For years I thought “broth was broth.” Whatever was on sale was what went into my shopping cart. But when ingredient reading entered my world, many of those well-known and generic brands went from my cart, back to the shelf. Most contain additives, MSG, unsavory ingredients, or even, believe it or not, dairy. So several years ago I switched to the aseptic packages of all-natural and organic broths. Enter Pacific Foods Broth. They are made with pure, simple, dairy-free ingredients, just like homemade!
Tasting Notes for Pacific Foods Broths
The brands I have purchased over the years include Pacific Foods, Imagine Foods, and Trader Joe’s – each of which is surprisingly unique in taste and quality. After just a few boxes, I stopped buying the Trader Joe’s brand. We had no luck and flat out hated their chicken and beef broths. Down to the other two brands, I find myself becoming even more finicky, finding nuances of each that I like better than the other.
One thing that I really like about this brand is that many of their broths come in quart and small single-serve packages. I like the little packages for most recipes – they help to avoid waste.
Organic Vegetable Broth
I definitely like the Pacific Brand vegetable broth, but like Imagine’s, it is very veggie. Both have a tomato / carrot base that will add an orange hue to your meal (Pacific’s to a lesser degree) and this natural flavor should be taken into account when using. I don’t feel that this vegetable broth can easily be swapped in for chicken broth without expecting a different flavor (and image) outcome, but quite frankly, sometimes the result is better. As a veggie fan (and carrots in particular), I like the naturally sweet and salty flavor.
Ingredients: water, carrots*, celery*, onions*, leeks*, tomato puree tomatoes*, sea salt, citric acid*, sea salt, mushrooms*, garlic*, spices*. *organic
Nutrition (per 1 cup): 15 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g sugars, 1g protein.*
Organic Mushroom Broth
I love this broth. It is so unique, yet so flavorful. Though it obviously has a different flavor, I find the mushroom broth is a wonderful replacement for beef broth when you want a vegan or vegetarian meal. It adds a delicious depth in flavor when used in recipes. Whenever I can find it (my local stores don’t stock it regularly, and it doesn’t go on sale as often) I use it to make a baked mushroom barley dish or mushroom & sage stuffed bell peppers. Both recipes are in Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.
Nutrition (per 1 cup): 5 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g sugars, 1g protein.*
Organic Chicken Broth
Pacific is okay, better than Trader Joe’s in flavor, but we do prefer the taste and ingredients in Imagine’s Organic Chicken Broth. When Pacific’s is on sale for a good price, I pick up a package or two for general use, but I find it isn’t as strong when used as the star of the show (ie chicken soup). Also, I wish they wouldn’t add sugar (organic evaporated cane juice). It is slightly noticeable to my family’s taste buds – and we like a purely savory broth. Nonetheless, it does the job, and is enjoyed in dishes like my Creamy Green Garlic Soup.
Nutrition (per 1 cup): 10 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g sugars, 1g protein.*
Organic Beef Broth
My husband would love it if I used beef broth more often – he even prefers it for chicken soup. But for some reason, our local stores rarely carry the beef broth. The Trader Joe’s brand is absolutely horrid (in our opinion), but Pacific Foods Beef Broth holds merit. It has a good overall flavor and richness, but I do prefer Imagine brand just a bit for taste and ingredients. Pacific brand has that touch of sweetness and a bit less sodium than Imagine (what can I say, we like salt). But really, whichever one I can find on the shelves will do, since I seldom run across them. This beef broth makes a good French onion soup – even without the cheese! Keep in mind though that this brand contains autolyzed yeast extract – which may be a concern for some people who like to avoid MSG and similar ingredients.
Nutrition (per 1 cup): 15 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars, 3g protein.*
More Pacfic Foods Broth Options
In addition to the ones listed above, Pacific Foods Broth comes in the following varieties, all dairy-free and gluten-free.
- Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- Free Range Chicken Broth
- Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- Organic Low Sodium Beef Broth
- Beef Broth
- Organic Turkey Broth
- Organic Poultry Broth
- Organic Chicken Bone Broth With Sea Salt
- Organic Unsalted Chicken Bone Broth
- Organic Turkey Bone Broth
- Organic Beef Bone Broth
- Organic Chicken Bone Broth With Ginger
- Organic Chicken Bone Broth With Lemongrass
- Organic Chicken Bone Broth With Chamomile And Lavender
- Organic Chicken Bone Broth With Turmeric, Ginger & Black Pepper
- Organic Turkey Bone Broth With Rosemary, Sage And Thyme
The Facts on Pacific Foods Broths
Certifications: Most types of Pacific Foods Broth are Certified Organic. Some varieties are Certified Kosher Parve.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Pacific Foods Broths are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and paleo-friendly. Some varieties are vegan and vegetarian.*
For More Product Information: Visit the Pacific Foods website at pacificfoods.com.
*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy.
They wouldn't reveal their ingredients without my Doctor contacting them!
I had been a dedicated Pacific Foods Broth and soup consumer for literally a decade or more. I recently discovered some food allergies and my Doctor told me to just contact companies whenever I read the word “spices” on the ingredient list, just to make sure none of the things I am allergic to is contained. I did call a number of wonderful companies and they responded politely and were happy to provide the information I requested. Then I contacted Pacific Foods, and their response was that I would have to have my Doctor contact them and they would only provide the information to my doctor, and not to me! I contacted them again, and stated that I didn’t need to know any proprietary information or even to know what was the specific ingredient that was contained in their broth, just if there was one on my list, and I even provided them with the complete list of things I was supposed to avoid. They flatly and rudely refused, quoting their “policy” that my Doctor needed to contact them. What B.S.! I have since learned that Campbell’s Foods owns them, which only raised more red flags for me. I have stopped buying all of their products. I now buy Kettle & Fire when I don’t have the time to make my own.
1 Comment
Our family has an allergy to soy. We’ve found better than bouillon organic chicken base lower sodium is a great alternative to other bouillons out there. We too like more sodium however we don’t notice the lack of sodium because of the intense chicken flavor.