Homemade Vegan Beef-less Broth Mix (2024)

Published by Lori Rasmussen · Last Updated Apr 15, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links.

Make your own vegan beef broth and bouillon at home! This quick and easy umami seasoning blend is perfect for replacing store-bought vegan beef flavor products and bouillon. Made with dried mushroom powder, nutritional yeast, and a few herbs and spices, this homemade version of meatless broth is much more wholesome and versatile.

Whip up a batch in minutes, and you'll be ready to add depth of flavor to everything from vegan "beef" stew to soups, sauces, seitan, and casseroles! Contains no oil, gluten, soy, nuts, or refined sugar.

A Useful Pantry Staple

After some really positive feedback on my vegan chicken broth powder recipe I figured it's time for a beef version!

I've tried a variety of vegan bouillon products over the years, especially when testing recipes like Seitan Ribs and Vegan Turkey Roast.

Last summer I made many test batches of the ribs recipe because not only was it for a local vegan BBQ cookoff (and I wanted it to be juuuust right), but I also knew I'd be sharing the recipe here on the blog.

I ended up buying multiple jars of the vegan beef flavor seasoning by Orrington Farms (pictured below). Unfortunately, it's sort of pricey for what it is, and it's not exactly made with the highest quality ingredients.

It worked fine in the seitan ribs, which have LOADS of flavor from a variety of other ingredients, but on its own, the store-bought beef broth mix doesn't really taste all that great.

But this homemade broth powder actually tastes wonderful! Try it mixed in hot water for a soothing and nutritious broth.

This versatile seasoning is pantry-friendly and shelf-stable, so it's an easy ingredient to always have on hand.

If you're not sure how else you might use it beyond making broth, keep reading for ideas!

Ingredient Notes

While there isn't a ton of room for substitution in this recipe, a few of the ingredients are flexible. I recommend trying the recipe as written first. Then, if there's something you'd like to tweak, you can adjust the individual ingredient amounts to suit your taste.

• shiitake mushroom powder - ordering shiitake mushroom powder online is probably easiest, although with the popularity of dried mushrooms and supplements surging in recent years, some well-stocked grocery stores now carry mushroom powder.
  
• nutritional yeast - this is a key ingredient in this recipe and cannot be omitted.
  NOTE: If you think you don't like nutritional yeast but have only tried fortified brands (e.g., Bragg's, etc), I highly recommend this non-fortified one by Sari Foods.

  Their nutritional yeast contains naturally occurring B1, B2, B5, and B6, as well as 18 amino acids and 15 minerals. It does not contain B12 or folate, which are usually added to other brands of nutritional yeast. You can learn more about fortified vs. non-fortified nutritional yeast on the Sari website.

• smoked paprika - adds color and smokiness
  
• onion and garlic powder - important for overall flavor
  
• dried oregano - often associated in our minds with Italian recipes made with beef; feel free to use basil or parsley instead
  
• ground ginger - this one's optional, but I do like to include a small amount for subtle flavor
  
• fine sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

This part couldn't be easier! Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl or lidded jar, then whisk or shake it to combine. Ta-da! Homemade beef-y seasoning.

If the nutritional yeast you're using contains large flakes you may want to pulse it in a blender a few times to make it more powdered, similar to the mushroom powder, but that's totally up to you.

Preparation Tip

If you include oil in your diet, try adding a few drops of a mild-tasting olive oil or refined coconut oil when using the powder to prepare broth. Oil contributes a richness that would normally be found in beef stock or broth.

FAQs

Ways to Use Vegan Beef Broth Powder

Now the fun part!

Add spoonfuls of this seasoning powder directly into recipes, or whisk with hot water to create a vegan beef broth base.

• Try it with soy curls in this vegan taco meat.

  Speaking of soy curls, prepare the broth to re-hydrate soy curls for use in all sorts of recipes. A lot of soy curl recipes call for rehydrating the curls in water before using, but why use plain water when you can add more flavor?

• Saute it with crumbled seitan for nachos, burritos, enchiladas, and taco bowls.
  
• Add it to your favorite vegan burger patties.
  
• Include a tablespoon or two of the powdered mix when cooking rice, quinoa, and other grains.
  
• Add a scoop to the pot when cooking lentils, curries, stews, and chili. Reduce the salt you would normally add to accommodate the saltiness of this seasoning.
  
• And use it instead of chicken-less broth to make a "beef" version of this vegan rice-a-roni!

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