Beef bone broth, as the name suggests, adds rich beefy flavour to a range of dishes including soups, stews and casseroles. But it can be a faff to make and takes hours and hours as you slowly simmer beef bones in water.
So what can use if you cannot be bothered to wait to make beef bone broth yourself? Are there any replacements that actually work well?
Our 4 Substitutes for Beef Bone Broth
Beef bone broth is one of those elements that bring instant umami and saltiness to a dish although from the natural fats, fibres and marrow from inside beef bones and any remaining meat pieces.
And that’s what you need to recreate when looking for a substitute. Here are our top 4 swaps:
1) Beef Stock from Cubes
This is probably the most obvious swap. Ultimately, beef stock cubes are a form of beef bone broth just in dried, cube form which are then mixed with boiling water to create a broth.
Beef stock from a cube will have some beef flavour and some saltiness. It won’t be quite as natural or as flavourful as properly made beef bone broth, however.
Try to avoid cheap, poor-quality stock cubes. Instead, opt for organic, low-salt stock cubes which will pack a lot more flavour that can then be built upon when cooking with the addition of fresh herbs, bay leaves and seasoning.
Consider Quantities
You can swap like-for-like quantities here in your recipes. However, you will need to consider how many stock cubes to use. If your recipe calls for 2 litres of bone broth then consider using 3 or even 4 cubes.
2) Soaked Dried Mushrooms
This may come as a surprise! When mushrooms are dried then rehydrated, they are usually steeping in boiling water for 30 minutes or so. This mushroom-flavoured water should not go to waste.
Instead, use this as your stock base for soups and stews. Mushrooms are full of flavour and are often used as a meat swap in vegetable dishes. This is why it works incredibly well as a swap for beef bone broth.
Don’t Waste the Mushrooms
Just because you want the liquid, you shouldn’t waste those mushrooms (especially as dried mushrooms can be pricey). Instead, chop them up roughly and toss them into your dish too. They’ll only add flavour!
3) Chicken Stock
Although chicken stock is on our list, it is nowhere near as good as the previous two swaps. You’ll find that chicken stock is a little lighter and less flavourful than beef bone broth.
If you’re looking for the base of a soup or sauce then chicken stock will work fine. If, however, you want a strong beef flavour to come through then chick stock might just be one you want to skip on.
Add a Dash of Soy Sauce
This may sound a bit odd but you can add a dash of soy sauce to chicken stock to up its umami level and makes it taste that little beefier. This isn’t just for Asian-inspired dishes either!
4) Mushroom Stock
These days, you can buy all kinds of stocks. Many supermarkets will now have mushroom stock cubes on their shelves. If you’re really pushed for what to use as a replacement for beef bone broth then mushroom stock from a cube can work well.
The stock that is produced from a cube will be second-rate to the stock you can get from steeped dried mushrooms, however, so if you can opt for this method then do so.
Add in Herbs and Spices
Don’t be shy about mixing up your mushroom stock with a bouquet garni, a few star anise, a cinnamon stick or a few bay leaves to take the flavour up a notch and to ensure it isn’t too one dimensional.
Other Substitutes for Beef Bone Broth
Although these might not be the go-to options for replacing beef bone broth, they will work if you’re pushed for ideas (or if you’re vegan):
- Vegetable Stock – Vegetable stock, naturally, won’t contain that punchy beef flavour you’ll be after. However, it will add saltiness and richness to soups and stews.
- Marmite – If you’re looking to add that umami saltiness to a stew or casserole then you can simply cook your dinner in water from the tap and a spoonful of Marmite. Admittedly, this is not going to be anywhere near as good as proper beef broth but it’ll help!
Summary
If you’re following a recipe that calls for beef bone broth but don’t want to spend hours slowly simmering bones in water then the best substitutes would be either beef stock from a stock cube or the liquid from soaked, dried mushrooms.