Substitutions / bouillon cube
What to use instead of bouillon cube
Use chicken stock at 1 cup / cube. Adds liquid to your recipe, so reduce other liquids accordingly.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken stock | 1 cup / cube | Adds liquid to your recipe, so reduce other liquids accordingly. |
| Miso paste | 1 tsp / cube | Delivers similar savory depth but adds a subtle fermented note. |
| Soy sauce | 1 tbsp / cube | Salty and umami-rich but lacks the rounded, meaty flavor of bouillon. |
How much is a cup of bouillon cube?
Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh bouillon cube in grams →
A word on how to read these
A substitution is a trade, not an equivalence. The ratio gets the quantity right; the third column is the part worth reading, because it tells you what you are giving up. In a stew, most of these are invisible. In a cake — where flour, liquid, fat and leavening are in a fixed relationship — the same swap can change the crumb.
Why baking notices and stew doesn't →
Where these came from
These substitutions were written by Gather's own kitchen model — the same one the app uses when you tap an ingredient and ask what else would work — then checked and saved as a fixed list in July 2026. Nothing on this page is generated while you read it. They are a good starting point and not a substitute for tasting as you go.