Even the most inexperienced cook should always keep chicken stock on hand to provide flavor and moisture to soups, stews, sauces, and casseroles. It’s one of those cupboard essentials.
There are a number of options available to find a substitute, ranging from non-meat options for the vegetarians or vegans in your life to one that doesn’t even require a trip to the grocery store, for those occasions when you’re throwing together a last-minute soup and realize you’re fresh out of chicken broth.
Use this list of five chicken broth alternatives to pick the one that works best for you if you are pressed for time and can’t prepare a homemade stock.
1. Water
If you need to add liquid to a dish and you run out of chicken broth, water works just fine as a substitute. It might not be as thrilling, though. You won’t get the same enhanced flavor as you would with chicken broth, so if you do use water, make sure to adjust your flavorings and aromatics accordingly.
Furthermore, you may concentrate more on your cooking because water is the only broth alternative that doesn’t require you to make another trip to the grocery store.
2. Bouillon Cube
Pay attention if you’ve never used bouillon cubes before. In essence, bouillon cubes are extremely concentrated salt bombs that, when dissolved in hot water, give homemade or store-bought broth the taste you desire. Because bouillon has considerably more taste than regular broth, when using it, pay attention to the remaining seasoning in your dish and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
3. Stock of Vegetables
Vegetable broth is a superb substitute for its chicken-y sibling for vegetarians who don’t have chicken stock on hand but still want to enjoy the same wonderful flavors in soups and stews. Vegetable broth is bursting with flavor from simmering veggies and herbs to obtain that same depth of flavor without the meat, whether you want to create it at home or continue to buy the store-bought item.
4. Bean Liquid
Save the bean liquid from the next time you drain a can of beans for a dish; you can use it in almost any recipe as a substitute for chicken stock. Bean juice is starchy on its own, so to get lots of rich taste, dilute it with water and use it as a 1:1 substitute.
5. Beef Broth
Don’t be scared to use a box of beef broth in place of chicken broth if you run out of the former and have it stashed away in your cabinet. Beef stock will give your finished product a slightly different flavor and color, but it will still provide the necessary flavor and liquid without compromising on taste.
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