My digestion doesn't like tomatoes, and all the soup recipes I like call for them. Is there anything I could substitute?
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8Just find a recipe for soup that doesn't use them. French onion, chicken, pea & ham, leek & potato etc.– Chris HCommented Feb 14, 2017 at 12:33
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1Are these soups with chunks of tomato, or with tomatoes blended into the base?– Cascabel ♦Commented Feb 14, 2017 at 13:22
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1Tomatoes are basically squishy sweet & sour things. You might be able to get away with cooking chunks of carrots 'til they're soft (but not dissolved), and a splash of vinegar. Actually, cooking the carrots w/ the vinegar already in there might be good so they don't break down completely (but it'll also affect how other things soften)– JoeCommented Feb 14, 2017 at 15:59
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@Joe Interestingly, that's the theory behind the product in Cindy's answer.– Jolenealaska ♦Commented Feb 14, 2017 at 16:15
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2Tomatillos en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo thicken down nicely. Used as basis for green chili. Unfortunately they're in the same family as tomatoes and peppers, Solanaceae, so maybe a bit of caution. They used to be hard to find, but not so much anymore in the states.– Wayfaring StrangerCommented Feb 11, 2019 at 0:51
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11 Answers
There is an alternate product available that does not contain tomatoes. It is called Nomato .
It is described on the home page as:
Nomato sauces are a delicious natural alternative to traditional tomato based products.
Additional info:
Nomato may be substituted in any recipe using tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup or salsa.
Nomato is made from vegetables and seasonings. It contains no soy, dairy, wheat, gluten, nuts and of course no tomatoes!
I am not promoting this product and, quite frankly, have not tried it. However, I did read several great reviews about it.
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7The lesson to be learned from looking at that product's ingredient list: Use a carrot puree and additional seasonings. Commented Jan 8, 2018 at 0:36
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Please note that if you're avoiding tomatoes because they are high in potassium, e.g. due to kidney disease, Nomato contains brown rice syrup which is high in potassium and phosphorous. It also probably contains a ton of salt and sugar. So while it may work for people who have a tomato allergy (which to be fair is how it's marketed), it's less useful for other reasons to avoid tomatoes. Sources: healthline.com/nutrition/foods-to-avoid-with-kidney-disease and nomato.com/product-category/products Commented Jun 14 at 11:39
Sour plums have a really similar texture and flavor to tomatoes - they are a base in a lot of Middle Eastern soups
Better than substituting is making a soup that doesn't use tomato in the first place. Examples include:
- Leek and potato
- Pea and ham
- French onion
- Cream of (chicken, mushroom, etc.)
- The runnier kinds of dhal
If you look carefully, you'll find vegetable soup recipes without tomato as well, or in which tomato is such a small component you can simply omit it.
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I noticed that my comment from years ago should have been an answer - and had more votes than any actual answer! So while the question was bumped anyway seemed like a good time to fix that– Chris HCommented Sep 22, 2023 at 19:00
For visual appeal sometimes you do just need the red of the tomato. I am unable to enjoy them either...so I substitute red peppers cut in 1/4" strips, as long or as short as I want them.
I tried using beets to make a soup that called for tomatoes and I'm quite happy with the results. I diced raw beets very fine and sautéed them in with the onion, adding carrots and celery a few minutes later, since beets take longer to cook.
I used paprika and a little turmeric to make the colour look closer to that of tomatoes. I also used about a teaspoon of cider vinegar to replicate the acidity of tomatoes. (You might roast the beets and blend them up with some broth if you want a smoother consistency like tomato sauce.)
Carrots, tamarind, bilimbu, olives, unripe mangoes, beets, vinegar, basil, oregano just depends on what you need tomato Flavor for. These substitutions are good for some replacements but not others.
My stomach doesnt love tomato at all. Since a few years I only eat white pizza when ordering.
For other dishes that uses a tomato paste you can replace it with a pumpkin paste. Lasagna with pumpkin and sausage meat is a very nice combination.
You are correct. Many home-made soups use a tomato base. After unsuccessfully trying every substitute I could find for tomatoes, I finally discovered that pear juice makes a great substitute base in soups. Buy just juice. If you are using pear juice packed with pears, you'll have to remove the pears. I haven't tried to puree them, but suspect that might work.
Puree squash and tamarind will give you that tomatoes taste. I used it in curries,.sooo good. Roasted kabocha squash is an amazing replacement as well ins salad etc.
I suggest a little experimentation!
Tomatoes have a delicious blend of savory (umami) and acid. Use varying proportions of ingredients that are acidifying or are high in glutamates!
Vinegars and various citrus juices are a natural source of acid, as are yogurts and wines or beer (yum!).
Sources of glutamates can include aged cheese (like Parmesan or Asiago), anchovies/anchovy paste, soy sauces, miso paste, fish sauce, and Worcestershire (also containing fish).
You’ll likely go through a few iterations of each recipe until you find a balance that you like, but I bet you can get a pretty satisfying flavor profile out of it if your willing to tinker a bit.
If you can’t eat tomatoes, stay away from all nightshades including peppers and potatoes. Your digestion will thank you. I use nomato sauce and don’t give up if the first version doesn’t turn out perfectly, when done right it’s almost a perfect match.
