If you’ve read much here on the blog, you’ll know that I often use a rich bone broth as a basis for my other meals. While the old proverb, “Good broth will raise the dead,” may seem a bit far-fetched, I do believe our own bone broth helped me get past Lupus and vastly improved my gut and joint health.
Originally, the first commercial bouillon product by Maggi in 1908 was a short cut to add extra flavor (or umami) to foods without having to make a batch of bone broth from scratch. So technically, adding bouillon cubes or powder to hot water may have been one of the first ‘instant’ foods unless you consider the “portable soups” (see video) which were a common ration for 18th century sailors and explorers.
Additives like monosodium glutamate, better known as MSG, Yellow dyes #5, and #6 are just three of the unsettling ingredients found in store-bought bouillon. MSG has been shown to make you hungrier and cause headaches, while the artificial food dyes have adverse effects on behavior and attention in children. Sugar is usually the second ingredient. Many processed bouillons are laced with caramel coloring, a potentially carcinogenic compound. And like many packaged products, sodium levels are sky high – 870 mg per ¾ cup with this brand!
Yet making ‘instant’ broth from store-bought bouillon cubes is what most people default to because they aren’t aware of a healthier way. Here are some of the ingredients (from most to least) in a typical commercial bouillon cube:
• Salt
• Sugar
• Cornstarch (from GMO corn)
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
• Yeast Extract (sometimes autolyzed yeast extract)
• Maltodextrin (a starch made out of multiple sugars)
• Natural Flavor
• Beef or chicken fat and meat by-products
• Citric Acid, Yellow #5, Yellow #6
• Annatto (for color)
• Disodium inosinate (provides an umami flavor to foods often found together with MSG. It’s sourced from vegetables, fungi, or animal sources).
• Disodium guanylate (imparts the umami flavor to foods. This “food enhancer” may be problematic for children, asthmatics, people who suffer from gout or uric acid kidney stones.
• TBHQ (preservative)
Doesn’t that just sound yummy?
I have resisted using store-bought bouillon cubes in place of simply making broth, but if I just want to add flavor to a dish quickly, I pull out my homemade bouillon powder.
I will show you how you absolutely can make a fabulous, healthy (vegan, but meaty tasting) bouillon powder.
Use it in all sorts of stews, soups, gravies, and noodle bowls, as well as to make a richer vegetable stock.
Fabulous 5 Minute Bouillon Powder Recipe
Quick and easy, it takes less than 5 minutes to mix up. Mix right into a glass pint jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup nutritional yeast
• 4 ½ Tablespoons powdered mushrooms. (I used this brand for its specific mushrooms – better than the mushroom in my image below)
• 2 rounded Tablespoons organic dehydrated onions
• 3 slightly rounded teaspoons Himalayan pink salt
• 2 teaspoon organic garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Note: The secret ingredients that give this bouillon its distinctive “meaty” flavor are the nutritional yeast and the mushroom powder.
Directions:
• Mix all ingredients well and store in an airtight jar.
• Add 1 Tablespoon powder to 1 cup hot water for 1 cup broth.
Storage: Bouillon powder will stay fresh in your spice cabinet for 5-6 months (if it lasts that long) in a tightly sealed glass jar.
What is Nutritional Yeast?
I learned about nutritional yeast several years ago. It is a deactivated yeast product, which is grown, harvested, washed, and then dried with heat that deactivates it. That means it does not have the leavening ability of baker’s yeast. It is a great source of vitamin B vitamins, and contains no animal products. It’s low in fat and gluten-free.
“Nutritional yeast does not cause yeast infections or candida overgrowth because of the elimination of yeast cells during processing. Essentially, the yeast that causes infections isn’t present.” (source)
Nutritional yeast products are often fortified with synthetic, man-made vitamins which can cause the liver and kidneys to work overtime (and need detoxified). Look for nutritional yeast flakes that are 100% whole food based, naturally occurring and non-fortified. They provide complete protein with 18 amino acids, plus a multitude of different minerals (iron, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc).
The primary reason most people use nutritional yeast is for its amazing flavor. It has been described as nutty, cheesy, savory or umami.
About Medicinal Mushrooms
Organic Mega Mushroom 10 in 1 is made from Chaga, Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake, and Turkey Tail and 3 more. There are absolutely no other ingredients. They are an adaptogenic, nootropic, immunity-boosting superfood that’s easy to mix. They are USDA organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, paleo, and keto-friendly. They are full of micro and macronutrients, wonderful protein, and high beta-glucan and antioxidant content.
8 Age-Defying Reasons Why I Drink Bone Broth
Beautiful Nutrient-Dense Broth For Cold & Flu Season
****For the Full Spike Protein Protocol to protect from transmission from the “V” and to help those who took the “V”, go here.
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Katie
Yum! This looks delicious, Jacqueline.
We’ve made portable soup just like in the video. I dried it in the dehydrator without any heat, just the fan. It’s SO nice to have on hand. We took a tin full of portable soup on a road trip and used it while camping in a cabin. It lasts a LONG time – I think I still have some from several years ago in my pantry.
We recently learned how to pressure can broth and I was surprised to see that it still gels in the fridge after pressure canning. We sell meat birds every summer and keep the extras that customers don’t want (feet, heads, necks). It makes the BEST broth.
Now I’m getting hungry… =)
Katie
Rachel
Hi Jacque! Thank you so much for all the information.
I’d like to understand more about Nutritional Yeast. We used to use it -made yummy cheese sauce with it. But as we learned more about it, it seemed it was on that list of things that may have MSG properties…more in the form of free glutamate I think. This might not be an issue for most people but Huntington’s disease has run in one side of our family and we felt the need to be extra cautious about neurological disruptors. :/
It was exciting to see you had a bouillon recipe but I am struggling over whether to reintroduce this food back into my diet. Any information would be most appreciated! ❤
Jacqueline
Rachel, I do think that for some there is a component of the msg-forming properties that can come with nutritional yeast. ESPECIALLY, like you say, for Huntingoton’s, etc.
I touch on it in this post: https://deeprootsathome.com/glutamate-sudden-death-obesity/
I maybe should put a little blurb/warning in there about the potential!
And I would be remiss not to tell you, there is something we can do for these neurological tendencies, even the genetic ones.. If you want to know what we are doing from a medical standpoint that you will not hear about in allopathic medicine, email me at [email protected]
I am wondering about an experiment making bouillon without any nutritional yeast?! If you do it, let me know how it turns out!
Sending peace,
Jacque
Karen
Thanks so much for the recipe, Jacque, I plan on making some and passing the recipe on to my daughter and niece!
Jacqueline
Karen, I just decided to make it for Christmas and housewarming gifts (lots of Christmas gatherings this year)!
I hope you (and they) enjoy!
Blessings,
Jacque
Natalie
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! I’d prefer everything to be well-blended; do you think it would work to grind all the ingredients together?
Jacqueline
Hi, Natalie,
Absolutely, it is okay to do that, but takes much more time. It will be well blended as it cooks in liquid.
Enjoy! It really is delicious!
Blessings,
Jacque
Natalie
Hi Jacque!
Would this work to process everything together so that it’s all in a powder form? I’m thinking it would blend well in water, soups, etc.
Thanks!
Jacqueline
Yes, absolutely. You can leave it in its untouched, blended form or you can grind it up as a fine powder. Either way, and yes, it does mix very nicely!
Enjoy!
Jacque
Jan Leckron
Hi Jacqueline, I just wanted to share about your homemade beef bouillon. I was in the process of making Bacon Beef Stroganoff. I did not have a can of cream of mushroom soup the recipe called for. I took 10oz. A2 milk, 2 T. butter and 2T. Flour and added 1 1/2 T of the beef bouillon. Oh my gosh! It is so good. Way better than the canned soup! I will make it this way from now on. Thank you for sharing. I love your articles and recipes.
Jacqueline
Yay!! Jan, I am so glad to hear that! It makes me SO happy!
Enjoy!
Hugs, Jacque
Jan Leckrom
Oh Jacque. It’s a bittersweet. It’s so good it didn’t last as long as it usually does. Guess I’ll have to double up. Haha
Virginia
Does this vegan broth recipe lend more of a beef taste, or would it also work equally well to impart a meaty/chicken flavor in chicken-containing dishes? Thanks so much!
Jacqueline
Hi, Virginia,
The strength of the umami (flavor) depends on how much you add. It could go either way: adding more would be more beefy, and adding less would be less beefy and a lighter presentation.
I would think you could experiment by just adding a little and finding that perfect spot for your taste buds according to each recipe you use it in.
Enjoy! ~J
Steve
I wish that I”d found this umpteen years ago! I won’t use store bought bouillon for exactly the reasons you described. But every so often, I come across a recipe that calls for a sprinkling of bouillon powder, sometimes as a finishing touch (guess which one is usually listed!). This will definitely fit the bill. As I write this, I”m sitting here sipping a cup of hot bouillon broth…so good!
Jacqueline
Hi, Steve 🙂
So you must have already made up a batch of the recipe!?! I am thankful that you are already enjoying it!
Bon appetit! ~J
Steve
I did. Now trying to find that last recipe that called for a sprinkling of bouillon at the end of cooking.
The cuppa was excellent. I used a heaping teaspoon and then some in the mug, with boiling water. But, the last few dregs not so good. I think the yeast and maybe the thyme just hadn’t dissolved. Just a note. The rest of the cup was excellent. I’ll do it again.
Jacqueline
One thought of what to do to enhance the dregs, Steve,
I have to add more sea salt to my mug when I drink it as straight up broth so the finish is full of flavor. I don’t add much salt to the actual bouillon recipe bc many are wanting to leave salt out of their recipes.
Still, here, we do consume quite a bit of sea salt bc we do get so many valuable trace minerals and benefits from sea salt…
You might find this interesting in that regard: https://deeprootsathome.com/salt-sole-never-buy-minerals-again/
Blessings, ~J
SD Cook
I did add a dash of sea salt and ground black pepper. The taste overall was excellent. The sludge at the bottom not so much. My wife has suggested making up a little sachet with cheese-cloth. I might do that next cup.
I too never add salt to my bone broths, which I also give out to friends and family. I do include black and white peppercorns when preparing the broth. But, when using the broth or a cup on a cold day, always some salt and a little more pepper.
Thanks for that link about a Salt Sole (is that Sol-ey or sol?). I have a daily 16oz glass of water with half a lemon squeezed in and a dash or two of pink Himalayan sea salt. Think I just might try the Salt Sole method. That way, I could put it in my ‘wake up’ glass of water, my pomegranate water later on or the lemon water.
Have you heard of ‘A Midwestern Doctor’?
Jacqueline
Yes, I learn so much from (and value) MWD’s work and have pushed several of his posts on DMSO (abbreviated) out there, introducing him to my readers!
https://deeprootsathome.com/dmso-heals-lungs-copd-asthma-etc-how-to-nebulize-dmso/
https://deeprootsathome.com/dmso-could-help-millions-with-brain-and-spinal-injury-arthritis/
He is great, and in my opinion, spot on!
Blessings to you and your wife! ~J
Steve
I actually signed up for a paying subscription so that I could get to the paid articles. I read them, then go back and read again a time or two. I use DMSO at lest once a week for something. Also use Chlorine Dioxide (Curious Outlier on Substack) and use the two together.
But the reason I asked if you knew of AMD (man or woman??), was because of your article on Salt Sole. AMD has written extensively about ‘water’ and Zeta potential. Articles I’ve only scanned for now. But I thought of them after reading the Salt Sole article.
Jacqueline
Steve, I don’t know, but suspect AMD is a man.. maybe just because of his style of writing, and maybe because of something I intuitively picked up along the way. It would be fun to know.. my subscription ran out ;-(
SD Cook
I agree with you about the style of writing, mostly. There have been a couple of articles, that I haven’t kept track of as specifics, where a sentence or two indicates the writer could be female. Agree it would be fun to know.
Hope you consider renewing the subscription. A lot of significant articles to come.
SD Cook
Apologies for hijacking this article with my responses. Not intended. But I have enjoyed the back and forth. I just ‘followed you’ on ‘X’. It’s the same name I use on Substack.
Please feel free to amend/delete the comments here as they do seem to go off content. No offense taken.