Tomatoes are so ubiquitous in cooking that learning how to avoid or replace them, whether due to an allergy or general aversion, can feel like a daunting task. (Anyone on a low-FODMAP diet who can’t have onions or garlic can probably relate.)
I agree with my colleague and chat co-host Aaron Hutcherson, who said “there isn’t really a great one-size-fits-all substitute for tomatoes.” That’s often the case with substitutions, so my advice remains the same as any other time I’m asked about ingredient swaps: Think about the context. What purpose is the tomato serving, and in what form? Raw, cooked, chopped, pureed? What flavors is it imparting? Sweet? Tart? How much is included? Is it a nice-to-have, or does the recipe ride so much on it that the dish will not work without it? (In other words, say no to Classic Southern Tomato Sandwiches without the tomatoes.)
If you’ve thought your recipe through and still think you’d like to substitute for the tomatoes, here are some possibilities:
- Tomatillos. If you can’t eat nightshades, tomatillos are a no-go. But if you’re just not a fan of tomatoes, try their tart, firm relatives. Use raw as a salad or taco garnish, or try turning them into a fresh or cooked salsa. (Similar to tomatoes, tomatillos are available both raw and canned.)
- Red peppers. Like tomatoes, bell peppers (another nightshade) walk the line between sweet and tart, and further cooking coaxes additional sweetness. When diced, fresh peppers make a nice addition to salads. In situations where tomatoes might be cooked longer or pureed, consider roasted red peppers, which you can buy jarred or make at home.
- Onions. Should a recipe call for sauteed tomatoes, consider onion in its place.
- Peaches. This fellow sweet, tart and juicy summer fruit would work well in salads or other raw preparations. Somewhere recently a reader suggested a burrata and peach salad as a riff on Caprese, and that’s a brilliant suggestion.
- Butternut squash. I really liked this idea from a chat reader, who suggested pureeing the winter squash as an alternative to tomatoes in something like lasagna.
- Apples. “A restaurant where I once dined apologized for having run out of fresh tomatoes to put in their green salad. They asked if I’d be willing to accept sliced apples as a substitute in the salad instead — and guess what? They were delicious, albeit in a different way from tomatoes,” another chat reader said.
And if none of these appeal to you or will work with the dish, find a different recipe. Sometimes that’s the wiser course of action, and that’s okay.
Do you have a favorite tomato substitute? Share in the comments below.
