Copycat recipe advice needed
October 12, 2022 9:56 AM Subscribe
We sometimes get deliveries from Hungryroot, and I really like their Superfood Tomato sauce. I'd like to either find it available elsewhere or come up with a recipe that's pretty close to it. I'm just not sure how to start! Pics, ingredient list, and nutritional info inside.
Some of the Hungryroot branded stuff is available widely in grocery stores. For instance, their Coconut Curry is Hope Thai Coconut Curry Hummus. But I haven't been able to find this anywhere else by googling the ingredient list. I'm a pretty good cook, but really only follow recipes. How would you start when trying to recreate it at home? The ingredients should be listed by descending amount included, right? Is that by weight?
Ingredients are: Red Bell Pepper Puree, Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Citric Acid), Tomato Paste, Hulled Hemp Hearts, Water, Lemon Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Parsley, Salt, Crushed Red Pepper
Nutritional info per 1/4 cup:
Amount per serving: Calories 70, Total Fat 4g (5% DV), Sat. Fat 0g (0% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 150mg (7% DV), Total Carbohydrate 7g (3% DV), Dietary Fiber 1g (4% DV), Sugars 4g (includes 0g Added Sugars 0% DV), Protein 2g, Vitamin D (0% DV), Calcium (0% DV), Iron (6% DV), Potassium (2% DV)
Blurry pic to try to demonstrate how thick it is.
Link to the product page which has all of this info plus a better picture and why didn't I think of that sooner?
Some of the Hungryroot branded stuff is available widely in grocery stores. For instance, their Coconut Curry is Hope Thai Coconut Curry Hummus. But I haven't been able to find this anywhere else by googling the ingredient list. I'm a pretty good cook, but really only follow recipes. How would you start when trying to recreate it at home? The ingredients should be listed by descending amount included, right? Is that by weight?
Ingredients are: Red Bell Pepper Puree, Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Citric Acid), Tomato Paste, Hulled Hemp Hearts, Water, Lemon Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Parsley, Salt, Crushed Red Pepper
Nutritional info per 1/4 cup:
Amount per serving: Calories 70, Total Fat 4g (5% DV), Sat. Fat 0g (0% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 150mg (7% DV), Total Carbohydrate 7g (3% DV), Dietary Fiber 1g (4% DV), Sugars 4g (includes 0g Added Sugars 0% DV), Protein 2g, Vitamin D (0% DV), Calcium (0% DV), Iron (6% DV), Potassium (2% DV)
Blurry pic to try to demonstrate how thick it is.
Link to the product page which has all of this info plus a better picture and why didn't I think of that sooner?
I like this sauce too. I think the two key ingredients that make it special are the bell pepper puree (which impact its flavor) and the hulled hemp hearts, which are a thickening agent as well as adding protein. For he puree, I would get a jar of roasted peppers and whizz them in the blender. The vinegar in the jarred peppers would replace the lemon juice and maybe even some of the oil. I'd start with those three ingredients and see what happens, then adjust from there.
posted by OrangeDisk at 11:54 AM on October 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by OrangeDisk at 11:54 AM on October 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
One more thought -- maybe try pomodoro sauce rather than diced tomatoes or tomato sauce. I think the texture might be more similar.
posted by OrangeDisk at 11:56 AM on October 12, 2022
posted by OrangeDisk at 11:56 AM on October 12, 2022
I haven't made it, but this recipe looks very similar. Looks like soaking the hemp seeds might be the essential step.
In blender, combine all ingredients until smooth:
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1⁄2 cup raw hemp seeds, soaked
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
posted by veery at 12:35 PM on October 12, 2022
In blender, combine all ingredients until smooth:
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1⁄2 cup raw hemp seeds, soaked
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
posted by veery at 12:35 PM on October 12, 2022
Ajvar is bell pepper puree, and since it is top of the list, it should be the main element. I can buy it in a jar here, but I don't remember the name of the brand -- you don't want a version with eggplant, and maybe it is something my grocer imports from someone they know in North Macedonia or another Balkan country. (I have learnt of it from a Macedonian friend).
Second on the list is tomatoes, and here I think you could use crushed tomatoes from a can.
I would start by trying one cup of ajvar, two thirds of a cup of crushed tomato, a tablespoon of tomato paste, and I have no idea how many soaked hemp hearts/seeds, see the comment above for that. Blend with a tablespoon of olive oil to and a tablespoon of chopped parsley to begin with. Add the rest of the ingredients to taste, and possibly extra olive oil.
posted by mumimor at 1:12 PM on October 12, 2022
Second on the list is tomatoes, and here I think you could use crushed tomatoes from a can.
I would start by trying one cup of ajvar, two thirds of a cup of crushed tomato, a tablespoon of tomato paste, and I have no idea how many soaked hemp hearts/seeds, see the comment above for that. Blend with a tablespoon of olive oil to and a tablespoon of chopped parsley to begin with. Add the rest of the ingredients to taste, and possibly extra olive oil.
posted by mumimor at 1:12 PM on October 12, 2022
Yes, the ingredients are listed by weight.
Based on the pictures, the hemp hearts don't appear to be pureed into the sauce (or maybe only a small portion are). If you blend them with the pepper and tomato, you will most likely get more creamy richness than you are expecting.
Have some of the original sauce with you when you are developing the recipe. I suggest blending the red pepper and tomatoes together until you approximate the right ratio for flavor, stirring in the other ingredients, and then stopping to assess for creaminess... The olive oil will provide a particular richness. But does the original sauce have a creaminess that yours is missing? If so, then they are probably pureeing in some of the hemp hearts versus just stirring them in.
If you decide to puree a jar of roasted peppers, drain off and reserve the liquid, then taste it before using any (different brands taste better than others). If you don't like the flavor, just sub a little water if you need to thin out the mixture.
Canned tomatoes are a good call here - look for whole tomatoes packed in puree. Diced tomatoes usually contain calcium chloride - it's a firming agent and won't allow the tomatoes to blend up as smoothly. Calcium chloride is safe - it just impacts the texture in a way you don't want for this application. OrangeDisk's suggest is also good if your local store has a brand you like.
posted by jenquat at 4:41 PM on October 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
Based on the pictures, the hemp hearts don't appear to be pureed into the sauce (or maybe only a small portion are). If you blend them with the pepper and tomato, you will most likely get more creamy richness than you are expecting.
Have some of the original sauce with you when you are developing the recipe. I suggest blending the red pepper and tomatoes together until you approximate the right ratio for flavor, stirring in the other ingredients, and then stopping to assess for creaminess... The olive oil will provide a particular richness. But does the original sauce have a creaminess that yours is missing? If so, then they are probably pureeing in some of the hemp hearts versus just stirring them in.
If you decide to puree a jar of roasted peppers, drain off and reserve the liquid, then taste it before using any (different brands taste better than others). If you don't like the flavor, just sub a little water if you need to thin out the mixture.
Canned tomatoes are a good call here - look for whole tomatoes packed in puree. Diced tomatoes usually contain calcium chloride - it's a firming agent and won't allow the tomatoes to blend up as smoothly. Calcium chloride is safe - it just impacts the texture in a way you don't want for this application. OrangeDisk's suggest is also good if your local store has a brand you like.
posted by jenquat at 4:41 PM on October 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
Trader Joes has red pepper garlic puree in jars, as well as a red pepper, eggplant, garlic sauce in a jar. Both are nice products. I will buy a jar or two and stick them in my pantry for when I run out of stuff to put on toast. I am also fond of toasting pumpkin seeds in a pan with garlic, and using them ground into sauces. I ran across a sauce called pipian, which is a protein rich green mole that can be made vegan and is a nice source of protein.
posted by Oyéah at 8:20 PM on October 12, 2022
posted by Oyéah at 8:20 PM on October 12, 2022
Response by poster: Thanks, all! I will report back once we get another delivery and I have a chance to experiment!
posted by amarynth at 6:11 AM on October 21, 2022
posted by amarynth at 6:11 AM on October 21, 2022
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posted by Captain_Science at 10:20 AM on October 12, 2022 [1 favorite]