Tomato Free Ketchup
For those with nightshade allergies, tomatoes are off limits – which means ketchup. In this recipe we’ve recreated that popular condiment using some unlikely ingredients – like carrots, apples & beets, but when all combined tastes as close to the real thing as you can get!
Once the first 6 ingredients are finely minced, starting adding in the small beet slices one at a time – blending well before adding another. The color change will happen fast, and too much beet will turn the mixture purple. For this batch I only used 20 grams of beets, which is probably less than a tablespoon if they were finely minced up.
Using a heavy bottomed pot like a Dutch oven will make this recipe so much easier – because the mixture has very little water, it can stick and burn to the bottom of a pot if it’s cooked in a thin-bottomed pot. Once all the remaining ingredients are added, cover and stir mixture often while it simmers, adding a bit of water as needed to maintain a thick slurry-like consistency while the veggies cook soft.
After 40 minutes, allow most of the remaining liquid to evaporate off. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Once the mixture has cooled for about 15 minutes, transfer to a blender and puree until completely smooth. If want a thinner consistency, add in a bit of warm water.
Note: Using a Vitamix-style blender is going to give you the best results, producing the smoothest & creamiest texture. However a regular blender will work as well – leaving only the slightest noticeable texture.

Tomato Free Ketchup
Ingredients
- 2 carrots 132 g, chopped
- 1 apple peeled & cored (98g), chopped
- 1 Tbsp onions minced
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 small beets thinly sliced (20g)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp citric acid optional
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp salt or less to taste
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- Pinch cloves
- Pinch allspice
Instructions
- Combine first 6 ingredients into a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add a bit more water if needed to break down mixture. Begin adding only a few slices of beet at a time, until the desired color is achieved (it will not take very much).
- Pour into a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Reduce temperature, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir frequently and adding more water as needed to soften mixture. Eventually allow almost all of the liquid to evaporate, leaving behind a thick mixture (if you are not using a heavy bottom pot, the mixture can easily burn to the bottom). Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Allow to cool 15 minutes then scrape into a blender and puree until completely smooth - add a bit of warm water if needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Best served slightly warmed or at room temperature.
- Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
A note about citric acid: “It is usually made from corn, beet sugar or molasses. Even when made from wheat,citric acid is so highly processed and purified that no gluten protein would remain. It is used to make corn flour, corn starch, grits, hominy, and polenta, all of which are gluten free”. source1, source2