This free broth substitute calculator helps you work out broth substitutes from the millilitres your recipe asks for, and see stock cubes, stock paste, and seasoned water amounts side by side. Broth adds savoury depth and salt, so a good substitute must give body and flavour, not just hot water with a pinch of salt. It runs fully in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to a server. You need no account and no sign-up to use it.
Broth is the quiet base of many dishes. It carries flavour into rice, sauces, and braised meat, and it makes a simple vegetable soup taste full and round. Water alone leaves a dish thin and flat, while a well chosen substitute keeps the depth, even when you have no carton or pot of stock at home.
To use the tool, type the amount your recipe asks for, choose how you will use it, and press the calculate button. You can change any number and calculate again as often as you like. The result updates at once, so you can compare the substitutes side by side and pick the one that fits the dish in front of you, without guessing or redoing the maths by hand.
For example, take a soup that asks for 500 millilitres of broth. The tool shows 2 stock cubes dissolved in hot water, or 2 teaspoons of stock paste, or 500 millilitres of water with half a teaspoon of salt plus herbs. For a sauce, the baking setting lowers the amount a little, so the sauce does not turn too salty as it reduces.
In winter, soups and stews use broth almost every week, so stock cubes are worth keeping in the cupboard. In summer, lighter dishes need less broth, and seasoned water with fresh herbs can be enough for a quick sauce. Keep paste in the fridge for summer cooking, when a full pot of stock feels like too much work.
Tip: Dissolve cubes and paste fully in hot water before you add them to the dish. Undissolved bits leave salty spots, while a smooth stock spreads flavour evenly.
Tip: Taste before you add extra salt. Stock cubes and paste already contain salt, so season the finished dish at the end, not at the start.
Tip: Add fresh herbs to seasoned water for a brighter stock. Parsley, thyme, or a bay leaf can lift plain water far closer to real broth.
The most common mistake is using the same number of cubes for a sauce as for a soup. A sauce reduces as it cooks, so the salt concentrates and the dish turns far too salty. Use a little less stock for sauces, add water if needed, and taste often while the sauce thickens.
Common question: Can I mix cubes and paste? Yes, if you run short of one type. Just keep the total strength the same, and do not double the amount by using a full dose of each.
Common question: Is seasoned water good enough for rice? For plain rice, yes, with salt and a little butter or oil. For a risotto, stock paste gives a much richer result.
Common question: How do I store leftover stock? Cool it fast, keep it in the fridge for up to three days, or freeze it in small tubs for later soups and sauces.
Soup makers, rice cooks, and anyone who braises meat or makes sauces at home use a broth substitute check. It also helps students and small households, where a carton of broth often goes off before it is used up, and hosts cooking a big pot for guests.
Keep a note of the substitutes that worked in your own kitchen. After a few recipes you will know which swap suits dressings, which suits baking, and which suits a hot pan. That record is worth more than any general rule, because it comes from your own taste, your own stove, and the ingredients you actually buy each week.
Before you start cooking, read your substitute plan once as if you were making the dish right now. Do you have the substitute, the measuring spoons, and the dish type clear? If anything looks unclear, fix that line before you heat the pan. A plan that needs no guesswork works far better than a bigger plan that confuses you.
This tool is free to use as often as you like. Bookmark it and come back whenever a recipe asks for an ingredient you do not have. A clear substitute plan saves a shopping trip, saves a spoiled dish, and lets you keep cooking with what is already in your cupboard.
Remember that every result here is a home cooking estimate, not professional nutrition or medical advice. Brands, ripeness, and strength vary, so taste the dish and adjust the seasoning at the end. Use the tool as a starting point, and trust your own taste for the final balance.