Ingredient Substitution Guide

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