Best Tomato Substitutes

Tomatoes are used in so many recipes, but there will be situations when you ran out or someone in your family has an allergy to them. In these cases, you’ll find this tomato substitute guide quite helpful.

Tomato is a common vegetable that is full of healthy nutrients. It’s a staple in several cuisines and used in many recipes, but sometimes, finding an alternative becomes a ‘must’. No matter how well you planned out your meals and prep for the week, it happens to all of us that the recipe we chose for Tuesday night doesn’t have all the ingredients needed at the grocery store. {You’re using a grocery list when you shop, right?}

Luckily, there are several options to try, and I’ll help you decide which of nine of the most popular choices to try given the recipe you are using.

🍅 What Are Tomatoes?

Tomatoes originally came from Mexico and the adjacent countries in Central and South America, but they found their way to Europe and the whole world in the 16^th century. 

Later on, they were passed on to grow in several temperate climates worldwide, and thanks to greenhouses, they grow in all seasons. 

Their flavor is slightly sweet, tangy, or savory. Some varieties are packed with more flavors, especially vine ripened varieties. 

When cut or crushed, the volatile oils evaporate and that intensifies the flavor. The taste can differ depending on the type of tomato and how ripe it is. 

They’re technically fruits, but most of us use them as vegetables, representing a major source of the umami flavor in countless recipes. They can be consumed raw, cooked, canned, crushed, in sauces, salads, and even in drinks – Thanks Bloody Mary! 

Tomatoes are very popular in Middle Eastern, Latin, and Mediterranean dishes, where they’re usually used to make sauces, stews, and chutneys. However, China consumes more than 28% of the world’s consumption.  

📌 Overview of Tomato Substitutes

Tomato Purée	Red Bell Peppers
Tamarind Paste	Carrots
Pumpkins	Grapes
Bilimbi	Olives
Mangoes

🔗 Popular Options

Some of these substitutes will provide a similar taste and texture as fresh tomatoes, while others will work for you if you want something that would make your recipe taste unique. 

🍅 Tomato Purée

If your recipe calls for crushed or fresh tomatoes, you can definitely replace them with tomato purée. You’ll lose a bit of texture, but the flavor will be virtually identical. Even try to use a stewed tomato a try in your recipe.

The purée has a mild taste, so it’s not overpowering and can even enhance the taste a little bit more than fresh tomatoes. 

This will be a good alternative if you’re using tomatoes in a soup, stew, dipping sauce, or marinade. You can even mix it with some fresh tomatoes, if you have any, to intensify the flavor. 

Try this option in your favorite Taco Soup or Stuffed Pepper Soup.

🫑 Red Bell Peppers

If you want something that looks like tomatoes but tastes different, then you should go for red bell peppers. 

When cut and diced, it will be hard to tell the difference. However, their smell and taste will definitely give them away. 

Red bell peppers are slightly less acidic and tangy than tomatoes. They also have a fleshier texture. 

You can use red bell peppers as a substitute in stews, soups, sauces, and stir fries. You can even mix yellow, green, and red bell peppers together to add more colors to your recipe. However, green peppers can be slightly more bitter. 

If you’re worried about the texture, you can roast red bell peppers before using them. This will make them softer and add a smoky flavor to your recipe. 

This would work great in the Garden Quiche recipe where it plays a secondary ingredient.

✨ Tamarind Paste

Tamarind paste is quite popular in Asian, Latin, and Middle Eastern cuisines. Just a dash will add the needed flavor to your dish, and it can definitely replace tomatoes in several recipes. 

If you need an alternative to tomato paste, you can go for tamarind paste because it provides the required sweet yet tangy taste. It works in curries and stews or you can add it to sauces to give them more edge. 

Soak whole tamarind in hot water, let it boil for at least one hour, and then crush it to prepare the paste. However, ready-made tamarind paste is also available at specialty stores and has a long shelf life. 

The key to using this is to use a light hand, as too much of this intensely flavored paste can drastically change the taste of your recipe. 

🥕 Carrots

Carrots are as sweet as tomatoes and can replace them in salads, stews, chilis, stir-fries, and a lot of other recipes. You can dice carrots or cook them until they’re fairly soft. 

They’re rich in minerals and vitamins, so they are a tasty and healthy choice. You can even juice them to replace tomato juice in drinks. 

If you feel that the carrots are too sweet, you can mix them with some vinegar to add the needed acidity. 

Carrots can be a favorite option as they are so economical and can be found just about anywhere.

Use the carrots when you are shy on tomatoes and making your homemade tomato sauce. This doesn’t have to be an all or nothing for ingredient replacements. Sometimes we run into recipes where we have 4 tomatoes and not the 5 the recipe requires. I would toss in some carrots for this and it will be delish!

Make sure to print out the Egg Substitution Printable {FREEBIE}, Whole Plant Substitutions Printable {FREEBIE}, Cooking and Baking Ingredient Substitution Printables {FREEBIE} for your Recipe Binder!

🎃 Pumpkins

Pumpkin purée is an excellent substitute for tomato purée. It has a delicious earthy taste, and you can easily prepare a purée from a whole pumpkin. 

Use pumpkin purée in stews and recipes, and if you feel that it’s too sweet, add a pinch of salt or some vinegar. It’s a popular tomato substitute in Indian dishes and chutneys where other spices will be the feature.  

Pumpkin cubes are a tasty and colorful addition to salads and grilled dishes. You can also use them in chilis, where they soften to add a mouthwatering flavor and texture. 

I would love to use this puree in my Minestrone Soup or in my Smoked Chili recipes to add flavor and thickness.

🍇 Grapes

While they might not first seem like a go-to tomato alternative, grapes can actually be a great replacement in several dishes. 

Grapes have a sweet and sour taste, depending on the variety and how ripe they are. You can use them to replace tomatoes, especially cherry tomatoes, in salads and roasts. The Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad would be the perfect example that using the grapes will not be the same but would bring the salad to be more sweet and tangy.

They’ll complement the taste of other ingredients, especially if your recipe contains cheese. You can also use a purée in sauces and stews to add the needed tangy flavor. 

🍣 Bilimbi

Bilimbi is a popular ingredient in Indonesian and Filipino dishes. It’s rich in vitamins C and A and has a tangy and vinegary flavor, so it can be an excellent tomato substitute.

This intense flavor doesn’t hold up in the heat, so it’s best to use bilimbi to replace tomatoes in salads, sandwiches, and drinks. 

In Costa Rica, raw bilimbi is served with rice and beans, and it can be added to curry or stews for a stronger taste. It’s an excellent substitute, especially in fish recipes. 

🫒 Olives

If you’re not a big fan of how tomatoes taste or you’re allergic to them, you can give olives a try. They will work for you if you need something that provides the savory umami taste. 

Adding olives to your food will completely change the flavor character, but this might be what you need. 

You can add them to salads, pizza, or sauces for a unique taste. Green olives are tangier and slightly more bitter than black olives, so you can try both to find the perfect balance. 

🥭 Mangoes

Mangoes are sweet and juicy, but unripe mangoes can be tangy and savory, just like tomatoes. This fruit is quite popular and grows in different parts of the world, and depending on the variety and how ripe it is, it can be used as a tomato alternative. 

The key is to pick unripe mangoes because they will provide the needed tangy and slightly sweet flavor that you get from tomatoes. 

Mangoes are popular in Asian cuisines, but you can use them to replace tomatoes in salads, stews, salsas, chutneys, and several other dishes. 

🍳 Recipes With Tomatoes

Avocado Tomato Salad Recipe – This fresh summer salad takes only 10 minutes to prepare. It’s great to try with mangoes, pumpkins, or carrots. 

Garden Fresh Spinach Tomato Quiche – This hearty quiche is packed with rich flavors, but give them a little twist by adding red bell peppers or pumpkins instead of tomatoes. 

Homemade Vegan Spaghetti Sauce – Try this 30-minute vegan recipe using some tomato purée mixed with oven-roasted bell peppers and a dash of tamarind paste if you don’t have access to fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. 

Vegetarian Tomato Mayo Sandwich – Try this quick snack with some mangoes, sautéed carrots, or red bell peppers and see how it tastes, or go wild with some bilimbi and olives or grapes for a new taste. 

Our Best Ingredient Substitutions

❓Frequently Asked Questions

🍴 Final Thoughts

Tomatoes are pretty popular, but some people don’t like them, are allergic, or you might not have access to fresh varieties when your recipe calls for one. 

If you need tomatoes to thicken a sauce, use tomato or pumpkin purée, as it will add the needed texture and taste. Either of these ingredient options would work in a brisket chili or BBQ sauce for chicken thighs.

Tamarind paste and bilimbi will add a stronger taste to sauces and stews, but they’ll work for you if you enjoy intense flavors. 

Replace raw tomatoes with red bell peppers or carrots and add olives and grapes to salads and sandwiches to replace tomatoes. 

For roasted and grilled dishes, use roasted bell peppers, mangoes, or carrots. 

Tomatoes are pretty popular, but there will be situations when you don’t have access to them or you’re not a big fan in the first place.

Related Articles