Bean based stew. Alternative to tomatoe sauce

Bean based stew. Alternative to tomatoe sauce - Top view arrangement of tasty black bean stew served on yellow plate with rice and couscous topped with cut tomatoes and parsley

The basic bean meat chilli is as follows

Brown Garlic + Onion + ground meat (any) + boiled beans + tomato sauce + spices (e.g. chilli powder etc).

Now I want to know if there another sauce that can swap out for tomato sauce if I get tired of it. I need something suitable for students or working professionals who don't have the time to "make their own special sauce". But tomato sauce just seems to be a good combination of liquid + thickening agent that I don't know what can be its equal.

Sorry if the tags aren't accurate, I wasn't sure what would be appropriate.



Best Answer

I found I'd run out of chopped tomatoes when half way through making 3 bean & sweet potato chilli. I did add a little tomato puree, but only had a little of that, so had to find a substitute sauce.

The bulk of the liquid I used was beer, quite a bitter, tasty beer. I used more cocoa powder than normal (I always use some), and a bit of extra garlic. I thickened it a little towards the end, with just a bit of cornflour, and took some of the sweet potato out, mashed it and returned it for further thickening. I often use a little beer in chilli sauce, but not normally as the bulk, so long as I did some thickening.

A blended, slow-cooked, onion-based sauce, as is used as the base of some curries, should work nicely. This is something I make, and haven't seen it sold, but it freezes well.




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Bean based stew. Alternative to tomatoe sauce - Top view crop anonymous person with cutlery enjoying yummy black bean stew served with rice and couscous topped with parsley and cut tomatoes
Bean based stew. Alternative to tomatoe sauce - Appetizing traditional Brazilian Feijoada dish of black bean stew served with boiled rice and couscous served on wooden table and decorated with black beans and garlic cloves
Bean based stew. Alternative to tomatoe sauce - Delectable rice with bean stew served with tomatoes and parsley



What can I use instead of tomatoes in stew?

The Best Fresh Tomato Substitutes
  • Skip it. The easiest and quickest option is to skip the tomato. ...
  • Red Capsicum / Red Bell Peppers. Fresh or grilled red capsicum (bell peppers) can work well instead of tomatoes because they have the beautiful red colour and sweetness that tomatoes provide. ...
  • Olives. ...
  • Canned Tomatoes. ...
  • Cheese.


  • What can we use instead of tomato?

    1. Tamarind concentrate: Can work as a great substitute for tomato in a few recipes for its acerbic flavour. 2. Roasted Bell Peppers: Roasted bell peppers in the paste form will give the strong scarlet colour we commonly associate with tomato-based dishes.

    What can I use instead of tomatoes in chili?

    If you want vegetarian chili without tomatoes, then use oil in place of the fat ground beef would create. If you are using low-fat ground turkey, chicken, or pork, likewise add a little oil. Add sliced green pepper if you wish and cook until it is soft to replicate the texture of tomatoes.

    What can I use instead of tomatoes in curry?

    Tamarind is one of the ingredients which come closest to replicating the fresh sweet-tanginess of tomatoes. Just add a hint of it to tamarind pulp or paste to recipes like dals, curries or stir fries instead of tomatoes.



    Cheap Lazy Vegan One Pot Bean Stew - Easy Recipe




    More answers regarding bean based stew. Alternative to tomatoe sauce

    Answer 2

    Typically chilli doesn't have any thickeners and uses diced tomatoes for volume, flavor and acidity. You add them and let it cook until the liquid evaporates and it is to the desired thickness

    Tomato sauce is already the "quick cheat" for the diced tomatoes, especially if you use ready-to-use tomato sauce or leftover marinara sauce.

    Possible substitutions that will still taste of tomato - so you'll still have the typical chilli taste:

    • Canned tomatoes (diced or whole, which you'll need to dice) - this is my go-to substitution when I don't have fresh tomatoes on hand
    • Tomato puree / passata di pomodoro
    • Tomato paste or concentrate + broth for bulk

    Possible substitutions that will NOT taste of tomato, meaning that your chilli will also NOT taste like typical chilli:

    • Beer + broth
    • Dry cooking wine + broth
    • Apple cider + broth

    Essentially any slightly acidic liquid cut with broth will do, but bear in mind that it will significantly alter the taste of the original recipe. Your chilli will taste more like boeuf bourguignon or something like that.

    Answer 3

    If you specifically want to get rid of tomatoes, then you could use a sauce made from grilled paprika instead (just blend them). I used it and the results were really good. You just have to accept, that it's not really a classic chilli anymore.

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