Vegetarian 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.

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.

Kombu is the source of dashi's glutamate; the bonito adds inosinate on top, which multiplies the perceived savour. Kombu alone gives you a cleaner, gentler version of the same stock and no fish at all.

MethodSteep the kombu in cold water for a few hours, or heat it slowly and pull it out just before the water boils. Boiling kombu makes the stock slimy and bitter.

Trade-offNoticeably less savoury and without the smoky note bonito gives. This is the vegan and vegetarian dashi, and adding a dried shiitake to the steep brings back much of the missing depth.

Allergen checkThis is the version to use for a fish allergy or a vegetarian table, since it contains no bonito. Check that the kombu was not packed on a line handling dried fish if the allergy is severe.

Dried shiitake are rich in guanylate, a savoury nucleotide that works on the palate much as bonito's inosinate does, so it restores the depth that a kombu-only stock lacks.

MethodSoak them in cold water for several hours or overnight, then strain and leave the last of the gritty liquid behind.

Trade-offDistinctly mushroomy and darker in colour, which shows in a pale clear soup.

Allergen checkAlong with kombu dashi, this is the version to reach for when the fish in bonito is the problem, since it contains none. Dried shiitake are sometimes packed alongside dried seafood, so check the bag if the fish allergy is severe - that is a medical matter, not a seasoning one.

Pomegranate carries genuine tannin along with dark fruit sweetness, which is why it stands in for red wine better than grape juice does, and the vinegar supplies the missing sharpness.

Trade-offSweeter and fruitier than wine, so reduce other sugar in the dish. The colour is a brighter, more purple red.