No, it may not sound thrilling, but I was genuinely delighted when I made an exceptionally tasty gluten-free stuffing for Thanksgiving—largely thanks to a very flavorful concentrated vegetable broth.
If you’ve tried my stuffing before or tasted it at one of my classes, you know I encourage people to customize stuffing to their tastes and to what they have on hand. I also suggest making a vegetarian version—prepared with vegetable broth and cooked outside the turkey—so anyone who avoids meat-flavored dishes can enjoy it. That small change keeps the dish accessible to all guests.
For those of us who eat gluten-free, making stuffing without gluten may seem like the biggest challenge (hint: it isn’t as hard as you might think). What’s disappointing is adding an ingredient that makes the dish off-limits for vegetarians. Many meat eaters insist that vegetable broth lacks the depth of chicken broth. For some commercial vegetable broths, I’d agree—that’s why I usually make my own. But this year I tried a concentrated vegetable broth that changed my mind.
I mixed 3 envelopes of Savory ChoiceTM (reduced sodium) Concentrated Vegetable Broth with 3 cups of hot water and combined it with 8 cups of homemade bread cubes, along with sautéed vegetables, nuts, and dried cranberries. The result was a deeply flavorful, satisfying stuffing that had even the meat lovers reaching for seconds and taking home doggie bags.
If you prefer chicken, turkey, or beef flavor, there are concentrated broths available in those varieties as well. The product I used is made without added MSG, is non-GMO, gluten-free and trans fat–free, and comes in reduced-sodium options. The packaging is compact—four or twelve pouches in a small box—so it’s convenient to store. I appreciate the concentrated format for saving space and for making it easy to customize the intensity of flavor in soups, gravies, or marinades.
In short, I’m excited to share this find and look forward to using it in soups, sauces, and other savory winter dishes. It gave my gluten-free stuffing the depth and richness I’d hoped for, while keeping the recipe vegetarian-friendly so more people at the table could enjoy it.
(PS — If you’d like another perspective on this product, my friend Kimberly Bouldin wrote a review on her blog Gluten-Free Is Life.)