Soups, saucy dishes, and cooking water all benefit from the flavor boost of chicken, beef, or vegetable bouillon cubes. They're a kitchen staple for everyday meals.
That said, steer clear of commercial options like Kub'Or or Maggi. While convenient, their ingredients raise red flags: hydrogenated fats, additives and flavor enhancers (E621, E627, E631, E330), acidifiers, and glucose—none of which health experts recommend.
Contents
- 1. Herbal Bouillon Cube
- Ingredients
- How to Make
- 2. Vegetable Bouillon Cube
- Ingredients
- How to Make
- 3. Poultry Broth Cube
- Ingredients
- How to Make
- 4. Fish Bouillon Cube
- Ingredients
- How to Make
- Results and Tips
Commercial cubes are also loaded with salt—62.8g per 100g in popular brands. Just two small cubes deliver 5.2g of salt, surpassing the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended daily limit of 5g.
This is a real concern for those with hypertension, heart conditions, or diabetes. Excess salt adds up fast.
Fortunately, homemade bouillon cubes offer a simple, wholesome solution. They're more flavorful, cost-effective, and customizable to your tastes and seasons. Try these four natural recipes:
1. Herbal Bouillon Cube
Ingredients
- 1 red or green bell pepper
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, chives, parsley, basil, tarragon, wild garlic, lemon balm, coriander, dill, nettle, etc.)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
How to Make
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 1h 30 mins | Yields: 10-12 cubes
- Peel the garlic and onion, then chop finely.
- Wash the bouquet garni and tie with string.
- Halve the pepper, remove stem, core, and seeds, then chop.
- Boil 1 liter of water in a saucepan.
- Add all ingredients, season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1h 30 mins to infuse flavors.
- Turn off heat and cool.
- Strain liquid through a fine mesh into a jug, discarding solids.
- Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.
2. Vegetable Bouillon Cube
Ingredients
- 1 leek
- 2 large onions
- 2 carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small bunch parsley (or other herbs)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch pepper (plus optional spices)
- 1 pinch salt
How to Make
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 1 hour | Yields: 10-12 cubes
- Peel garlic and onions, chop finely.
- Wash all herbs and vegetables.
- Chop vegetables into small pieces.
- Boil 1 liter of water in a saucepan.
- Add all ingredients, season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
- Mash vegetables occasionally with a potato masher to release juices.
- Cool, then strain through a fine mesh into a jug.
- Repurpose the vegetables in soups, stews, or mash.
- Pour broth into ice cube tray and freeze.
3. Poultry Broth Cube
Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass (or duck; for beef/lamb broth, use meat pieces)
- 1 leek
- 1 turnip
- 2 carrots
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 large onions
- 1 small bouquet garni (parsley, chives, thyme, tarragon, bay leaf)
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch salt
How to Make
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 1 hour | Yields: 10-12 cubes
- Peel onions and chop.
- Wash and chop all vegetables and herbs.
- Place carcass and ingredients in a pot.
- Cover with 1.5 liters cold water, season.
- Bring to a boil, cover.
- Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
- Strain through fine mesh into a jug.
- Cool and skim off fat layer.
- Pour into ice cube tray and freeze.
4. Fish Bouillon Cube
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg fish/shellfish scraps (heads, bones, tails, shells)
- 1 large onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, chives, parsley, tarragon, wild garlic, dill)
- 50g unsalted butter
- 20 cl white wine
- 1 pinch pepper (plus optional spices)
- 1 pinch salt
How to Make
Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 35 mins | Yields: 10-12 cubes
- Peel garlic, shallots, and onion; chop.
- Sweat in butter in a pan.
- Chop carrots.
- Rinse fish scraps and drain.
- Place in pot, cover with 2.5 liters cold water, season.
- Bring to boil slowly.
- Simmer uncovered 5 mins over moderate heat.
- Add wine, garni, and vegetables; simmer low 30 mins.
- Skim foam with slotted spoon.
- Strain into jug.
- Pour into ice cube tray and freeze.
Results and Storage Tips
Now you can make your own bouillon cubes—simple, quick, and all-natural. Far healthier and more economical than brands like Knorr, packed with real ingredients and no additives.
Prep ahead for convenience. Label and date before freezing; they keep up to 3 months.
