What if I told you that you could magically transform a one veggie sauce into a mouthwatering, nutrient-dense seven veggie sauce? Would you call me crazy?
Well friends, I’ve done some extensive recipe testing and perfected my own version of what the internet calls “nomato sauce.” What exactly is no-mato sauce? This sauce is a delectable tomato-like sauce but without the tomato. Don’t get me wrong, tomatoes have wonderful health benefits, but some people don’t tolerate tomatoes and the rest of their family of nightshades very well, especially people with histamine intolerance issues like me.
Over this past year when tomatoes became increasingly problematic for me to process, I craved an alternative to top my beloved enchilada stuffed sweet potatoes (thank you Danielle Walker for developing such an amazing recipe!). After much testing and tasting, here I present to you my own Nomato Sauce.
As you’ll see in the recipe below, the sauce recipe I give is really the base from which you can develop your own creation. I give two options for seasonings to transform this sauce into marinara or enchilada sauce (note the enchilada sauce does include chili powder which contains paprika, a nightshade, so avoid this if all nightshades are a concern for you). Please share with us how you use this recipe!
This is my final recipe in our Veggies You Never Thought You’d Love blog series. I have loved sharing all of these recipes and stories with you. Thank you for coming along on my journey of learning to love a variety of veggies. There are actually two veggies in this recipe that I have surprisingly come to love through this recipe: beets and bok choy.
My parents both loved beets growing up and I despised them. As a kid and teenager, I always had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that eating beets was the epitome of being a grown up because of my parents love for them. Silly rationale, but hey! I was a kid at the time. Now that I am an adult, I laugh that I’m now buying and enjoying beets! In the defense of my inner child though, I actually will only eat beets in this sauce…so maybe I’m actually not yet an adult then since I don’t love beets in every way :) Anyway, beets are nutritional powerhouse. If you love them or despise them like me, give this recipe a shot and see it surprise you!
Bok choy is another veggie I would have probably never purchased even a year ago. Bok choy also has a wealth of health benefits and the best part is, you can sneak it into a variety of dishes. Baby bok choy especially has little to no taste, maybe a hint of sweetness, which is perfect for this flavor-packed sauce.
Even though this the last official recipe in the Veggies You Never Thought You’d Love blog series, next month I’m bring this recipe back and sharing with you probably my all-time favorite recipe with you: Nomato Enchiladas! This savory dish is gluten and corn free but can easily be swapped with corn or wheat tortillas if you your diet doesn’t need those removed. The best part? Regular enchiladas could have just 1-3 veggies in them. My recipe, thanks to this amazing sauce, has 7!
Nomato Sauce – Nightshade-Free Tomato Sauce Substitute
AUTHOR: Caitlyn Hanson -- Living Wellness, www.lwgg.org
TIME: Active- 15 minutes, Total- 60 minutes
YIELD: Approx. 4 cups
CATEGORY: Condiment, Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Sauce Base
4 tablespoons cooking fat (butter, olive oil, ghee, etc.; I prefer ½ butter and ½ extra virgin olive oil)
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 medium sized yellow or sweet onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
4 stalks & leaves baby bok choy
6 carrots, scrubbed not peeled
2 medium beets, scrubbed and peeled
1 cup broth: bone broth or chicken broth*
¼ to ½ cup water depending on how thin you want your sauce
1.5 teaspoons of Celtic Sea Salt (or any good mineral salt) or salt to taste
Seasoning Options
Marinara: Add one Bay leaf to step #2 and ¼ cup fresh chopped basil to step #3 5 minutes before the sauce is done simmering.
Enchilada Sauce: Add the following spices* to step #2. 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 2-3 tablespoons chili powder (2.5 tablespoons chili powder will make for milder flavor whereas 3 tablespoons is very flavorful and a bit spicy).
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt cooking fat in a large stock pot over medium low heat. Sauté onion, shallot, garlic, and celery for 5 minutes, stir occasionally.
Add remaining veggies, stir together, then add water and broth. Add salt and any desired seasoning.
Bring liquid to a boil then reduce to low to simmer for 30-40 minutes until veggies are fork tender.
Remove from heat and allow to cool enough for you to safely transfer into a blender/food processor. Remove any seasoning leaves such as bay leaf before placing in blender.
Puree sauce in blender working in batches. Add additional liquid if needed to thin sauce.
Enjoy! Use immediately, store in fridge for 1 week or freeze. Defrosts easily and retains texture.
Note:
I prefer the flavor of using my chicken broth in this sauce over bone broth; however, to get the nutrition benefits of bone broth I often do half bone broth and half chicken broth if I have them both on hand.
Credit to Danielle Walker’s Gluten-Free Enchilada Sauce recipe for inspiration for which spices to use!
Use organic ingredients whenever possible to reap the full benefit of your food.
Remember, although this is the last official recipe in the Veggies You Never Thought You’d Love blog series, next month I’m bring this recipe back and sharing with you probably my all-time favorite recipe with you: Nomato Enchiladas!
Enjoy!
Caitlyn J. Hanson
© 2018 Living Wellness, LLC Revolutionizing health, one community at a time.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any illnesses or disease. Please always check with your doctor before beginning any new nutritional or fitness program or before making any nutritional/fitness changes.