Stock Cube substitute

Substitutes for Stock Cube with ratios

1. 2Ready-made liquid stock, replacing the cube and the water

   Different taste

   Replace 1 cube plus its water with the same volume of fresh or carton stock

   If the recipe says one cube dissolved in 500 ml of water, use 500 ml of liquid stock and add no water.

   What changes

   This gives the cleanest and most natural flavour of any option here.

   Best for

   soups, risotto, gravy, poaching, braises, sauces

   Considerably less salty than a cube, so expect to add salt, roughly a quarter teaspoon per 250 ml, and taste. It is also less intensely savoury, without the concentrated yeasty note cubes have, which reads as cleaner in a light soup and slightly underpowered in a rich gravy. Chilled fresh stock is much better than long-life carton stock for this.

2. 3Stock powder or bouillon granules

   Close match

   Use 1 to 2 teaspoons for every stock cube, checking the tub

   The same product in loose form, and it has one real advantage: it dissolves instantly and you can measure a half or a quarter of a cube's worth, which is awkward to do with a solid block.

   What changes

   Best for

   gravy, sauces, seasoning rubs, rice and grains, soups

   Tastes essentially identical because it is the same formulation. The only trap is dosing, since powders differ in density and a level teaspoon of one brand is not a level teaspoon of another. Look for the water quantity on the tub and match that to the cube's water quantity rather than measuring spoon for spoon.

3. 4Marmite, Vegemite or yeast extract plus salt

   Different taste

   Use 1 teaspoon yeast extract plus ¼ teaspoon salt for every stock cube

   An unexpectedly good vegetarian swap, because yeast extract is where a lot of a stock cube's savoury punch comes from in the first place.

   What changes

   It delivers salt, deep glutamate savour and a dark colour in one spoonful.

   Best for

   gravy, beef-style stews, shepherd's pie, onion soup, lentil and bean dishes, vegetarian cooking

   Distinctly yeasty and considerably darker, so it is superb in a brown gravy or a rich stew and completely wrong in a pale chicken soup or a light risotto, where it turns everything muddy brown and tastes of toast. Start with less than you think, because it is very assertive, and dissolve it in a splash of hot water first.

4. 5Soy sauce plus butter and salt

   Different taste

   Use 1 teaspoon soy sauce plus a small knob of butter plus ¼ teaspoon salt for every stock cube

   Takes the cube apart into what it actually does, which is salt, savoury glutamate and a trace of fat, and rebuilds it from three things almost every kitchen already has.

   What changes

   Works well in gravies and pan sauces.

   Best for

   gravy, pan sauces, stir-fries, risotto, braised meat, rice

   Darkens whatever it goes into, so use less in anything pale or add a pinch of MSG instead of the soy sauce if colour matters. Worcestershire sauce in place of the soy gives more complexity and a fruity tang, and fish sauce gives more savour still, though it needs to be cooked for a minute so it does not smell raw.

5. 6Salted water, honestly assessed

   Different taste

   Use ½ teaspoon salt for every 250 ml water

   A stock cube is mostly salt with flavourings, and in a dish with plenty of flavour of its own it is contributing very little beyond seasoning.

   What changes

   Salt the water properly and move on.

   Best for

   curry, chilli, tomato-based stews, heavily spiced soups, cooking rice, couscous and pulses

   It falls apart in anything where the liquid is the main flavour, so a risotto, a clear broth or a plain gravy will taste thin and watery and adding more salt will not fix it, because what is missing is savoury depth rather than saltiness. In those dishes use one of the umami routes above instead.