Say goodbye to store-bought bouillon cubes packed with preservatives and hello to homemade vegetable stock cubes — a simple, healthy, and flavorful kitchen staple. Made entirely from fresh vegetables, herbs, and a touch of salt, these little cubes are the secret to enhancing soups, risottos, sauces, and stews with natural, aromatic depth.
In just a few easy steps, you can create a batch of vegetable stock cubes that are both budget-friendly and long-lasting. The best part? You can freeze them and always have a ready-to-use boost of flavor on hand.
What Are Homemade Vegetable Stock Cubes?
Homemade vegetable stock cubes are a concentrated blend of cooked and pureed vegetables, combined with salt to preserve their freshness naturally. Once blended and frozen, they can be cut into small cubes — just like the ones you buy at the store, but made with real, wholesome ingredients.
Each cube dissolves easily into hot water, creating a rich and aromatic vegetable broth without any artificial additives. It’s the perfect solution for home cooks who value both flavor and clean eating.
Why Everyone Will Love This Recipe
- 100% Natural Ingredients: No preservatives, additives, or flavor enhancers.
- Easy to Make: Simple process using everyday vegetables.
- Budget-Friendly: A cost-effective alternative to store-bought stock cubes.
- Packed with Flavor: Fresh vegetables and herbs create deep, authentic taste.
- Long Shelf Life: Freeze for months and use whenever you need.
Tips for the Best Homemade Vegetable Stock Cubes
- Adjust the Salt: This recipe uses salt as a preservative — you can reduce it slightly if you prefer, but the cubes may not last as long.
- Use Seasonal Veggies: Feel free to swap ingredients depending on what’s in season — fennel, bell peppers, or mushrooms add great depth.
- Don’t Skip the Second Cook: It’s essential to remove excess water so the cubes freeze and store properly.
- No Food Waste: Use leftover vegetables from the fridge — nothing goes to waste!
- Easy Measuring: Mark your container to remember how many cubes you typically need per dish.
How to Store Homemade Vegetable Stock Cubes
Keep your vegetable stock cubes in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. They can be used directly from frozen — no need to thaw.
How to Use Vegetable Stock Cubes
Dissolve 1 cube per 500 ml (2 cups) of water for instant vegetable broth. Add a cube directly to soups, risottos, stews, or sauces for extra flavor.
Use to season grains like rice, quinoa, or couscous instead of plain water.
Ingredients
How to Make Homemade Vegetable Stock Cubes
Choose fresh, firm vegetables for the best flavor. Peel and chop the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, leek, tomato, potatoes, and garlic. You can also quickly pulse them in a food processor — just enough to finely chop, not puree.
Choose fresh, firm vegetables for the best flavor. Peel and chop the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, leek, tomato, potatoes, and garlic. You can also quickly pulse them in a food processor — just enough to finely chop, not puree.
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften and release their aroma.
Add the fine salt, stir well, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. The salt helps draw out the moisture and concentrates the flavors, creating a savory, aromatic base.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. The texture should be thick but spreadable — similar to a dense vegetable purée.
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften and release their aroma.
Pour the purée back into the pan and cook for another 5–10 minutes over low heat to evaporate any remaining water. The mixture should be compact and slightly glossy.
Spread the mixture evenly onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover with another sheet, and flatten it into a rectangular block. Freeze for at least 12 hours, or until completely solid.
Once frozen, remove the slab from the tray and cut it into small cubes, about 3×2 cm each. Each cube (around 10 g) will flavor about 500 ml of water — perfect for soups, risottos, or stews.
Add the fine salt, stir well, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. The salt helps draw out the moisture and concentrates the flavors, creating a savory, aromatic base.
Place the cubes in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
;Resize,width=767;)
