Vegetable broth options

Unless you want to make your own stock from scratch, making a dish that calls for chicken or vegetable broth is a real problem if you don’t want to use a commercial chicken broth and/or you’re cooking for vegetarians. The easiest substitution for chicken broth is prepackaged vegetable broth, but all the ones I’ve tried taste like butt-in-a-can. (Heidi Swanson says to use water rather than a bad-tasting broth that comes in a can or carton.) I like Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base (available at Whole Foods), which is easy to use (dissolve 1 teaspoon in 1 cup boiling water) and keeps for a long time in the fridge. But even the reduced-sodium version is very salty, so if you use that you may want to dilute it more than the instructions say and watch the salt in the rest of the recipe as well. Another option is low-sodium bouillon cubes, which are also easy to use (dissolve 1 cube in 2 cups boiling water) and keep well in the pantry. I like Edward & Sons Low Sodium Not-Chick’n Bouillon Cubes (available at Whole Foods) best, but Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon No Salt Added (available at Integral Yoga) is okay, too. Their flavor is pretty mild so it won’t overpower whatever dish you're making like a bad canned broth, and you can keep control over the sodium level in the recipe. Finally, if you're really ambitious, you can make your own vegetable broth base.

Risotto is an excellent test of your vegetable broth options. If you use nasty broth from a can or carton, you'll end up with a nasty risotto. I made this risotto using broth made with Edward & Sons bouillon cubes and everyone liked it. The broth tasted pretty good, almost chicken-y, on its own, which is a good sign. It's definitely less seasoned though, so you have to taste the risotto and adjust the salt accordingly (just like anything else you cook).

Risotto with Parmesan

To make this using low-sodium bouillon cubes, dissolve 2 cubes in 5 cups (1,180 grams) simmering water in step 1 of the recipe; if you're using Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base, Reduced Sodium, dissolve 1 tablespoon in 5 cups water.

5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (see note)
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup minced shallot (~1 large shallot)
kosher salt
2 cups (360 grams) Arborio or Carnaroli rice 
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup (28 grams) freshly grated Parmesan or Grano Padano cheese
freshly ground black pepper

    1. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat (see note). Reduce the heat to low.
    2. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of the butter and the oil in a large saucier or saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the shallots are softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated with the fat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the grains are translucent around the edges, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring now and then, until it is mostly absorbed, about 1 or 2 minutes.
    3. Add about 2 cups of the broth and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring as needed, until the broth is mostly absorbed. Don't let the rice dry out completely. Add another cup of the broth and cook, stirring as needed, until it is mostly absorbed. Repeat with half cups of the broth, continuing to stir as needed and tasting occasionally for doneness. You need to add just enough broth so that once it is absorbed, the rice is al dente—tender but still with a little bite at the center of each grain. When the rice is done, turn off the heat, then stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the Parmesan. Taste and adjust for salt. Serve promptly, passing the pepper mill at the table. Serves 4.