Vegemite

I often get asked questions whenever I give cooking demonstrations and private lessons. And sometimes I even get emails with questions. A recent one from a former student had me stumped.

Q. When you make soup, do you ever use a replacement for beef boullion? I'm looking for something that is low sodium. A friend of mine suggested Vegemite, ya know, that stuff Men at Work sang about in the 80s.

A. I used to use Rapunzel brand vegan bouillon until I learned that one of the ingredients common in bouillon, "yeast extract," can actually be a form of MSG (monosodium glutamate). While it's still vegan, I have a sensitivity to too much sodium and have found that MSG can give me headaches. As an alternative to boullon, I recently bought a 4 oz. container of Vegebase by Vogue Cuisine, which is certified vegan, organic and low sodium - it works fairly well in soups and stews for added flavor, but it tastes more like chicken broth than beef. While I'm hesitant to disparage an Australian treasure, I think Vegemite is also a yeast extract that may contain MSG.

I will pose the same question to all you Readers: Do you have a suggestion for a low-sodium beef bouillon that is vegan? How about any experiences with Vegemite? Post a comment, please!