How to Replace Tomatoes in Your Favorite Dishes (2024)

FAQs

How to Replace Tomatoes in Your Favorite Dishes? ›

Tomato-free swap: Roasted red peppers, refreshing cucumber slices, roasted beets, and figs are just a few options to replace that slightly sweet, juicy tomato. You might find that you prefer your gourmet tomato substitute!

Tomato-free swap: Roasted red peppers, refreshing cucumber slices, roasted beets, and figs are just a few options to replace that slightly sweet, juicy tomato. You might find that you prefer your gourmet tomato substitute!

The bolognese in Italian lasagna doesn't use much tomato, it's mainly a meat sauce. You could leave the tomato out completely, but you could also substitute (roasted?) bell/chili peppers, aubergine, pumpkin or any vegetable that you can puree.

Red bell peppers are such a good substitute for tomatoes. While no fruit or vegetable has the same flavor as tomatoes, bell peppers are a vegetable similar to tomato in their sweetness and can work so well as the base of a sauce or stew.

A little bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to reduce the sourness or. add a little sugar to balance the acid in the tomato. Add a little lemon juice, vinegar or hot sauce and just go with a sour stew.

Mix 4 tablespoons of tomato paste with 1 1/2 cups of water , 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. It will be watery when “raw” but once added into a dish like Bolognese, it thickens as it cooks (it only takes 3 minutes to thicken). This makes 400 grams (14 oz) which equates to 1 standard can of tomato.

If you're not a fan of raw tomato, consider making a switch to sliced radishes instead. (Or use both!) Radishes provide a bit more texture, as well as a solid source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, riboflavin and potassium. Plus, similar to tomatoes, all you need to do is wash and slice them!

Beets – If you're looking to add some sweetness to your salads or a substitute base for pasta sauces, beets can be a great substitute packed with Vitamin C that you would get from tomatoes. Carrots – Similar to beets, carrots can be a great substitute base especially in soups and are a great source of beta-carotene .

Basil pesto – A great starting point for experimentation with pizza sauce alternatives. The paste-like substance is typically made of crushed fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, coarse salt and hard cheese like parmesan. While basil is used most often, there's nothing to stop you from crushing a different herb.

If you don't have fire-roasted tomatoes on hand, definitely don't attempt to char your own. The truth is, regular canned tomatoes will work fine as a substitute. You can even add a pinch of smoked paprika to make up for it.

What fruit is closest to tomatoes? ›

There are quite many vegetables and fruits that look similar to each other. But, can you think of a fruit that looks similar to a tomato? Yes, there is one fruit and it is none other than persimmon.

Canned tomatoes can easily be replaced with passata, storebought pasta sauce or even tomato paste thinned with a little water.

If you just can't give up tomato's tangy, delicious goodness, consider adding shredded carrot or a little baking soda to neutralize the acid. Alternatives include pesto, or olive oil with parsley and oregano for an Italian flair without the burn.

To balance out tomato-ness, you either need something bland like dal, something with body and sweetness like onion (I also usually add a little palm jaggery or coconut sugar to wet curries and other sauces that have tomatoes), or some oily fatty creamy rich stuff (or all of them :D).

In case you are using tomato puree, a great way to reduce the sourness is to add ½ cup of vegetable broth or dissolve ½ bouillon cube during cooking. Vegetable broth is a very particular method which, in addition to counteracting sourness, will give flavor and aroma to your tomato sauce.

Yes, there are other ways to make your tomatoes taste even better and increase the acidity. There is lemon, vinegar, or my personal favorite, balsamic. Just imagine a tomato bruschetta with a balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top.

Canned tomatoes can easily be replaced with passata, storebought pasta sauce or even tomato paste thinned with a little water.

A tomato allergy can be confirmed with either a skin prick test or a blood test that detects immunoglobulin E (IgE). Avoidance is the best option, but tomato allergies can usually be treated successfully with antihistamines, and topical steroidal ointment can be useful when treating an allergic rash.

The best substitution for stewed tomatoes are canned crushed tomatoes, and vice versa. The texture is very similar, with stewed tomatoes being cooked. If you're substituting crushed tomatoes for stewed tomatoes, you may want to cook them briefly before proceeding with the recipe.