Substitution Chart for Vegetarians

Meat-free

Ingredient Substitute

Gelatin--> Agar-agar (sea vegetable powder or flakes),

arrowroot (starchy powder from tropical tuber), ground

nuts and seeds, gums (guar gum is from an East Indian

seed, xanthan gum is from corn), kudzu (starchy powder

from tropical tuber).

Meat--> Beans, cheese, seitan (wheat meat), tempeh

(cultured soy food), textured vegetable protein (TVP),

tofu.

Meat, chicken or seafood stock--> Apple, cranberry,

orange or pomegranate juice, beer, Dr. Bronner's mineral

tonic, garlic broth, miso (fermented soybean paste) diluted

with water, sherry, vegetable bouillon cubes, vegetable

stock, water in which beans, pasta or vegetables have been

cooked, wine.

Seasoned or smoked meats--> For sausage, substitute crumbled

tofu seasoned with fennel, parsley and garlic. For smoked

meats, substitute canned chipotle chilies, oven-roasted

vegetables, toasted nuts, smoked tofu or smoked cheeses.

Vegan

Ingredient Substitute

Buttermilk--> Clabbered soymilk (to clabber, mix 2 tsp

lemon juice or white vinegar per cup of soymilk).

Cheese--> Soy- and nut-based cheeses.

Cottage cheese/ricotta--> Crumbled tofu.

Eggs--> Crumbled or pureed tofu.

Mayonnaise--> Tofu mayonnaise.

Milk--> Nut milk, rice milk, soymilk.

Low fat

Ingredient Substitute

Creamed soups and sauces--> Arrowroot (starchy powder

from tropical tuber), kudzu. Use roasted, pureed vegetables

as a base, then finish the soup or sauce with nonfat strained

yogurt.

Oil in baked goods--> Applesauce, pureed bananas, pureed

stewed prunes.

Oil for sautéing--> Apple juice, sherry, vegetable stock,

wine.

Salad dressing--> Citrus juice or cider vinegar thickened

with pureed roasted red peppers, carrots, onions or garlic.

Sour cream--> Strained nonfat yogurt.

White sauce--> Pureed white beans.

Yeast-Free

Ingredient Substitute

Bread--> Baking soda breads (quick breads), flatbreads,

muffins, sprouted breads.

Salad dressing (wine-or vinegar-based)--> Puree citrus

juice and avocado, Puree citrus juice and oil,

Mix peeled, cubed fruit such as mango, oranges and papaya

into green salads

Vinegar--> Cranberry or pomegranate juice, lemon or lime juice,

mango powder (amchoor), tamarind paste or pulp, vitamin C powder

(ascorbic acid).

White sugar--> Bananas, barley malt, brown rice syrup, date sugar, dried fruits, fruit juices, maple syrup.

Allergy

Ingredient Substitute

Butter--> Clarified butter (milk solids have been removed),

olive oil, sesame oil.

Chocolate--> Carob.

Cow's milk--> Almond, goat, rice and soymilk.

Cow's milk cheese--> Cheeses made from soy, nuts, goat or

sheep milk.

Eggs--> Egg Replacer; liquid lecithin with 2 tsp guar gum;

baking soda plus pureed fruit or vegetables; and flax seeds

pureed with water.

Peanuts--> Almonds.

Wheat flour (for baking)--> Barley, buckwheat, corn, kamut,

oats, rice, rye, spelt.

Wheat pasta--> Corn, kamut and spelt pasta, rice noodles.

Ethnic

Origin Ingredient Substitute

Americas~~~

Cactus pads (nopales)--> Green beans, okra.

Chayote squash--> Yellow or green pattypan squash or

zucchini.

Masa flour--> Mix corn flour with lime juice.

Poblano or Anaheim chilies--> Minced jalapeno chili and

green bell pepper.

Posole (dried hominy)--> Canned white hominy.

Asian~~~

Bok choy (Chinese white cabbage)--> Beet greens, kale and

Swiss chard

Chinese cooking wine--> Dry sherry.

Chinese five-spice powder--> Anise seed or star anise,

fennel seed, cinnamon, black peppercorns and whole cloves.

(If you have a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder,

use whole spices, otherwise use ground dry spices.).

Galangal (Thai ginger)--> Fresh ginger.

Lemon grass--> 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 Tbsp 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--> Mix together to taste ground ginger, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, turmeric and fennel.

Garam masala (mixed spices)--> 1 tsp. cardamom seeds,

1 Tbs. cumin seed, 1 Tbs. coriander seed, 2 tsp. black

peppercorns, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp

nutmeg. (If you have a mortar and pestle or electric

spice grinder, use whole spices, or mix together ground

dry spices.)

Jaggery (coarse palm sugar)--> Date sugar or brown sugar.

Toor dal, urad dal, mung dal--> Red lentils.

Mediterranean~~~

Broccoli rabe (rapini)--> Broccoli plus arugula or

dandelion greens.

Cannellini beans--> Great Northern beans, navy beans,

red kidney beans.

Fava beans, dried--> Butter beans.

Fava beans, fresh--> Fresh or frozen lima beans.

Fennel--> Celery plus some fennel or anise seeds.

Parmesan cheese--> Any hard, aged grating cheese such as Asiago or Romano or aged Monterey jack.

Pine nuts--> Walnuts or a mixture of walnuts and almonds.

Alcohol-Free

Ingredient Substitute

Red wine--> Pomegranate juice; 1/2 cup water plus

2 tsp balsamic vinegar.

White wine--> Apple, carrot or bell pepper juice,

vegetable stock.

Wine or beer--> Non-alcoholic wine or beer.

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