This homemade vegan chicken broth recipe has the rich, savory, incredible flavor of traditional chicken broth, but it's 100% plant-based. Made with herbs, nutritional yeast, and pantry spices, this DIY vegan chicken bouillon powder turns into a flavorful broth in seconds. Use it in soups, sauces, gravies, grains, and more.
As a classically trained chef, I wanted a vegan alternative with the savory depth and familiar flavor of traditional chicken broth. So I built it the way I'd build a stock, layering herbs, aromatics, and savory nutritional yeast, without simmering a pot for hours. Just add hot water, and it's ready to use!
Vegan Chicken Broth Highlights
- ⏱️ Time: 5 minutes, no cooking required
- 🍲 Flavor: Savory, herby, and full of umami
- 🥄 Broth ratio: 1 tablespoon powder per cup of hot water
- 🫙 Storage: Up to 6 months in an airtight container in a cool, dry place
- 🌿 Good to know: Vegan, vegetarian, and easy to adjust the salt
Why It Tastes Like Chicken (Without Any Chicken)
Traditional chicken broth gets its flavor from its chicken base as well as the herbs and aromatics that simmer alongside it. For this vegan version, I recreate those familiar flavors using simple plant-based pantry ingredients. Poultry seasoning brings the notes of sage, thyme, and rosemary, while onion and garlic powder add another layer of flavor.
But the secret ingredient is nutritional yeast. Its naturally occurring glutamates provide the savory umami that makes this homemade chicken bouillon powder so good. Combined with the herbs and spices, it creates a very flavorful, easy vegan chicken-style broth without any meat.
♥️ Why You'll Love My Recipe
- Ready in 5 minutes: Just blend a handful of pantry staples to make homemade vegan chicken bouillon powder. No cooking required!
- Rich, savory flavor: Nutritional yeast adds umami, while a little poultry seasoning gives the broth its classic chicken-style flavor. It's truly the best vegan chicken broth recipe.
- No preservatives: Making your own means it's free of any preservatives, which makes it healthier than some store-bought versions of fake chicken broth.
- Easy to use: Mix the powder with hot water for vegan chicken stock, or add it directly to soups, stews, sauces, and gravies.
- Customizable: Adjust the salt and seasonings to suit your taste. You can even make a low-sodium version by using salt-free poultry seasoning and reducing or omitting the added salt
Key Ingredients
You only need a handful of plant-based pantry staples to make my homemade vegan chicken bouillon powder. You likely already have most of them in your spice cabinet and can find all of them at grocery stores.
- Nutritional yeast: This is the umami base that gives my delicious vegan chicken broth substitute some depth. Any kind will work, but I like to use nutritional yeast that isn't fortified for a cleaner flavor. It's important not to confuse it with brewer's yeast.
- Fine sea salt: Brings out the flavor. Feel free to use less salt. You could also use celery salt if you prefer.
- Poultry seasoning: This seasoning is what gives the vegan broth its chicken-style flavor. Check the label, but most blends contain no animal products and are made with common simple herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary, and marjoram.
- Onion and garlic powder: These two seasonings round out the broth's flavor and give it a little more depth.
- Turmeric: This ingredient is optional, but it gives the broth a golden color and a mild earthy note.
- Sugar: Optional, but I like adding a little to balance the salt and round out the savory flavor of the broth.
- Black pepper: Adds some warmth to finish the broth. You can use white pepper if you prefer or even a pinch of cayenne pepper.
👩🍳 Pro Tip: Use my homemade poultry seasoning recipe for a classic chicken-style flavor.
How To Make Vegan Chicken Bouillon Powder
Learning how to make homemade chicken bouillon powder vegan is incredibly simple. All you need is a blender or food processor.
First, add all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse a few times into a fine powder that looks like a ground mixture. You could also use a spice grinder if needed.
Then put the mixture into an airtight glass jar or container and store it in a cool, dry place. At room temperature, homemade vegan bouillon powder will last up to 6 months.
✏️ Recipe Card! Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the list of ingredients and exact amounts.
How to Make Vegan Chicken Broth with Bouillon Powder
Whisk 1 tablespoon of vegan chicken broth powder into 1 cup of hot water until it dissolves.
| Broth you need | Bouillon powder | Hot water |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 1 tablespoon | 1 cup |
| 2 cups | 2 tablespoons | 2 cups |
| 1 quart (4 cups) | ¼ cup | 4 cups |
| 2 quarts (8 cups) | ½ cup | 8 cups |
| Cooking liquid for grains | 1 tablespoon | 2 cups |
Replacing chicken broth in a recipe? You can swap it 1:1 in all your favorite dishes. For every cup of broth or stock you need, use 1 tablespoon of powder and 1 cup of water. Taste before adding more salt, since the powder is already seasoned.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the salt: Poultry seasoning blends vary, and some include salt. If yours does, you'll want to reduce the added salt so the mix doesn't end up with too much salt.
- Taste before storing: Mix a little powder with hot water and taste the broth before storing. If you want a stronger chicken flavor, add a bit more poultry seasoning, garlic, or onion powder until it's just right.
- Use a dry spoon: Always use a completely dry spoon when scooping the mix. Even a little moisture can cause clumping and shorten the shelf life.
- Add some richness: When you're making a cup of my no-chicken broth recipe, whisk in a few drops of light olive oil or a small pat of vegan butter for extra body and richness.
How to Use Vegan Chicken Broth
- Vegan soups: It's a perfect substitute anywhere a soup calls for chicken or vegetable stock, like vegan chicken noodle soup, or my vegan gumbo or my vegan pozole.
- For grains: Using vegan chicken stock is an easy way to add some delicious flavor to grains. Add one tablespoon per two cups of water when cooking rice, quinoa, or couscous.
- As a seasoning: Sprinkle it on tofu, soy curls, roasted vegetables, or potatoes before baking. If you want to use it as a vegan chicken seasoning recipe, I like to use it with smoked paprika to create a comforting smoky flavor.
- In sauces or gravies: Stir a tiny pinch into creamy sauces, vegan gravies, or casseroles for some classic rich flavor. It's what I reach for when making gravy for Thanksgiving.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Store it in an airtight container or sealed jar in a cool, dry place. It will keep for up to 6 months.
You can omit the nutritional yeast, but the broth won't have the same savory depth as my original recipe. Nutritional yeast provides much of the umami flavor. Mushroom powder may add some of that savoriness, but it will change the overall flavor, and I haven't tested it as a direct replacement.
No, vegans can't eat chicken broth. Traditional chicken broth is made by simmering chicken, so it isn't vegan or vegetarian. My recipe gives you the same savory, herby flavor with no chicken at all. The "chicken" taste comes from poultry herbs and nutritional yeast.
Traditional chicken bouillon usually contains chicken-derived ingredients, so it isn't vegan. However, some brands make vegetarian or vegan chicken-style bouillon. Always check the ingredients. My homemade version uses nutritional yeast, herbs, and spices to create a similar savory flavor without any animal products.
Vegetable broth is simmered from vegetables like carrots, celery, and onion, so it tastes sweeter and more vegetal. Vegan chicken broth is seasoned to taste like chicken broth, with poultry herbs, savory nutritional yeast, and a golden color. Reach for it in recipes built around chicken broth, like noodle soup, gravy, or pozole, where you want that classic flavor.
⭐️ One Last Thing! If you make my vegan substitute for chicken broth, please leave a review and star rating to let me know how you liked it! Doing so helps other readers and me too! Your feedback makes a difference.
Vegan Chicken Broth Recipe (Homemade Bouillon Powder)
Ingredients
- ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor.
- Pulse several times until the mixture is fine and like an evenly blended mixture.
- Transfer to an airtight glass jar and store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
- To make broth, whisk 1 tablespoon of the powder into 1 cup of hot water until dissolved.
Notes
- If you prefer a stronger flavor, increase the poultry seasoning.
- If your poultry seasoning has salt, use less salt. You can always add more.
- The vegan chicken broth powder should last up to 6 months when stored in a tightly sealed jar and away from humidity. However, this can change based on storage conditions. Discard it if it develops mold, an unusual odor, or signs of moisture contamination.
- This recipe makes about 12 tablespoons of bouillon powder (roughly 12 servings of broth).
- The nutritional info is an estimate and will vary based on how much salt and sugar you use, as well as what kind of nutritional yeast is used.
Nutrition
Chef Kim Grimmett
I'm Kim Grimmett, a classically trained chef and the creator of Dances With Knives. I trained at Le Cordon Bleu and have more than 15 years of professional culinary experience as a vegan chef. Here, I share my best vegan recipes.
Candy says
This is perfect! I did do 2tsp only of salt, no sugar and will reduce pepper to 1/4tsp. Want to use for a cream of anything soup mix. Tried a cup of broth. It's wonderful! Thank you
Kim Grimmett says
Hi Candy, Thanks for the feedback! I'm so glad you like it. It works really well in cream soups, and I also use it when making gravy for Thanksgiving.