Are you a great lover of tomatoes, the delicious and versatile fruit? You’re not alone. Tomatoes are delicious both fresh and cooked and they can be used in a huge range of cuisines, ranging from Indian to Italian.
Tomatoes are eaten all over the world, so it can be difficult to imagine that there is a suitable substitute for tomatoes out there.
In this article, we have compiled a list of all of the best possible substitutes for tomatoes. Whether you’re allergic to tomatoes, or just don’t have any to hand, let’s take a look at some substitutes you could opt for. Let’s dive in!
What Are Tomatoes?
Many different cultures use tomatoes in all of their main dishes. Tomatoes are the number one fruit, and more than 180 million tons are produced across the world.
Tomatoes are often considered to be vegetables, but they are technically a fruit.
Top 6 Substitutes For Tomatoes
If you can’t find any tomatoes for your dish, then you should opt for one of the following substitutes:
1. Canned Tomatoes
The best alternative to fresh tomatoes is canned tomatoes. You are likely to already have some tinned tomatoes in your kitchen, and now is the perfect time to use them!
According to research, canned tomatoes are just as commonly used as fresh tomatoes. While canned tomatoes can’t be used to replace tomatoes in salads and sandwiches, they can be used in any dish that needs to be cooked.
These tomatoes are full of flavor and work very well in pizzas, pasta, sauces, and soups.
You can purchase canned tomatoes in lots of different forms, including whole or chopped. You should choose whichever one suits the dish you are making the best.
2. Sweet Peppers
Sweet peppers are a great alternative to fresh tomatoes. They are very sweet, and they also have a similar color to tomatoes. This will mean that your salad won’t look any different fro, when you had the same salad last time.
Red bell peppers are a great alternative to fresh tomatoes, as they have the same fresh feel about them. Place some bell peppers in your salads in place of the tomatoes! Bell peppers are also delicious when added to sandwiches and burgers.
There are a few differences between the two, though. Peppers do not have a high water content in the same way that tomatoes do.
You should bear this in mind when you are replacing your tomatoes with bell peppers, as you may find that your dish is much drier. You should make any necessary adjustments caused by this.
3. Pumpkin
In lots of ways, pumpkins can be used as a substitute for tomatoes. If you have fun out of tomatoes, and you happen to have a pumpkin in the house, you can save yourself a trip to the grocery store by using this instead!
Pumpkins have lots of the great health benefits that tomatoes have. They are very high in vitamin A, as well as lots of other nutrients.
If you are following a diet, pumpkins are very low in calories, and they are great at boosting your immune system!
Pumpkins have a very similar texture to tomatoes, so they work very well as a substitute for things like curries.
You can also use pumpkins in place of pureed tomatoes. Using pureed pumpkins will work to thicken the dish in the same way as pureed tomatoes do.
4. Yogurt
It might come as a surprise to you to see yogurt on the list of tomato substitutes, but bear with us! Tomatoes are often used to thicken food, and yogurt can fulfill this purpose.
For instance, when tomatoes are used in curries, they thicken the mixture, which is the same role that yogurt will be taking on.
Adding yogurt to your recipe can be very calorific. If it is, opt for homemade yogurt as this is the most healthy option.
Yogurt can also be used in thick stews to replace tomatoes. When you use yogurt in cooking, it is best to add it to the dish toward the end of the cooking process.
5. Mango
Mango is another great substitute for tomatoes. This may sound confusing because ripe mangoes are much sweeter than tomatoes.
However, unripe mangos do not have anywhere near the same amount of sweetness. They have a slightly sour taste, making them very similar to tomatoes.
Mangoes also have a very thick texture which is very useful when you are attempting to thicken things like stews and curries. For this reason, they make a very good substitute for tomatoes.
You can also add fresh mango into salads in place of tomatoes. While this is delicious, it does change the way that the salad is enjoyed. Always consider your salad dressing very carefully!
6. Tamarind Paste
Tamarind paste is a great replacement for tomatoes. It is made from the fruit that is grown on a tamarind tree, and it can be used in both sweet and savory plates.
The paste has a very sour taste, making it a great alternative to tomatoes.
As tamarind paste is both sweet and sour, it is great at replicating the tanginess of tomatoes.
When it comes to getting the right flavor, trial, and error will work as well as anything else. There is no set rule to say how much tamarind paste you should use per tomato, so this will have to come down to personal preference.
You can purchase tamarind paste at the grocery store, so you can easily get your hands on some.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! There are lots of different great substitutes for tomatoes. Depending on how you enjoy them, there is a great substitute out there for you!
If you enjoy eating tomatoes in a fresh salad, then you should opt for putting some bell peppers in your salad bowl.
However, if you are hoping to put your tomato replacement in a dish to be cooked, you should opt for one of the other options.
We hope this guide to the top 6 substitutes for tomatoes was very useful for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Choose Tomato Substitutes?
Choosing a tomato substitute will depend entirely on the type of dish that you are hoping to prepare. Whatever your reason for replacing tomatoes, you will always find something just as wonderful elsewhere!
You should first consider another tomato-based product if you have one on hand.
This will mean that you maintain the flavors in the dish that were intended to be there. If you don’t have any of these in your home, you will need to turn to some of the other options on the list above.
What Is Good For A Fresh Tomato Substitute?
If you are looking to replace tomatoes in fresh dishes such as salads, you will want to substitute your tomatoes with fresh pepper. They are very sweet and go very well in salads.
They have a very similar size and texture to tomatoes, making them perfect for adding in where tomatoes are missing.
Are Tomatoes Good For You?
Tomatoes are very good for you in lots of ways. They contain very high levels of potassium in every 80-gram serving.
They also contain a chemical compound that reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Tomatoes are also very good for you because they will support healthy skin. They contain carotenoids which help prevent UV damage in certain humans. This means that if you eat lots of tomatoes, you may be more protected from sun damage!
Hi, I’m Aubrey, and I have been a chef for close to 8 years. Cooking has always been a passion of mine, as long as I can remember. I loved my play kitchen when I was a kid, and would offer my parents my own (albeit gross) cookie recipes to taste!
Here at ButterandSaltGatherings, I want to offer a wide range of ingredients, flavors, meals and recipes so that you can start living each day to the fullest, and enjoy only the best food.
