Citrus Juice, Paytai, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Here are some alternatives for those who need a vegan option or just don’t have the right ingredient on hand.
Soup Substitutions
- Broth (chicken or beef, 1 cup) = 1 bouillon cube mixed with 1 cup boiling water = 1 cup vegetable broth = 1 tablespoon soy sauce mixed with enough water to make one cup
- Cream of mushroom soup (1 can, 10.75 ounces) = 1 can (10.75 ounce) cream of chicken, cream of celery, or golden mushroom soup
- Stock (chicken or beef stock, 1 cup) = 1 chicken or beef bouillon cube mixed with 1 cup water = 1 cup vegetable stock
- Tomato soup (1 10.75 ounce can) = 1 cup tomato sauce + 1/4 cup water
Fruit and Juice Substitutions
- Coconut milk (1 cup) = 3 tablespoons coconut cream + enough milk or water to make 1 cup
- Lemon juice (1 teaspoon) = 1 teaspoon lime juice = 1/2 teaspoon vinegar = 1 teaspoon white wine (I wouldn’t recommend the vinegar and wine options for recipes that require a larger amount of lemon juice because the flavor will be affected)
- Lime zest (1 teaspoon) = 1 teaspoon lemon zest = 1/2 teaspoon lime or lemon extract
- Orange juice (1 tablespoon) = 1 tablespoon any other citrus fruit juice
- Orange zest (1 tablespoon) = 1 teaspoon lemon juice = 1/2 teaspoon orange extract = 1 tablespoon lemon or lime zest
- Tomato juice (1 cup) = 1/2 cup tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water
Substitutions for Alcoholic Beverages
- Beer (1 cup) = 1 cup chicken broth
- Brandy (1/4 cup) = 1 teaspoon imitation brandy extract mixed with enough water to make 1/4 cup
- Red wine (1 cup) = 1 cup red grape or cranberry juice
- Rum (1 tablespoon) = 1/2 teaspoon rum extract + 2 teaspoons water
- White wine (1 cup) = 1 cup apple or white grape juice (AllRecipes.com recommends mixing in 2 teaspoons vinegar when using this option) = 1 cup chicken broth
Substitutions for Sauces and Other Condiments
- Apple cider vinegar (1/4 cup) = 1/4 cup white vinegar
- Hoisin sauce (2 tablespoons) = 2 tablespoons fish or oyster sauce (The Canadian Living Test Kitchen recommends against using a substitute if more than 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce are required)
- Hot pepper sauce (1 teaspoon) = 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper mixed with 1 teaspoon vinegar
- Ketchup (1 cup) = 1 cup tomato sauce + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1 teaspoon vinegar
- Soy sauce (1/2 cup) = 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce + 1 tablespoon water (The Canadian Living Test Kitchen recommends adding a pinch of salt when replacing soy sauce with Worcestershire)
- White vinegar (1 teaspoon) = 1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice = 2 teaspoons white wine = 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon) = 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus a dash each of lemon juice and hot pepper sauce and a pinch of granulated sugar
For more baking substitution options, see the main Cooking and Baking Ingredient Substitutions page.
References:
- Alden, L. (2005). “The Cook’s Thesaurus.” Foodsubs.com.
- Allrecipes.ca. (2014). “Common Ingredient Substitutions.” AllRecipes.com.
- JoyofBaking.com. (2014). “Baking Ingredient Substitution Table.” Joyofbaking.com.
- The Canadian Living Test Kitchen. (2013). “Baking and Cooking Substitutions at a Glance.” Canadianliving.com.