Vegan substitutions

Both are glutamate-dense ferments, so together they deliver the salty savoury lift anchovy provides, in a paste of similar consistency.

Trade-offEarthier and without the marine note. In a Caesar dressing it makes something good but distinctly not Caesar.

Allergen checkThis is the vegetarian and vegan route, but it introduces soy, and barley miso plus standard soy sauce both contain gluten. Use rice miso and tamari for a gluten-free version.

Mushrooms bring glutamates and soy sauce brings both more glutamate and the dark colour, which together reproduce a surprising amount of what makes beef stock taste like beef stock.

MethodAdd the soy sauce at the end and taste - it is salty enough that a heavy hand ruins the balance.

Trade-offLighter in body and without the roasted-bone note, but genuinely savoury. The best plant-based option here.

Allergen checkOrdinary soy sauce contains wheat as well as soy. Tamari is the gluten-free version and coconut aminos avoid soy entirely; check the bottle rather than assuming, particularly for a coeliac.

Miso is fermented soy dense in free glutamates, so it delivers salt and savour together in much the way a cube does, without the processed edge.

MethodDissolve it in a little warm liquid first and add it late, off a hard boil, to keep its flavour.

Trade-offDistinctly fermented and slightly sweet, and it clouds a clear broth. It reads as Japanese even in small amounts.

Allergen checkMiso contains soy, and most types are made with a barley or wheat koji, so it is not reliably gluten-free. Rice-koji miso is the gluten-free option - confirm on the label rather than assuming.

Nutritional yeast is rich in glutamates and nucleotides, the same compounds that make a stock cube taste savoury, and the salt supplies the rest of what a cube contributes.

Trade-offCheesier and slightly nutty in flavour, and it leaves a faint cloudiness in the liquid.

Allergen checkNutritional yeast is usually grown on beet or cane molasses and is generally gluten-free, but some brands are grown on a barley-derived medium. Look for an explicit gluten-free claim if you are cooking for a coeliac.

Apple juice matches bourbon's sweetness and body, the vanilla stands in for the oak ageing, and a little vinegar restores the sharpness that stops a glaze tasting flabby.

MethodReduce the apple juice by about a third first if you want the sauce to have body, then add the vanilla and vinegar off the heat.

Trade-offSweeter and without any spirit warmth. Perfectly good in a barbecue sauce, weak in a bourbon-forward dessert.

Allergen checkStandard vanilla extract is roughly 35 percent alcohol, which defeats the purpose of this swap. Use a flavouring or paste specifically labelled alcohol-free.

Oats absorb a great deal more liquid than bread does, so you need less of them to bind the same mixture without it going dry.

Trade-offChewier and denser in a meatball, and they will not crisp, so this is a binder and not a coating.

Allergen checkOats are naturally free of gluten but are routinely contaminated with wheat during growing and milling, so only certified gluten-free oats are safe for coeliac disease. This is a real distinction, not a labelling technicality.

Cornflakes are already dry and rigid, so they crush into shards that brown hard and stay crisp - and they are corn rather than wheat.

MethodCrush coarsely and press the coating on firmly. Because they are already toasted, they colour early - drop the oven temperature by about 25°F/15°C.

Trade-offSweeter and considerably crunchier, with a shattering rather than sandy crust. Poor as a binder inside a mixture.

Allergen checkCornflakes are corn-based but most mainstream brands contain barley malt, which means gluten. Gluten-free cornflakes exist and are labelled as such - check the box specifically if the swap is being made for coeliac disease.

Soy milk curdles most convincingly of the plant milks because it has enough protein to actually coagulate; the acid does the same pH job it does in dairy.

MethodRest 5-10 minutes as with dairy milk. Use an unsweetened, unflavoured variety.

Trade-offAlmond and rice milk are too thin to curdle properly and give a weaker result than soy or oat.

Allergen checkSoy milk introduces soy and many oat milks are not certified gluten-free. Check the carton, and for a severe allergy confirm the specific product with the manufacturer rather than trusting a category rule.

It performs the same job as a seasoned savoury liquid, though its flavour comes from browned or simmered vegetables rather than from meat and collagen.

Trade-offNo gelatin, so sauces made with it have noticeably less body and will not set or cling in the same way. Many vegetable broths are also sweeter, from carrot and onion.

Allergen checkCommercial vegetable broths frequently contain celery, and often soy or wheat in the flavourings. Celery is a declarable allergen in the UK and EU - read the carton rather than assuming a vegetable base is neutral.

Dried mushrooms are dense in glutamates and nucleotides, the same savoury compounds that make meat stock taste of something, so the depth is comparable even though the source is not.

MethodSteep the dried mushrooms in just-boiled water for 20 minutes, then strain carefully to leave the grit behind.

Trade-offDarker in colour and unmistakably mushroomy, which reads as depth in a stew and as wrong in a delicate chicken soup.