The next time you’re missing an ingredient in a recipe, don’t panic. Many recipes are flexible and will still come out delicious when you improvise. Plus, many non-vegetarian recipes can be tweaked to create a new veg version.
Use our chart below as a starting point, and start asking yourself questions such as: What do I really want this dish to taste like? What textures do I like? Why did the recipe developer put all of these ingredients in here, anyway? Here are some general guidelines about making substitutions in recipes:
Try to keep ingredients within the same ethnic category. Ethnic flavor combinations have been developed over centuries and blend together naturally. If you are making over a Mexican dish without meat, use traditional Mexican proteins and starches such as pinto beans, black beans, and posole (hominy), not Asian mung beans or Indian lentils.
Dissect the basic flavors of the dish. If you’re missing a certain flavoring, ask yourself if it is basically sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or spicy? Think of something from your cupboard in the same category.
Substituting starches and proteins makes less of a difference in overall taste than spices and flavorings.
Try the pantry approach to cooking: If you find yourself continually missing key ingredients, analyze your pantry and consider restocking it.
Assemble complementary herbs, spices and flavoring in groupings in your pantry. That way, when you are experimenting with a dish—Italian, for example—your Italian seasonings such as basil, parsley, garlic, and oregano will be grouped together, and you can substitute accordingly.
Keep staples such as flours, oils, beans, and grains on hand so you don’t have to run out to the store at the last minute.
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| MAKE IT MEATLESS |
| Ingredient |
Substitute |
| Meat |
Beans, cheese, seitan (wheat meat), tempeh (cultured soybeans), textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu |
| Meat/seafood stocks |
Vegetable stock, water in which beans, pasta, or vegetables have been cooked, vegetable bouillon cubes, miso (fermented soybean paste) diluted with water |
| Seasoned or smoked meats |
Flavored soy meat substitutes, crumbled tofu seasoned with fennel, parsley, and garlic, canned chipotle chiles, roasted vegetables, toasted nuts, smoked tofu, smoked cheeses |
| Gelatin |
Agar-agar (powder or flakes), arrowroot (powder), guar gum (made from seeds), xanthan gum (made from corn), kudzu powder |
|
 |
| MAKE IT VEGAN |
| Ingredient |
Substitute |
| Buttermilk |
Clabbered soymilk (1 cup soymilk mixed with 2 tsp. lemon juice or white vinegar) |
Cheese
|
Soy- and nut-based cheeses |
| Cheese or ricotta cheese |
Crumbled tofu |
| Eggs |
Ener-G Egg Replacer, 1 mashed banana or 1/4 cup applesauce per egg (best for baked goods); 1 Tbs. agar flakes whisked into 1 Tbs. water and chilled for 5 minutes (for an egg white substitute), 1 Tbs. ground flaxseeds simmered in 3 Tbs. boiling water for 2 minutes |
| Mayonnaise |
Soy-based mayonnaise |
| Milk |
Nut milk, rice milk, soymilk |
|
| |
| MAKE IT LOW-FAT |
| Ingredient |
Substitute |
| Creamy soups and sauces |
Nonfat strained yogurt, soymilk, puréed roasted vegetables, cooking rice in soup then puréeing it |
| Oil in baked goods |
Applesauce, puréed bananas, puréed cooked prunes |
| Oil for sautéing |
Vegetable stock, wine, vinegar |
| Salad dressing |
Vinegar or citrus juice thickened with puréed roasted red peppers, carrots, onions, or garlic |
| Sour cream |
Strained nonfat yogurt |
| White sauce |
Puréed white beans |
|
|
| MAKE IT ALLERGEN-FREE |
| Ingredient |
Substitute |
| Butter |
Clarified butter (milk solids have been removed), olive oil, sesame oil |
| Chocolate |
Carob |
| Cows’ milk |
Goats’ milk, soymilk, rice milk, nut milk |
| Cows’ milk cheese |
Goat cheese, sheep cheese, soy cheese, nut cheese |
| Eggs |
Ener-G Egg Replacer, 1 mashed banana or 1/4 cup applesauce per egg (best for baked goods); 1 Tbs. agar flakes whisked into 1 Tbs. water and chilled for 5 minutes (for an egg white substitute), 1 Tbs. ground flaxseeds simmered in 3 Tbs. boiling water for 2 minutes |
| Peanuts |
Almonds |
| Wheat flour (for baking) |
Flours made from barley, buckwheat, corn, kamut, oats, rice, rye, spelt |
| Wheat pasta |
Pasta made from corn, spelt, kamut, quinoa, rice |
|
| |
| MAKE IT ETHNIC |
| Origin |
Ingredient |
Substitute |
| Americas |
Cactus pads (nopales) |
Green beans, okra |
|
Chayote squash |
Yellow or green pattypan squash or zucchini |
|
Poblano or Anaheim chiles |
Minced jalapeño chiles and green bell pepper |
|
Posole (dried hominy) |
Canned white hominy |
| Asian |
Bok choy (Chinese white cabbage) |
Beet greens, kale, Swiss chard |
| |
Chinese cooking wine |
Dry sherry |
| |
Chinese five-spice powder |
Mixture of anise seed or star anise, fennel seed, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and cloves |
| |
Galangal (Thai ginger) |
Fresh ginger |
| |
Lemongrass |
Lemon zest |
| |
Lotus root |
Jicama or water chestnuts |
| |
Mirin (Japanese rice wine) |
Sweet white wine |
| |
Nam pla (Thai fish sauce) |
Soy sauce and lime juice |
| |
Rice wine vinegar |
Cider vinegar, white wine vinegar |
| |
Sesame oil |
1 Tbs. sesame seeds fried in 1/2 cup vegetable oil |
| |
Thai basil |
Italian basil |
| |
Water chestnuts |
Jicama |
| Indian |
Atta (chapati flour) |
1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour plus 1/2 cup sifted whole-wheat flour |
| |
Chana dal |
Split yellow peas |
| |
Curry powder |
Mixture of ground ginger, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, turmeric and fennel |
| |
Garam masala |
Mixture of 1 tsp. cardamom seeds, 1 Tbs. cumin seed, 1 Tbs. coriander seed, 2 tsp. black peppercorns, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, and 1 tsp. nutmeg |
| |
Jaggery (coarse palm sugar) |
Date sugar or brown sugar |
| |
Toor dal, urad dal, mung dal |
Red lentils |
| Mediterranean |
Broccoli rabe |
Broccoli plus arugula or dandelion greens |
| |
Cannellini beans |
Great Northern beans, navy beans, red kidney beans |
| |
Fava beans |
Lima beans or butter beans |
| |
Fennel |
Celery plus some fennel or anise seeds |
| |
Parmesan cheese |
Any hard, aged grating cheese such as Asiago, Romano or aged Monterey Jack |
| |
Pine nuts |
Walnuts or a mixture of walnuts and almonds |
|
|
| MAKE IT ALCOHOL-FREE |
| Ingredient |
Substitute |
| Red wine |
Pomegranate juice or 1/2 cup water with 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar |
| White wine |
Vegetable stock, apple juice, carrot juice |
| Wine or beer |
Non-alcoholic wine or beer |
|
newsletters
What is tempeh and where do you buy it?
Hi Vicki,
Thanks for writing! Tempeh is made from soybeans that are pressed into thin rectangular cakes and fermented. You can also find tempeh made with grains and/or veggies in addition to soybeans. By itself, it has a mild nutty flavor, but like tofu, it absorbs flavors well.
Tempeh is usually found near tofu in refrigerated sections. You can definitely find it at natural foods stores, but I've also seen it at many supermarket chains. Lightlife is a common brand (http://www.lightlife.com/tempeh.html).
To prepare tempeh, it's best to steam or simmer it in a marinade, broth, or sauce for at least 15 minutes. This will soften it a bit and make it even more flavorful. Hope you give it a try!
— Lisa Barley, Associate Editor
If a recipie calls for one chopped Jalapeno pepper, can canned green chillies be substituted and if so, how much?
Hi June,
You can substitute green chiles for jalapeño peppers. I'd substitute one chile for one pepper, but taste the chiles to see how hot they are before adding them to the recipe. Some peppers are hotter than other, even within the same variety. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
— Lisa Barley, Associate Editor
what is the best substitute for sucanat?
Can I substitute evaporated milk by boiling down soymilk? Or could I use soy creamer?
Thanks for any ideas.
What kind of squash would be a good substitute for Kuri squash? I can't find any in the NorthWest.
I've heard that cow's milk is actually not a very good source of calcium because of the high protein content which breaks the calcium down once it enters the body. Is this true? What other foods ARE good sources of calcium?
Vegetables can be very high in calcium. Some of the highest content are turnip greens, mustard greens, sesame seeds (& tahini), white beans, etc.
There is a very thorough of calcium discussion here:
http://www.soystache.com/calcium.htm
I recently found out that I am alergic to milk, corn and peanuts. I am a life-long lacto-ove vegetarian and am finding it very difficult to find anything that I can eat! Any suggetions would be welcome.
I am especially interested in finding a recepe for homemade "chicken" style seasoning.
Can you tell me what I can substitute for guar gum? I can't find it anywhere.
What can I use instead of an egg wash when baking?
Does anyone know of any substitutions for creme fraiche?
I am allergic to peanuts and soy beans. Peanuts are easily substituted with other nuts and nut butters. But so many recipes include soy protein in some form that I don't know what to do. Can I just leave it out? Or is there a substitute? I am finding it hard to be a vegetarian and allergic to soy!
What can I use to substitute heavy whipping cream to make any dish that calls for it vegan?
What can I use as a substitute for nutritional yeast? I lie in a rural area and can't find any anywhere to buy. Any suggestions would be welcome.
I want to make a traditional style pecan pie without the corn syrup, what do you suggest.
when you mention an unusual ingredient, such as orange-flower water, would you please tell us where to find it, how to make it, or what to use instead. This would be very helpful. Also, what can I substitute tofu with? I can't eat Tofu.
Substitution for creme fraiche: if you eat dairy, use sour cream or strained yoghurt (Fage is my favorite!). If you are vegan or lactose intolerant (like me), use the soy sour cream. A good one is the Tofutti brand, and also their cream cheese is so good you can't tell the difference!
Hope that helps!
what's a good vegan substitute for eggs used in omelets and crepes? Has anyone ever tried pureed soft tofu with good results? I would need something that would easily fold over without breaking or crumbling to pieces. Thanks for any help.
Does anyone know a vegan subsitute for half and half? Thanks for your help.
Any suggestions for a strong-flavored cheese substitute? My husband takes offense to "stinky" cheese and I'm at a loss for a flavorful substitute in Italian recipes! Thanks!
Being new to VT, I am amazed and cannot thank you enough for the Vegetarian Substitution Guide and the following Q&A. I have spent much time and effort searching for substitutions -- and never found anything so helpful! I am so delighted!
Is there a substitute for Yogurt with Live Active Cultures?
Depending on what you are making try water, milk or soymilk in place of egg wash.
Quorn makes soy-free meat substitutes (check the labels I think it uses wheat products instead, but can't remember).
Could you substitute cactus nectar or honey for the corn syrup in your pie?
I use soy creamer in place of half and half
I am trying to find a good replacement for using shortening when preparing a cake or bread pan for baking (grease & flouring step). I can't use non-stick sprays because of the soy lecithin. Any ideas??
Any ideas for a yummy, filling, non-meat breakfast that would include good carbs and adequate protein? I am allergic to soy, eggs, gluten, honey, peanuts, most legumes except for a few select beans. Thanks for any help offered.
Brewer's yeast can be used instead of Nutritional Yeast-but it has a stronger flavor; in baking it doesn't matter as much but in a smoothie it tastes stronger.
I've made pecan pie many times using real Maple Syrup instead of brown sugar or corn syrup.
I am looking for an alternative solution for soy. I am allergic to it as well as corn, onion, tomatoes, and pecans. I am on a migraine and allergy diet, so veggie life seemed the way to go. But I am afraid that I cannot find any alternatives to soy products, biproducts, etc. that are in many recipes. Does anyone have any suggestions?
athenamjt,
If you cannot eat soy products, seitan is a good substitute as a protein source. There are also plenty of proteins in almonds (along with Vit. E), walnuts, peanuts, lentils, adzuki beans, if you can find them, are even richer in proteins than soy, and they are delicious. I am sure you can purchase them online.
Roasted red peppers are a good replacer for tomatoes in sandwiches. As for milks, rice milk, almond milk, any be a good alternative. Not as heavy a soy, though. If you are allergic to fresh tomatoes, try -if there is not high risk- sun dried tomatoes. Tomatoe sauce irritates my stomach but fresh tomatoes I can eat.
Hope this helps.
If you do not have half and half, can you use half whipping cream and half milk?
I am making a desert that call for a grahamcracker crust has anyone ever used tvp as a crust.
My son and husband are allergic to soy, which greatly reduces our vegetarian options, but also makes it nearly impossible to eat/prepare asian dishes. Is there any substitution for soy sauce or tamari?
mary, you should look into WORTHINGTON - some have soy in them but many don't. They all come in cans. Morningstarfarms.com is the web site, it is the main protein that seventh adventists use.
Reply to: Andrea P on Feb 18, 2008:
Use parchment paper to line the pans.
Cut a peice for the bottom using the bottom of the pan to trace its dimendions. and measure the height and circumfrence of the sides. Cut a strip that sits upright around the pan sides.
Pour your batter in and bake it as directed. The parch ment will not burn its meant for baking. Just don't extend too far above where the cake will rise too.
Then let the cake cool partially in the pan and when cool enough to handle flip onto a platter by laying platter across top of the pan before flipping.
Once cooled fully GENTLY pull the parchment back.
Then Ice, frost or eat as usual.
Reply to Mary on Apr 6, 2008. I replace one Tbsp soy sauce with 2 tsp water and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (find a variety without the little fishies in it and make sure it has no soy ingredients). Also, Amy's California Burger is the only one I have found with ABSOLUTELY NO SOY INGREDIENTS. And it is very tasty.
Reply to: Dominique on Mar 11 2008
I haven't been able to find any seitan that does not contain soy sauce as a flavoring. Any suggestion for sources?
If you want to cut out animal proteins what should you use. You have to get a certan amount of protein everyday.
Hi Tracy,
If you're eating enough calories, you're almost certainly getting enough protein - unless your diet consists of only alcohol, sugar, and fats, the only foods lacking this important nutrient. You can get more than enough protein from a variety of plant-based sources, such as vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, so vegetarians and vegans have plenty of healthy options.
Hi Pat,
I've been trying to track down a premade seitan without soy sauce for you, without much luck. Have you ever made seitan? I know it sounds intimidating, but it's actually not that hard (and is much cheaper than store-bought seitain!). Here's my favorite seitan recipe, which you can amend using your great water/vegan Worcestershire sauce idea (or even combine vegetable broth/Worcestershire sauce): http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=112
Just make sure you don't skip the last step of sautéing/frying the seitan, unless your recipe calls for just "gluten." The first time I made this recipe I started cooking right with the gluten chunks and it turned into a doughy mess. Oops!
is seaweed paper considered vegetarian? i have been a vegetarian for about 17 years and have eaten veggie sushi - then my boyfriend made me homemade veggie sushi - but he noticed the seaweed paper said ingredients:seaweed and then there was a disclaimer that said by natural process/farming this product could contain fish
i'm confused.
Hi Jennifer,
In answer to your question regarding which foods contain calcium, besides vegetables,
1 cup cooked quinoa contains as much calcium as an entire quart of dairy milk!! 100 % absorbable and useable by your body.
If you go over to www.recipezaar.com and type in their search engines you can find substitutions for a lot of things. I use their data base a lot.