Broth is a flavorful water that has had meat or vegetables cooked in it. It is often called stock. Broth is called for is many recipes, soups in particular. There may be times when you don't have a broth or a broth of a certain type and need to substitute. Here is a short guide to help you substitute any broth needed in a recipe.

Types of Broths

There are several types of broth, notably chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth and fish broth. They can be used interchangeably as a substitute for one another. If you're a vegetarian, for example, you can substitute vegetable broth for any meat-based broth called for in a recipe. If you prefer one flavor of broth over another, feel free to substitute.

Substituting with Bouillon

Bouillon is dehydrated broth. For every 1 cup of broth needed in your recipe, you can boil 1 cup of water and add 1 bouillon cube. Alternatively, you can use 1 tsp of bouillon crystals in lieu of a bouillon cube.

Making Your Own Chicken Broth

Combine chicken, vegetable scraps, thyme, parsley and bay leaves in a stock pot with water. Cover the stock pot and let it simmer on the stove for two to three hours. Strain the liquid and use it as your substitute for chicken broth. You can use the vegetables and chicken for other dishes.

Making Your Own Vegetable Broth

You can substitute vegetable broth with your own broth in one of two methods. You can combine various vegetables to a stock pot with some water and prepare it like the chicken broth mentioned earlier. Carrots, onions, garlic and peppers make excellent choices.

Alternatively, you can combine warm water with a variety of herbs and spices to make a tasty vegetable broth. Here are two suggested do-it-yourself vegetable broths.

Vegetable Broth #1:

• 4 tbsp of celery salt
• 4 tbsp of dried parsley
• 6 tsp of garlic powder
• 6 tsp of salt
• 6 tsp of ground savory
• 2 tsp of dried marjoram
• 2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp of ground sage

Vegetable Broth #2:

• ¼ cup of onion powder
• ¼ cup of dried parsley
• 2 tbsp of seasoning salt
• 2 tbsp of garlic powder
• 2 tbsp of celery seed
• 2 tsp of sage
• 2 tsp of marjoram
• 2 tsp of thyme
• 2 tsp of basil
• 2 tsp of oregano
• 2 tsp of black pepper
• 2 tsp of dill weed
• 1 tsp of savory

Substitute for Fish Broth

To substitute fish broth, use 1 cup of clam juice for every 1 cup of fish broth required.

Soy Sauce

To substitute any broth, you can add 1 tbsp of soy sauce to 1 cup of water for every 1 cup of broth needed in your recipe.

Creating your own broth substitutes can be time consuming. If you plan on making one, it is recommended that you prepare plenty ahead of time from when you need it. Otherwise, you might be better off just stocking up on either broth from the store or bouillon cubes.