Maybe when it’s called for in a recipe, or you just want to ramp up the flavor in a dish you can simply throw in a cube (or teaspoon) or two of commercial bouillon. That’s great if that’s how you roll.
However, that’s just not possible for someone who is allergic to the allium family (onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, chives, etc.). Besides the dehydrated onion and/or garlic found in every commercial broth or bouillon I have ever seen on the entire planet, I also want to avoid things like artificial ingredients, MSG, and tons of sodium. Therefore necessity birthed the following invention.
I haven’t tried it “straight” with boiling water yet, but have found it a handy flavor enhancer for other dishes. Over the weekend I threw a tablespoon-full into an “okay” pot of a chicken taco soup and turned it fabulous (might have been the cilantro). Just use it as you would other dried bouillon, or mix it with water to make a quick stock substitute (*1 tsp. to 8 oz. of boiling water)
No picture-laden step-by-step here because it’s just too easy. Chop some carrots and celery stalks into 1 or 2 inch pieces and throw them in your food processor. Pulse for a while (carrots are noisy), then throw in a bunch of parsley, half a bunch of cilantro and your salt and process some more until it’s the consistency you desire. I know I won’t use it that quickly in a 3-person household, so I just jarred it up and put it in the freezer. Because of the salt content it doesn’t freeze solid and you can just scoop out what you need! (In fact, you might notice the frosty jar in the pic above).
I used this in my Sauteed Kale to bump up the flavor since I can’t use garlic, I think the possibilities are limited only by the imagination. Don’t like cilantro? Try fresh basil. If you are not as certain of your palate preferences as I am, make a smaller amount and give it a try. WARNING: Because of the salt don’t try this straight off a spoon, mix it with some boiling water first (see ratio above*) and sip a sample.
If you give this a try, I’d love to hear how you like it!
Vegetable Bouillon
An onion-and-garlic-free bouillon substitute to add flavor to many savory dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. carrots
- 2/3 lb. celery
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 3/4 cup sea salt
Directions
- Wash and pat dry all ingredients. Peel carrots.
- Chop carrots and celery into 1-2 inch pieces. Pulse in food processor until finely chopped.
- Remove stems and add parsley, cilantro and salt. Process until desired consistency.
- Store in refrigerator (for up to one month) or freezer for longer-term storage. (Because of the salt content this will not freeze solid, allowing you to scoop out what you need without defrosting).
Life is Crazy Beautiful 
Hi!
I love your post. How would I convert the recipe for 1 person?
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Sorry for the delay in responding to your comment! I’m not sure you would need to convert the recipe, since it keeps in the freezer a good long while (I probably had mine for 6 months or more). I didn’t have exact measurements for the carrots and celery, I just kind of “decided” how much to use of each of those vegetables by eye and estimated the amounts for the recipe. Perhaps you could cut them in half (approximately 3/4 lb of carrots, 1/3 lb of celery, 1/4 of a bunch of cilantro, etc?). Sorry I can’t be more help.
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