe/vegetable broths I see, as they include no good sources of free glutamate or 5′-ribonucleotides.
I used to have a cabinet full of different umami options, like Bragg’s (a US hydrolyzed soy protein product), Marmite (the UK yeast extract) and Better than Bouillon. I’ve since replaced nearly all with a Taiwanese powdered shitake product called ‘Po Lo Ku’ mushroom seasoning, which has a simple ingredient list and produces a satisfying broth without a discernable yeast taste. Sometimes I’ll adjust it in marinades with low-sodium soy sauce/tamari (which adds a little fermented funkiness/bite) or hoisin sauce (the sugars lead to nice browning/caramelization). Alas, I’ve discovered from Europeans that mushroom seasoning isn’t common even at East Asian grocers there.
9 Comments
Where do you live in europe?
Have you tried vegeta powder?
Okay, so I‘m from Germany and get it from a Website called ‚iherb‘. I think they ship all over europe so you could try it on there. I costs about 9 €
Can’t you just use any veggie boullion?
Not sure if it is widely available in Belgium, but in the UK I use this kosher chicken stock powder which is accidentally vegan.
[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Osem-Chicken-Soup-Seasoning-Mix/dp/B00S4PU8NM](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Osem-Chicken-Soup-Seasoning-Mix/dp/B00S4PU8NM)
My partner and I love this one (UK)
Massel Bouillon Stock Powder
“Massel powders are vegan, gluten-free and suitable for people with Coeliac Disease”
https://amzn.eu/d/fxos6AF
Fuego
This is what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Seitenbacher-Vegetable-Broth-Seasoning-oz/dp/B00BRAX71Q
I love the Better than Bouillon but it’s super salty and has a slight off character to it. I mix this Seitenbacher powder with BTB for broth to balance out the flavor and also prefer it when seasoning tofu to keep it as dry as possible so the tofu will crisp up nicely.
In US vegan recipes, Better than Bouillon is mainly a way of sneaking *umami* ingredients like yeast extract and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (from soy, corn or wheat) into dishes. Even their omnivore products are highly reliant. In the US, consumers shy away from equivalent sources of free glutamate like monosodium glutamate and 5′-ribonucleotides like disodium guanylate on labels but frankly I’d prefer those as I’m more sensitive than most to the taste of yeast extract.
Here are the the ingredients in the BtB ‘No Chicken Base’ (umami ingredients in bold):
>vegetables (carrot, celery, onion), salt, **hydrolyzed corn protein**, maltodextrin, sugar, canola oil, **yeast extract,** corn syrup solids, dried potatoes, turmeric, natural flavors.
For most recipes you could substitute just about any vegan bouillon/broth product that includes umami ingredients like hydrolyzed protein, yeast extract, MSG, and guanylate/inositol. This includes a number of Alnatura, Knorr, and Maggi products.
Knorr Delikatess Brühe/delicacies broth, Maggi vegetable boullion or Maggi Würze/liquid seasoning (would require salt) look especially promising from their ingredients lists, though they each would be stronger in flavor than the BtB (adjust to taste). Though there are no apparent animal products in the ingredients, they do warn about egg and milk allergens: your discretion here. I would caution against the gemuese bruehe/vegetable broths I see, as they include no good sources of free glutamate or 5′-ribonucleotides.
I used to have a cabinet full of different umami options, like Bragg’s (a US hydrolyzed soy protein product), Marmite (the UK yeast extract) and Better than Bouillon. I’ve since replaced nearly all with a Taiwanese powdered shitake product called ‘Po Lo Ku’ mushroom seasoning, which has a simple ingredient list and produces a satisfying broth without a discernable yeast taste. Sometimes I’ll adjust it in marinades with low-sodium soy sauce/tamari (which adds a little fermented funkiness/bite) or hoisin sauce (the sugars lead to nice browning/caramelization). Alas, I’ve discovered from Europeans that mushroom seasoning isn’t common even at East Asian grocers there.