This Vegan Chicken Broth Seasoning Powder is a pantry staple in my house. Made from a blend of common herbs and spices found in your spice cabinet, this recipe is easy to prepare and bursting with flavor! Use it as a seasoning blend or make broth.
Why splurge on pricey vegan chicken broth at the store when this straightforward vegan chicken broth seasoning blend effortlessly steps in for any dish that calls for broth?
With a shelf life of up to 6 months, you don’t have to worry about picking up boxes of broth at the store anymore. It’s right there in your pantry ready to be used!
Anywhere you would use chicken broth or vegetable broth, this vegan chicken broth seasoning can be used.
It can be used as a powder seasoning or dissolved in water to be used as a broth to cook rice, use in soups, stews, gravy, and more!
This recipe was originally created in 2022 but has since been updated with new information and photos. This recipe is the same.
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Ingredients
Out of all the vegetable broths and vegan chicken stocks I've used, this homemade vegan stock powder steals the show!
It's crafted from a blend of basic herbs and spices commonly found in your spice cabinet, it's a breeze to whip up and is incredibly flavorful!
Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional Yeast is the base for our seasoning blend. It is typically added to vegan recipes to add a cheese-like flavor but that is not what it does in this recipe at all. It adds umami and is essential to this recipe. You can buy this at your local health food store, big grocery stores like Trader Joe's, or simply buy it online!
Salt and pepper: Salt is important for the overall flavor but can be reduced or eliminated, if needed. That's the great thing about homemade— make it your own!
Onion Powder & Garlic Powder: Both of these ingredients are a must! They add such a delicious savory flavor.
Dried Herbs: Dried parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, and rubbed sage are the herbs that are added to this seasoning blend.
Smoked Paprika: Adds a little color and nice flavor. If you don't want a smoky flavor, add sweet paprika.
Turmeric: For color.
See recipe card for quantities.
Helpful Equipment
If you want to pulse the seasoning blend into a fine powder, I recommend a spice grinder or food processor.
How to Make This Recipe
Whether you forgot to pick up broth at the store or simply seeking the ideal substitute to chicken broth, this is the ultimate pantry essential!
Made in under 5 minutes, this chicken broth substitute is a game-changer.
The full written recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Add the nutritional yeast into a bowl or container.
Step 2: Add the spices, seasonings, and dried herbs into the bowl and whisk together until evenly incorporated.
Step 3: Add seasoning blend into a food processor and pulse into a fine powder. This is optional but recommended.
Step 4: Once combined, you can use it as a seasoning blend for sprinkling onto food or use in a breading for tofu, tempeh, or vegan chicken.
Step 5: Or make broth by dissolving 1 tablespoon of the seasoning blend into 1 cup of hot water. Whisk well to dissolve.
Note: For a smoother texture, pulse the ingredients lightly in a blender, food processor, or spice grinder to ensure even mixing when added to water, but if you prefer a more rustic texture, avoid pulsing or pulse lightly.
Substitutions & Variations
The best thing about making your own vegan chicken seasoning from scratch is that you can customize it to your preference!
Need it to be salt-free? Leave it out!
Don’t like the flavor of oregano? No worries!
Celery salt: Celery salt is an addition that most chicken-flavored broths include. I decided to leave it out of mine because it's not something I regularly buy. If you'd like to include it, go for it. If you want a salt-free version, add celery seed.
Change up the herbs: Take a shortcut and add Italian seasonings or poultry seasoning instead of herbs. This will alter the original flavor but this recipe is super customizable and easy to change to fit your personal preferences.
Serving Ideas
There are several creative ways to use this vegan chicken broth seasoning powder:
Soup Base: Use it as a base for soups and stews to infuse rich chicken-like flavor into your dishes. My favorite is in a vegan chicken noodle soup!
Gravy: Incorporate the powder into your gravy recipe to enhance its depth and savory taste.
Marinades: Mix the seasoning powder with oil, vinegar, and herbs to create a flavorful marinade for tofu, tempeh, or vegetables.
Rice and Grains: Add a spoonful to the cooking water when making rice, quinoa, or other grains for an extra boost of flavor.
Sauces and Dressings: Stir the powder into sauces, dressings, or dips.
Vegetable Broth Substitute: Dissolve the powder in hot water to create a quick and flavorful vegetable broth for cooking or sipping.
Roasted Vegetables: Sprinkle the powder over roasted vegetables before baking to add a delicious savory flavor.
Breading Mix: Mix the powder with breadcrumbs or flour to create a seasoned coating for frying or baking tofu, seitan, or plant-based chicken.
Tips & Tricks
Give it a pulse in a blender, food processor, or spice grinder! This ensures even mixing when you add it to water. Without pulsing, you might find large herb flakes floating on the surface.
If you prefer a more rustic texture, pulse the ingredients lightly or don't pulse them at all to maintain some texture.
When mixing in water to create a broth, make sure the water is hot or the nutritional yeast won't completely incorporate. It needs to be able to melt in to the water— but, note that it can added directly to soups and will incorporate as it heats up.
Storage
Add vegan chicken bouillon powder blend into an airtight jar or airtight container for up to 6 months in a dry place.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's understandable why non-vegans might not grasp why traditional chicken broth isn't vegan—it's just broth, right? However, since it's made with real chicken, it's not vegan-friendly.
Unfortunately, no. This vegan chicken broth powder cannot be made without nutritional yeast. It is the base of our recipe.
Anywhere you would use broth, you can use this recipe! You can also use it to sprinkle on vegetables or use as a seasoning in the breading of tofu nuggets or vegan chicken-style seitan. The options are endless!
More Vegan Staple Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating down below if you try this recipe! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram for more recipes and updates.
Recipe
Vegan Chicken Broth Seasoning Powder
Ingredients
- 1 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1 ½ tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
- 1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Dried Basil
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Rubbed Sage
- 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
Instructions
- Combine the nutritional yeast and seasonings into a bowl and whisk together until evenly incorporated.
- Add seasoning blend into a food processor and pulse into a fine powder. This is optional but recommended.
- Once combined, you can use it as a seasoning blend and sprinkle it onto food for added flavor or use in a breading for tofu, tempeh, or vegan chicken.
- Make broth by dissolving 1 tablespoon of the seasoning blend into 1 cup of hot water. Whisk well to dissolve.
Notes
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Corrine says
So yummy! I didn't have enough black pepper on hand so I used 1 tsp of white pepper instead. I also didn't have any smoked paprika or turmeric on hand so I skipped it for this first batch. After blitzing it in the food processor, I gave it a quick taste as a cup of broth. WOW! This is my new go-to broth powder. Thanks for the recipe!
Liv says
Yay! Happy it worked out even without a few ingredients-- thank you so much for leaving this review 🙂
Anna says
Excellent recipe using readily available herbs and spices. (I had all of them in my kitchen.) I substituted the red salt for Himalayan pink salt because that's what I had on hand. Will use this seasoning the next time I make my vegan curry chicken soup. Thanks for sharing.
Liv says
So glad you found this recipe easy to whip up! Enjoy your vegan curry chicken soup. That sounds wonderful!