Beef consommé is a widely known old-fashioned European dish that is produced from beef stock or beef broth. It has a delicate, distinct beef texture and flavor, and can be served as a side dish or main course. Fish, chicken, veal, duck, and other meats can all be used to produce consommé.
If you have run out of them, here are some alternatives to consider instantly
- Beef Stock
- Beef broth
- Vegetable broth
- Bone broth
- Bouillon cubes
- Bouillon Granules
- Wine Or Beer
Do not panic if you still cannot find any suitable alternatives from the list above. There is a more comprehensive list below.
15 Best Substitute For Beef Consomme
Beef consomme can also be used as a base for soups, stews, dipping sauces, as well as for cooking meats. The homemade alternative is usually a fantastic idea, but if you don’t feel like using it and need a substitute, you may want to see this list.
Beef Stock
One of the best beef consommé alternatives is beef stock. What’s good about it is that you can make your own or you can just buy it in a can or in the form of bouillon cubes.
The difference between beef consommé and beef stock is that consommés do not contain any fat. They are strained and clarified to obtain a rich and flavorful liquid. Beef stock, on the other hand, can have tiny bits of fat and meat.
You may replace beef consommé with a variety of wonderful beef stock recipes. Homemade beef stock takes roughly 2 hours of your time to boil the beef bones. But while some individuals prefer homemade beef stock, some resort to store-bought soups for convenience.
Beef Broth
Another good substitute for consomme is beef broth. Since both come from beef, you can expect to have the same taste, texture, consistency, and color.
Since beef broth is made from simmering beef meat, it takes faster to cook than beef stock, making it a perfect alternative for those who need consommé but is not available.
To make beef broth, all you need is just to simmer the beef meat for 30 minutes on a low fire and wait until the meat is tender and the broth becomes flavorful and aromatic.
While beef broth is a savory liquid made by simmering meats, seafood, and vegetables, beef consommé is a rich broth that has already been clarified to eliminate any impurities.
Although Beef broth differs from beef consommé in a few ways, many people still use broth and consommé for the same purposes.
Vegetable Broth
If you are a vegan or a vegetarian and don’t want to consume meat but need to have consommé on hand, vegetables may do the trick. Vegetable broth or stock is a very common ingredient that you can almost always find in every kitchen.
Simply add all of your favorite vegetables to the soup to give it additional flavor and a pleasant aroma, and you’re good to go.
More seasoning can always be added to provide a pleasant touch to your soup. For every cup of beef consommé, substitute a cup of veggie broth.
Bone Broth
Bone broth is commonly used in sauces and gravies, which makes it an excellent beef consommé substitute. The texture is obviously different, as bone broth is not as thick as beef consommé.
However, the taste is almost the same and it’s worth noting that, unlike other broths, bone broth does not thicken as it cools, so you get to savor every sip of it.
Bone broth can be used as the base for soups, gravies, and sauces. It’s packed with nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and collagen. While it may not have the same texture as beef consommé, it can nevertheless be used in its place.
Bouillon Cubes
You can also use packaged bouillon cubes to substitute beef consommé in your diet. Typically, bouillon cubes are made up of stock that has been cubed. If you buy them in grocery stores, they are packed with additives and preservatives, so they may not be the healthiest choice.
But if you are just after the flavor, you may use them as a substitute for beef consommé in most recipes that call for it. What’s more, they are a convenient option and they can last for months if stored properly.
One cup of beef consommé can be replaced with one bouillon cube. You’ll need to dissolve the cube in boiling water before using it in your recipe.
Bouillon Granules
If you don’t like the cubes, you can simply use bouillon granules instead. Both of these two options make a great substitute for beef consommé.
Beef, chicken, vegetable, and other varieties are available in bouillon granules. Granules have a meaty flavor, making it one of the quickest ways to replicate meat.
The most popular brands are Knorr and Maggi. However, they may not be the healthiest option to have. Interestingly, there is a healthier form of beef granules that is sodium-free and comes without salt just like HerbOx.
Wine Or Beer
Wine and beer are not only best served as beverages, but they can also be used to add delightful textures to your food. Not only that, but they can also influence the flavor of your dish.
In fact, these two drinks can serve as a decent substitute for beef consommé. Despite their slightly distinct consistency, they are commonly used in stews, sauces, and gravies.
To replace beef consommé in your recipe, use half a cup of wine or beer with half a cup of water. Since the alcohol needs to break down thoroughly, you must cook it properly.
Mushroom Consomme
Aside from vegetable broth, mushroom consommé is one of the best non-meat substitutes in place of beef consommé. Even though mushrooms are not meat, they have a particular umami flavor that enhances the flavor of a dish.
Mushroom has a great savory and nutty flavor when cooked into a broth. It’s delicious hot or cold, and it’s versatile enough to be used everywhere. The best mushroom consommé is a combination of white mushrooms and porcini.
A plant-based beef consommé, such as mushroom consommé, is a terrific choice if you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t eat meat. It has the same mouth-watering umami flavor as beef. It will offer you the same delicious umami flavor as beef.
Soy Sauce Or Worcestershire Sauce
Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or even steak sauce are all excellent substitutes that you can use for beef consommé. Each sauce has a rich, distinct flavor that provides a savory taste to every dish.
For every cup of consommé, it is recommended that you add 1 cup of soy sauce to your cuisine to enrich the flavor. You can even add water and stir the mixture to achieve the desired texture.
The soy sauce significantly replicates the flavor of beef consommé in a way. To improve the flavor, you can add some herbs and spices such as peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, and parsley
Browning Sauce
The browning sauce can also be used as a beef consommé substitute. It’s basically a spice and caramel color mix with a high vegetable content.
Browning sauce can be used to add depth of flavor and texture to meat-based dishes, as well as gravies and soups. It creates a rich texture that enhances the flavor of your foods.
It thickens and makes your stews, meats, and soups savory.
Demi Glace
Demi Glace is a highly concentrated brown sauce originally from France that is reduced until it produces a thick, meaty glaze. It is not just your ordinary gravy or au-jus but it is made from brown stock and brown sauce (Espagnole sauce).
The most traditional type of demi-glace is the veal demi-glace, but you can also use vegan, chicken, and beef demi-glace in place of consommé.
Demi-glace is best used in soups, stews, and meat dishes. To make it, you will need a lot of time and patience since there are a lot of steps involved.
This involves a lot of cooking, reducing, and straining, which are not at all difficult, but time-consuming. What’s good about this method is that you won’t need to do everything at once, but you can do them part by part. For instance, you can simmer the stock now, and then preserve it later for reduction and straining.
Au Jus
The Au Jus is another good option to substitute for beef consommé. The base of au jus sauce is beef broth, soy, onions, garlic, and other complementary spices added as needed. It is typically used in a variety of recipes, including soups, dips, sauces, meat dishes, and many more.
The texture of Au Jus is rich. It has a thin consistency, but it’s worth emphasizing that, unlike beef consommé, Au Jus is not the main course but merely the juices of the beef. This juice can be used to make meat dishes moist and soft, and it also creates a wonderful dip when paired with roasted chicken or prime rib roast.
Fish Stock
Fish stock may not have the same beefy taste as beef consommé but it can add a savory flavor to the dish you are trying to make.
This is perfect for vegans and vegetarians who don’t like to eat beef or chicken; and also for those who only have fish available in their pantry.
Fish stock is clear but tasty, which is just perfect to use as a base for your soup. It is important that you prepare your fish stock properly to avoid any fishy taste and funky aroma.
Keep in mind that real fish broth should not have a fishy flavor. When done right, the fish broth will only have light notes of fish flavor and should go well with the flavors of veggies, herbs, spices, and wine.
The taste of fish stock varies based on the recipe, but it will have a light salty fish flavor.
Homemade Beef Consomme
If you don’t have beef consommé on hand, there is no other way to have it but to cook your own or buy something similar in the grocery store. However, the best option, of course, is to learn how to prepare it.
Consommé starts with a stock or bone broth with collagen-rich connective tissues and bones that results in a silky-smooth consommé that turns into a gel when cold. The stock or broth is made using ground meat, vegetables, aromatics, and most significantly, egg whites.
Allow the stock to boil for about an hour, or until it has been clarified. After that, filter the clarified liquid using a cheesecloth. There you have it, this is how beef consommé is made from beef stock or broth.