I created this recipe because I was suffering from gastritis. It has by far been the best substitute for tomatoes in many dishes that require tomato purees, pastes, or sauces. I’ll explain the reasoning behind the use of each ingredient below.

Texture

The use of zucchini/ yellow squash, apple, and roasted red peppers helps the puree mimic the texture of cooked tomato. The roasted peppers give the mix its color. You may prefer to use yellow squash over zucchini to help maintain the vibrancy of the red in your puree.

Acidity

Apple will give you a hint of sweetness, and depending upon the species, a safe amount of acidity. My preference is for something like a Honey or Cosmic Crisp apple, but use whatever you prefer/tolerate. Sumac is what will give most of the acidic-like taste to your puree. It has a subtle citric-like flavor without being harsh to the gut.

Umami/Savory

One of the most important notes in a tomato is glutamate. It is the naturally occurring amino acid that gives food its umami, and tomatoes have a lot of it. You do have a few options for adding glutamate to dishes. The most obvious choice is just using monosodium glutamate (MSG), which by far has the cleanest umami flavor. Still, some prefer more natural forms of glutamate, so asian mushroom seasoning is a close second. Other options are blending fresh mushrooms and sautéing them down, or using nutritional yeast. Again, these are not the cleanest flavors of umami, and the taste of mushroom or cheese flavor from the yeast might become prominent. 

 The use of leeks and scallions adds a nice savory onion flavor to the puree. This addition isn’t really to mimic the flavor of tomato, but more so to get the savory oniony flavor needed for dishes like pasta sauce, curries, tacos, etc. They are much lighter on the gut than regular onions. You can make them even gentler to the body by using just the greens on the scallions and just the whites on the leeks.

Print Recipe

Tomato-Free Puree

Course: Food Staples

Cuisine: GERD, Low-Acid

Keyword: GERD, Low-Acid, Subtitutes & Alternatives

Ingredients

• 2 Zucchini or Yellow Squash
• 1 Apple peeled
• 24 oz Roasted Red Pepper (jar or can)
• 3 Leaves of Leek
• 3 Scallions
• 1 tbsp Sumac
• 1/2 tsp MSG or 1 tsp Asian Mushroom Seasoning Granules
• water as needed

Instructions

• Peel off 3 outer leaves of the leek.
• Gather all fresh produce and thoroughly wash till all dirt and contaminants are removed.
• Peel skin off apple and remove core. Remove tops and ends of zucchini squash. Remove scallion ends.
• Drain and rinse jar/can of roasted red peppers.
• Roughly chop the fresh produce to a size that fits in your blender or food processor.
• Place the produce and red peppers into the blender and blend till everything is completely smooth. If needed, add small tablespoons of water into blender to help ease the contents movment against the blade.
• Place the puree into a medium sized saucepan. Add a splash of water into the blender rinse the leftover puree in blender into pan. Turn stove to medium low and allow pot to simmer.
• Add sumac and MSG to the saucepan. Cook until the rawness of the vegetables is gone and the puree reaches your preferred consistency. Note, if sauce becomes too thick, just add enough water to get it back to desired consistency.
• Use puree as a substitute for tomatoes in cooking recipes. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.