People use Tomato Bouillon to add depth of flavor to stews, casseroles, pasta sauces, and soups. In this article, we’ll explore ideas and alternatives for what makes the best tomato bouillon cubes substitute.
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What Is Tomato Bouillon?
Bouillon is made by dehydrating ingredients such as vegetables, meat, and solid fats. It also contains seasonings and added salt. Bouillon cubes are used in place of traditional stocks to speed up preparation for complex recipes.
Caldo de Tomate is a tomato chicken bouillon or stock that is often referred to as tomato bouillon. Unfortunately, this particular dehydrated stock can be challenging to find in stores – so you might need a tomato bouillon replacement.
Tomato Bouillon Substitutes
Whether you’re looking for a substitute for tomato bouillon or something more complex like Caldo de Tomate, there are several ideal alternatives.
1. Tomato Puree and Paste
You can opt for tomato puree or tomato paste if you want a quick and easy substitute for tomato bouillon that is vegan-friendly.
While tomato puree is more of a sauce and might not allow a more desirable paste-like texture in some dishes, the opposite can be said of tomato paste. Tomato paste is a thick paste that can be watered down by adding a little hot water. In some respects, tomato paste makes the better option thanks to the way you can easily alter the consistency while also adding in any herbs and spices as you do so.
Whichever option you go for, make sure only to add a little to your cooking at a time to avoid overpowering the dish, as both can add a stronger tomato flavor to your recipe than what you’d have from stock cubes.
2. Tomato Sauce
You can make genuine tomato sauce at home from scratch, but it takes a long time. However, it shares several similarities with tomato bouillon, as bouillon is sometimes a dehydrated version of an authentic tomato sauce.
It is also possible to buy tomato sauce from the store in some places. It might list ingredients such as onion, carrot, garlic, chicken stock, pork, and even more.
Related: What’s a Good Tomato Sauce Substitute?
The common ingredients you’ll find in tomato sauce can make an excellent substitute for tomato bouillon in chicken dishes.
3. Beef Broth
Another excellent substitute for the Caldo de Tomate tomato bouillon is beef broth. The rich flavors work well with other dishes such as stew, lasagna, and similar. While not all beef stock will contain tomatoes and won’t share the same flavors, it still makes an ideal alternative to create delicious food.
4. Chicken Stock with added Tomato Puree
You can buy regular chicken stock cubes or bouillon from the store as the base for a Caldo de Tomate bouillon. Just make sure you have some tomato puree on hand for when you do.
Some Caldo de Tomate products contain MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), which is known to cause headaches and migraines in some people. So this option can be an ideal alternative for anyone trying to avoid that pain. If that’s you, then it should go without saying, but always check the labels on regular chicken stock to ensure that it doesn’t contain MSG as well.
Add a single teaspoon of tomato puree to your stock at a time, making sure to taste test until you reach the desired flavor. Don’t add too much puree at once; otherwise, you risk ruining the taste making it too bitter or sweet.