What broth is and why you need it
Broth is a useful ingredient in many recipes, acting like a cooking liquid for rice or pasta or to braise beef, chicken or veggies in. In short, it’s used to bring extra flavour to a dish.
How to replace it
With water: The main ingredient that you can use to replace broth in a recipe is an easy one: water! For every 1 cup of broth the recipe calls for, use 1 cup of water. (This is a great option, too, if you want a zero-sodium base for your recipe.) If you do want flavour, though, be sure to add more aromatics–for example: onions, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, soy sauce, thyme, peppercorns–and salt than the recipe requires. This substitute is ideal for soups, stews, braises and risotto.
With milk: If you’re cooking a cream-based soup, milk is the way to go. Much like with water, replace the broth with the same amount of milk, but use a little less cream and butter than the recipe calls for.
With broth-free sauce: When it comes to sauces, water can be a substitute for broth, but we actually recommend making a broth-free sauce instead. For example, instead of a red wine sauce for your steak, how about a bright chimichurri? And instead of a gravy for your holiday turkey, try a creamy bearnaise sauce.
Make your own broth
If you really want the flavour that a broth can bring to a recipe, one option is to make your own. A beef or chicken broth might not be feasible because you probably don’t have any extra meat lying around to help you make it. But you are likely to have some extra vegetables and herbs in the crisper that have a bit of life left in them! These are enough to make a respectable broth that’s tasty and savoury. It may extend the overall cooking time of your recipe, but the final result will be worth it.