Most people don't make their stock from scratch these days - turning to stock cubes and stock pots in their cooking. Not all stock cubes and pots are vegan friendly.
The main problem is that many products contain "Disodium 5′-ribonucleotides” or E635 (same thing – which can be from plants or animal derived, so its status as vegan friendly is uncertain).
According to Vegan Store Cupboard, the following products are vegan friendly:
Kallo Organic Vegetable Stock Cubes, Kallo Yeast Free Stock Cubes, Kallo Low Salt Stock Cubes.
Marigold Organic Yeast Free Vegetable Bouillon Cubes
Sainsbury's Basics Vegetable Stock Cubes.
Sainsbury's Vegetable Stock Cubes contain no animal products but risk of cross-contamination in the preparation process.
Those which are not vegan include: OXO Vegetable Stock Cubes, Tesco Vegetable Stock Cubes, Tesco Everyday Value Vegetable Stock Cubes, Morrisons Vegetable Stock Cubes.
The status of the following is uncertain as Vegan Store Cupboard is awaiting confirmation - Knorr Vegetable Stock Cubes, ASDA Chosen by You Vegetable Stock Cubes.
Always check the label to be sure.
If you would like to make a vegan stock from scratch, here's how you do it:
- Finely chop up 3 sticks of celery, 3-4 medium carrots, 2 peeled onions and fry these up in a little oil.
- Add a chopped clove of garlic with some chopped parsley, along with 100ml white wine and 3 pints/1.75 litres of water.
- Cook for about 20 minutes, and then strain, to leave some plant-based vegan stock!