Definition

Noun: A small, solid cube made from dehydrated meat stock, vegetables, and seasonings, designed to be dissolved in hot water to make a quick broth or bouillon.

Usage

A bouillon cube is a convenient, shelf-stable ingredient used to add flavor to soups, stews, sauces, and grains. It is typically dissolved by stirring it into a specified amount of hot or boiling liquid.

Examples

• For a simple soup, just add one bouillon cube to two cups of boiling water.
• The recipe called for chicken broth, so she dissolved a chicken bouillon cube in warm water as a substitute.
• He seasoned the rice by cooking it with a vegetable bouillon cube.

Advanced Usage

• As a flavor enhancer: Crumbled directly into dry rubs for meat or into doughs and batters to add a savory, umami depth without additional liquid.
  • Example: She crumbled half a beef bouillon cube into the meatloaf mixture for extra richness.

Variants and Related Words

• Stock cube: A synonym commonly used in British English.
• Bouillon powder or granules: The same dehydrated seasoning in a loose, granular form instead of a pressed cube.
• Broth: The liquid soup or stock produced by dissolving the cube.

Synonyms

• Stock cube
• Broth cube
• Seasoning cube

Notes on Meaning

The term specifically refers to the dehydrated, compressed cube form. While "bouillon" alone can refer to the clear seasoned broth, "bouillon cube" always denotes the solid, concentrated product.

Noun

1. a cube of evaporated seasoned meat extract