While a tomato sauce allergy is somewhat uncommon, finding the right substitute can present a unique challenge to the would-be chef. Many popular dishes call for tomato sauce in the recipe, such as pizza and even home-made chili.
If your goal is to substitute something for tomato sauce due to an allergy, then you’ll probably need to consider options that are completely tomato-free.
While there is no single best substitute for the tomatoes in tomato sauce, some of the best choices include barbecue sauce, pesto, salad dressing, carrot marinara, or an assorted vegetable puree (such as eggplant, zucchini, onion, or garlic). If you can avoid triggering an allergic reaction with other tomato based foods, then ketchup or diced tomatoes are another quick and easy substitute for tomato sauce.
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You might even be able to get away with substituting tomato chunks, tomato puree, or ketchup.
However, it is more likely that the allergy to tomato sauce actually stems from an allergy to its primary ingredient: tomatoes. In this case, you’ll also want to ask yourself if there are any other allergies to consider before choosing a substitute.
Should you Consider Other Nightshade Allergies?
Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family, which also includes eggplant, potatoes, and peppers.
Once you have determined that the allergy is to tomatoes, you may also want to ask yourself if any other nightshade vegetables may be ruled out as possible substitutes.
While allegations that nightshade vegetables cause inflammation are not well-founded in science, it is widely accepted that all nightshade vegetables contain solanine. Solanine may trigger a flare-up in symptoms of arthritis.
Symptoms of nightshade intolerance commonly include gas, bloating, nausea, itchy eyes, hives, skin rash, and/or excessive production of mucus.
If your allergic reaction is common to all nightshade vegetables, then you’ll know to avoid this entire family of foods when choosing a tomato sauce substitute.
Also ask yourself if allergic symptoms may be triggered by any of the following: barbecue sauce, pesto, salad dressing, eggplant, zucchini, onion, or garlic. In so doing you are refining your list of potential substitutes before moving on to the next important consideration: taste.
What is the Flavor of Tomato Sauce?
Now that you’ve given primary consideration to the avoidance of an allergic reaction, it’s time to think about how your choice of substitution will affect the taste of your recipe.
In all likelihood, it’s best to first consider substitutes that will create a similar cascade of flavors as tomato sauce would have created. Otherwise, your pizza may no longer be considered to be a pizza at all!
From a purely culinary perspective, what is the flavor of tomato sauce? To answer this question you should first evaluate the most common ingredients of tomato sauce and their respective flavors.
By examining the flavor of each part, you can determine the flavor of the whole.
Common Ingredients of Tomato Sauce:
Tomatoes (sweet, slightly sour)
Salt (salty)
Onions (pungent, sweet)
Garlic (pungent, sweet, spicy)
Olive Oil (neutral, sweet)
By far the most prolific ingredient in tomato sauce are the tomatoes themselves, which have a flavor that is both sweet and slightly sour. To a much lesser extent the spices and olive oil add a flavor that is pungent, spicy, and salty.
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To summarize its flavor, we can say that on the whole tomato sauce is most definitely sweet, but is also slightly spicy, pungent, and slightly salty.
While this is the most common form of tomato sauce, there are countless variations of the traditional recipe.
One such popular variation is vodka sauce. Vodka sauce has additional ingredients such as heavy cream and butter, which creates a flavor that is more rich and creamy.
Therefore while we can not predict exactly which ingredients will be in any given tomato sauce recipe, we can safely say that a good substitute for tomato sauce would be sweet, pungent, spicy, and perhaps creamy.
How Will a Tomato Sauce Substitute Affect the Taste of Your Recipe?
Now that you have carefully examined the flavor of tomato sauce, from a culinary perspective, you can choose an appropriate substitute that will not destroy the integrity of your recipe. After all, changing too drastically may make your recipe unrecognizable.
It’s important to choose a substitute that will be both palatable and delicious. Pesto and/or pureed vegetables make an excellent tomato sauce substitute for a traditional pizza recipe, but you may also want to consider something more extravagant such as barbecue sauce or ranch dressing.
In the end, it’s up to the chef to determine how far to deviate from the traditional taste and perception of the original recipe.
WHAT’S INSIDE: One 8 ounce can of Tomato Sauce, No Salt Added
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HIGH QUALITY, LOW PRICES: Amazon Fresh brand products are all about high-quality food that fits every budget, every day.
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Will Consistency of the Recipe be Changed by the Substitution?
Because tomato sauce is an essential building block in many recipes, a final consideration is how will the consistency of the recipe be changed by the substitution that you choose?
For instance, consider the case of a popular homemade chili recipe.
Substituting a Ranch-style salad dressing for tomato sauce would probably alter the consistency too dramatically, and may create a consistency that is too thin and/or runny. A better choice might be a puree of vegetables with a hint of barbecue sauce and carrot marinara.
On the other hand, pizza is more flexible and forgiving with regards to consideration of its consistency. Since the consistency of pizza largely depends on the crust, you may be able to get away with Ranch-style salad dressing on a pizza, without sacrificing the consistency of your recipe.
At first, it may seem like there are not a lot of great options for substituting tomato sauce due to an allergy. But as you have discovered by reading this article, there are infinite options to choose from.
If you carefully consider taste, consistency, and the underlying triggers for any allergic reactions you will surely create a winning recipe that’s both healthy and delicious.
