Beet Ketchup Is A Uniquely Tasty, Nightshade-Free Swap For Your Fries

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If you're a lover of ketchup, it might come as a surprise to you that tomatoes weren't always a defining ingredient. While most brands of ketchup you see on the shelf are a blend of tomatoes, vinegar, and a sweetener, ketchup doesn't have to stick to the conventional modern formula. Beet ketchup is a wonderfully tasty alternative to tomato ketchup that's very easy to make, not to mention nightshade-free.

If you can't stomach raw tomatoes, the culprit might be certain compounds that place tomatoes (along with potatoes, peppers, and eggplant to name a few) in the category of nightshades. While the notion that tomatoes are poisonous has long been disproven, many people complain of stomach inflammation after eating them or any other nightshade. Beets are the sweet veggie with plenty of vital nutrients of their own that'll help recreate a tomato-free ketchup to enjoy with your french fries. While they don't mimic the tangy umami flavor of a tomato, beets have a rich, earthy sweetness that can complement tangy vinegar and aromatics.

All you need to make beet ketchup is roasted beets, vinegar, dates, water, garlic and onion powder, and salt. For every three beets you'll want to use a cup of liquid, usually equal parts water and vinegar. Simply add all ingredients to a blender and blitz until they reach a smooth, thin ketchup-like consistency.

Roasted beets are ideal for ketchup, and many other cooked beet recipes for that matter, because roasting enhances the sweetness and earthy notes that boiling or even shredding doesn't capture nearly as well. If you're roasting beets to add to your ketchup, you can throw in some quartered onions and garlic cloves as well. Roasted onions and garlic would be a major improvement over their powdered versions to blend into beet ketchup. That said, you can take a shortcut by buying pre-packaged cooked beets if you don't have the time to roast beets yourself. Bring more depth of flavor to beet ketchup with the help of different dried spices, herbs, types of sweeteners, and even types of vinegar.

You can draw inspiration from our recipe for homemade ketchup by adding celery seed, mustard powder, and black pepper to the beet ketchup along with the onion and garlic powder and salt. Apple cider vinegar is the most common type of vinegar for ketchup, but you could add a tablespoon or two of an even tangier and sweeter balsamic vinegar to amp up the flavor of beet ketchup. If you don't have dates, you can add a tablespoon or two of brown sugar or molasses instead. Since beets are already very sweet, pomegranate molasses is another great option to sweeten your beet ketchup while bringing a tangy complement. If you want to keep your fries nightshade-free,  pair beet ketchup with sweet potatoes or other root veggies.