What is Vegeta?
Vegeta is a European vegetable based seasoning that’s used to add flavour into soups, sauces and stews, or to make liquid stock/broth by adding water. Think of it as salt – but with flavour! Nowadays, its widely available one very day grocery stores. It’s known by a few different names:
vegetable stock powderall purpose or gourmet seasoninggranulated bouillon.
Whatever the various labels on the cans and jars, the one thing that remains consistent is the distinct blue label! There are other vegetable stock powder brands but Vegeta is my favourite – for flavour, and also because you get little green “bits” in soup – it just looks right!
How do you use it?
Think of it as salt – but with flavour! Except unlike salt, it needs to be cooked in some form, as opposed to sprinkled raw onto things like you can with table salt. I use it as follows:
To add flavour into soup broths, stews and sauces – such as the soup broth for a homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and creamy sauce for Chicken Pot Pie (pictured below);Sprinkle onto vegetables or proteins then roasted; andto make liquid vegetable stock / broth, simply by adding water (per the can directions). It’s also an excellent substitute for most recipes that call for chicken stock/broth (but use it as a fall back, as it doesn’t have the same flavour as chicken stock).
I typically use it to give sauces and broths a flavour boost when it’s a vegetarian or chicken dish. I typically don’t use it for beef, pork, seafood or lamb dishes which I think typically suit stronger or more delicate flavour profiles.
Where to buy it
Sold in the herb and spice section of everyday grocery stores, no more expensive than other stock powders and granulated bouillons!
MSG Misconceptions
Vegeta contains MSG which is a food additive, and in years gone by, there has been a misconception that MSG is “bad for you”. However, studies by government authorities, including the Food Standards of Australia and New Zealand, have scientifically proven this to be misconceptions. MSG is one of the most extensively researched food additives and studies show that MSG does not contain anything that is specifically harmful to you. However, there are people who are sensitive to it. But it’s no different to people with allergies to other foods, such as peanuts. Here is some more information on this topic from the Food Authority of NSW, Australia, and here is the study from the Food Standards of Australia and New Zealand.
Recipes using Vegeta
Some of my signature recipes loved by many readers around the world specifically calls for Vegeta. Here are few examples: And now, let’s cook on – with Vegeta! – Nagi x
