What to do when you are out of fresh garlic.

First, don’t let that happen. But, if it does, here are some ideas.

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Why replace garlic?

Garlic in marinara or on bruschetta is delicious. But, if you can’t eat it, don’t want it, or can’t find it, some solution is needed.

Imagine getting ready to make marinara only to find you used all the fresh garlic. Yikes! What do you do?  

You have a few options to use to replace that garlic. One key point in substituting for garlic is we will not find that exact flavor. Your pantry may already have what you need to replace garlic, but in a different form than fresh cloves.

You can replace fresh garlic with powdered garlic, granulated garlic, even frozen garlic paste. Each can work as stand-ins to replace fresh garlic. Garlic chives have a particularly garlicky aroma and fresh garlic flavor without the harsh bite. Garlic chives are flat, almost like blades of grass but smell like garlic. Regular chives are a good flavor substitution but are not a garlic flavor replacement.  Savory Spice is one of my favorite online spice companies and has this garlic page.

Use dehydrated garlic

Dehydrated garlic powder, granules, and even garlic chips are easy to hydrate. If your recipe asks for a clove of garlic, that is generally accepted to be one teaspoon. Spoon half a teaspoon of garlic powder or granules into a small kitchen cup and add half a teaspoon of water. Stir the mix and let it rest until the water is absorbed. The mixture should be a slightly thick paste.

When rehydrating dry garlic, or any dried food, the larger the piece, the longer the rehydration time. Garlic chips will take longer, and maybe more water, than garlic powder.

The goal is to rehydrate the garlic so when the mixture is added to the hot pan, the powder doesn’t burn.  

The water will make steam, which will allow the garlic aroma to develop and flavor the dish.

Garlic salt is intended to be used after cooking or in cold, ready-to-eat dishes. It will rehydrate the same as garlic powder, but the salt will dissolve. Using rehydrated garlic salt adds an unknown amount of salt to your dish.  

What to do when you can’t have garlic?

Can’t have it or don’t want it excludes replacing it. So, we go the building flavor route.

Frankly, one simply does not substitute garlic. We know that garlic adds a depth of flavor to the dish. Garlic adds an earthiness. Some call that umami which also occurs in mushrooms. I made this podcast about umami.

Sweet isn’t the first flavor most people will identify in garlic. Sulphury–that strong pungency–is what most people think of. That sweetness is in there, behind the harsh, assertive notes. But, garlic is first a bit abrasive.  

Why we use garlic and the flavors it offers provides us some direction in how to replace it. Garlic can offer texture in addition to flavor. Just-cooked garlic can be a bit crunchy and toothsome with a strong sulfur garlic taste. Garlic that is blanched, or made into a confit, or roasting brings out the umami notes and makes a smooth, spreadable, clove with a silky texture.  

Fresh ginger is a substitute for garlic

For the zippy, almost spicy hot flavor from garlic, we can use fresh horseradish or fresh ginger root. Prepared horseradish, as you find in the produce cooler, can work but it comes with the addition of vinegar. The fresh root is preferred, but in either case, add the horseradish at the end of the dish, just seconds before you serve. Heat destroys the pungency compounds. Freshly grated ginger also offers quite a zip and some amount of heat. As with the horseradish, to keep that pungent aroma, add freshly grated ginger at the end of cooking.

Ginger does offer another opportunity for flavor. Cut a portion of the root in half end to end. Put the cut side on the cutting board and cut thin slices, making half-moon-looking shapes. I don’t peel my ginger, but I do wash it first. The thin slices will hold their shape in cooking, for a nice aesthetic. They also lose that hot bite and offer a more subtle ginger flavor. I like it mixed with tomato-based sauces on pretty much anything, from pasta to chicken or fish. For the full ginger effect, use both cooked and raw.

The Taste Test: How it started

To find a good flavor substitute for garlic, I tested celery, parsnip, fennel, celery root, ginger, and prepared horseradish. Fresh horseradish was not an option at my store.  Some of these ideas were popular substitutes on various searches but no site explained how they were good substitutes.


Each test used half a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, a tablespoon of minced aromatic, and then some orzo pasta. The procedure was to let the aromatic brown lightly to develop the flavor, add the cold orzo and a few drops of water. Each test was seasoned with salt. In some tests, additional sizes were cut. All tests started with the minced portion, except ginger, and I saw no need to pursue those various cuts for flavor.

How it went

1. Celery: I see no way to make this substitute for garlic. Celery is an excellent aromatic when combined with others, onions, and carrots, but alone, in this test, the celery flavor was there, but not a deep, rich flavor.  Frankly, anyone who posts this is a good replacement for garlic doesn’t cook.

 

2. Parsnip: I wanted this to work. The parsnip did offer its earthy sweetness, a kind of old European aroma. I did find a mild depth of flavor.

 

 

3. Fennel: Very subtle. Almost not even there. 

 

 

 

4. Celery root: This had a noticeable upfront flavor that stayed through the bite. For flavor that builds a foundation, celery root can work.

 

 

5. Ginger: Cooked sliced half-moons had the expected ginger flavor. For this test, I added a teaspoon of marinara sauce. Ginger and tomatoes are a flavor I find appealing. This had the level of flavor a garlic pasta would have.

 

6. Ginger: Raw. I added an eighth of a teaspoon of ginger paste at the very end of this test and used marinara as with the cooked ginger. Even that little amount was very present. This would also be a good garlic substitute.

7. Prepared horseradish: I used tomato sauce in this test and added it just before tasting. Honestly, there is no way to taste horseradish and tomato and not think of cocktail sauce. This was not a win. However, what might work is a cream sauce with horseradish and smoked salmon sauce.

Review and more suggestions

Cooking these test aromatics slowly to develop a light brown color is one method for building flavor. The light brown, or darker brown, if you let it cook that long, is caramelization. 

Caramelization is the way to flavor town. Low-ish heat and thin slices of our replacement aromatics will bring a deep and rich flavor to your dishes. The produce section is filled with other alternatives, too. Bell peppers offer a variety of flavors depending on which of the red, yellow, or green you use. Roasted red and yellow bell peppers offer a nice texture and are flavorful substitutes. Various mushrooms and even eggplant can be useful alternatives to create a rich, garlic-free dish.

Garlic replacements may already be on hand if you need them. A little rehydrating and they are almost as good as fresh garlic.

Garlic substitutes are another matter. Setting expectations right will avoid disappointment. Through slow caramelization and flavor development, you can build memorable dishes.

 

Buy your spices and herbs from my affiliate Savory Spice. I love their mixes such as the Mt Hood Toasted Onion Rub but I press it into service for the French Onion Chip Dip.

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