Vegetable stock is a good base for many soup dishes. You can buy it everywhere, but there is nothing healthier and easier than making it yourself. We will show you how to do this in this article. 
Ingredients for homemade vegetable stock
To make approx. 200g vegetable stock powder, you will need:
250g onions
80g sea salt
160g carrots
140g celeriac
50g celery stalks
50g leek
20g large-leaved parsley
300g tomatoes
Preparation of the bouillon
- Place the onions in the blender with the sea salt and blend well.
- Peel the carrots and celery, wash the leek and celery stalks and blend together with the onions and salt.
- Wash and roughly chop the large-leaved parsley, finely chop the tomatoes without the stalks and mix both into the vegetable mixture.
- Set the oven to 80° Celsius, using convection if possible - otherwise use top and bottom heat.
- Spread the vegetable mash in a large baking dish lined with baking paper and leave to dry in the oven for 8 - 10 hours (e.g. overnight) (leave the oven door ajar to allow the moisture to escape).
- Blend the completely dry mixture again and, if necessary, pass through a sieve to create a fine powder.
This seasoning stock can be stored in a closed (dark) jar for around three months. It is ideal for preparing and seasoning dishes and is also suitable as a soup base or for drinking.
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Make your own bouillon: Why actually?
Store-bought vegetable stock often contains artificial additives such as glutamate. When it comes to glutamate, it is important to note that there is a difference between free glutamate and artificially produced glutamate. The latter is in a different chemical form to free glutamate and therefore has to be converted into the right form by the body.
Most of us consume glutamate every day! This is because natural free glutamate is found in cheese, soy sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes, meat, fish, peas, wheat, rice and yeast extract, among other things.
The human body also produces around 50 grams itself every day Glutamate for personal use. Glutamic acid is an important neurotransmitter, is involved in muscle building, is said to strengthen the immune system and binds the cell toxin ammonia released during protein breakdown. The acid in L-glutamine is found in most proteins in varying proportions and is present in all protein-containing foods.
The overuse of artificial glutamate, which is added through the increased consumption of convenience foods, is problematic for the body.
Avoid yeast and glutamate in bouillon
Yeast consists mainly of protein and contains, among other things, the amino acid glutamic acid, which is partly converted into glutamate during yeast extract production. Depending on which process is used during production, more or less glutamate is produced.
In conventional production with hydrochloric acid, glutamate is produced in the range of 1.5%/100g. If yeast extract is produced in the organic sector with water heated to 60°C, glutamate is also produced, but only in the range of 0.5%/100g. This is roughly the amount that occurs naturally in tomatoes, beef and milk. Soybeans contain around 0.8% glutamate and Parmesan cheese contains around 1.7%.
No artificial glutamate is added to yeast extract. Artificial glutamate is usually hidden behind terms such as seasoning or condiment.I would therefore recommend using an organic product for your vegetable stock or making your own vegetable stock!
Even more reasons to make your own stock
Finally, I would also like to point out that stock powder often contains sugar! Usually in the form of maltodextrin. And why is that? Because sugar gives us a pleasant taste and is also addictive. So we consume more of these products.
If you're looking for a recipe for chicken stock, you'll also find it on our blog.
Have you also thought about vegetable stock? Do you know a good product that you can recommend? Or have you ever made vegetable stock yourself and can tell us about your experience? Then just leave a comment!
