Tomato free chilli sauce, made with lots of red stuff

If you have an allergy to tomato, like me, then many meals are made complicated and disappointing. But fear not my fellow tomato haters, I have created a fantastic recipe that you can add to pasta, chilli or just have in a bowl to dip your chips into.

After much experimentation and help from Allergy Essex who shared their own recipe with me, which this one is based upon, I have come up with this.

Ruth’s What Allergy? no tomato chilli sauce

What you’ll need

• Tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 x red peppers, finely chopped
• 1 x red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• Half a red cabbage, finely chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• Paprika to taste

nb: Allergy Essex included beetroot in their recipe but I suspect this may be causing me problems so have ommitted it from the latest batch, but you could add a beetroot if you can eat them. Leaving out beetroot also avoids the purple livid fingernails and also splashes on clothing…

How to make it

1. Heat the oil in a pan
2. Add the onions, garlic and carrots and fry on low until softened, for about five minutes
3. Add the rest of the red ingredients above and season to your tastes with the salt, pepper and paprika
4. Cook till soft enough to mash or whiz up into a puree

Then you simply add it to your chilli when you would add the tin of tomatoes, add a little water if needed and thicken with corn flour or arrowroot.

You could try adding other red veggies like rhubarb for a touch of sweetness and mollases to deepen the colour. Turmeric would also add some red and some bite to your chilli.

You can double the ingredients to make a larger batch, then fill some freezer bags or small pots and freeze for later use.

This also tastes marvellous and I don’t miss the tomato flavour at all. The tomato loving other half has also given his seal of approval. He said, “yeah it’s OK” which is praise indeed.

This is what we’re having for tea tonight. Has anyone else got a tomato free sauce recipe or any other tips? Happy cooking you tomato allergiacs out there.

If you don’t want to make your own, check out Foraging Fox Beetroot Ketchup, Belly Goodness nomato sauce and also Damson Ketchup from Cartmell Foods which I’ve only ever found up in the Lake District and buy in bulk on every visit!