Try cooking dinner without garlic.
Just once.
You'll last about four minutes before a recipe asks you to mince three garlic cloves. (And then the jar of pasta sauce in your pantry turns out to have it too.)
Garlic is in everything. Which is great, until it isn't.
Maybe your gut has filed a formal complaint. Maybe you're cooking for someone on a low FODMAP diet. Maybe you just ran out and the store is closed.
Whatever got you here, this is my list of garlic alternatives for everyday cooking that keep a dish flavorful instead of leaving a sad, garlic-shaped hole in it.
(Also, for the record: I'm not a chef or a health professional. I'm a busy guy who wants his cooking to taste good without much effort.)
Note: If cutting garlic has left your meals feeling a little flat, then Wolffia is the easiest way to put something real back in. It's a single whole plant with complete protein and bioactive B12, and it takes zero chopping, cooking, or cleanup. Join the waitlist at mywolfa.com to get early access before we launch in the US.
Why Garlic Gets Kicked Out of the Kitchen
For most people, it comes down to digestion.
Garlic bulbs are high in FODMAPs, specifically fructans, and for some people that means digestive distress. If you have IBS or other digestive sensitivities, even a small amount of garlic may trigger symptoms like bloating, gas, and abdominal pain.
Onions are in the same boat. A quarter cup of chopped onion can exceed FODMAP thresholds.
Here's the detail that makes half the cooking swaps below work:
Fructans are the compounds causing the trouble, and they are water soluble. They are not oil soluble.
So if you simmer a clove in soup and fish it out, the fructans stay behind in the broth. Warm that same clove in oil, and the flavor moves over while the fructans don't.
One thing many home cooks get wrong: garlic powder is still garlic. Same fructans, just dried. Garlic salt too. Plenty of store-bought seasonings hide both, so read the food label.
And to be fair to garlic, people don't reach for garlic only for the taste. Its potential health benefits are associated with sulfur compounds such as allicin, which is also where its reputation for antibacterial properties comes from.
So when garlic leaves your diet, it's fair to ask what goes back in.
Which brings me to my biased pick.
1. Wolffia: A Nutrient Upgrade, Not a Garlic Clone
Let me be straight with you.
Wolffia does not taste like garlic. It isn't an allium, and it won't give you that pungent bite.
So why is it first?
Because when garlic leaves a recipe, two things usually go missing: depth and a bit of nutritional value. Wolffia is my favorite way to put both back, sitting right next to one of the flavor swaps further down.
What It Tastes Like
Subtle. Earthy. A little nutty, with a mild savory depth. That's the taste of wolffia globosa.
It adds a green complexity without overpowering anything, and the texture is delicate enough to disappear into sauces.
Think of it as a companion ingredient. Asafoetida or garlic infused oil brings the garlicky flavor. Wolffia brings everything else.
What's Packed Into a Plant This Small
Wolffia globosa is the world's smallest flowering plant. It's a real, minimally processed whole food, not a 75-ingredient blend.
Here's what that tiny green speck carries:
- Complete protein. All the essential amino acids, with a protein quality score (PDCAAS) of 89%, comparable to animal protein.
- Bioactive vitamin B12. Genuinely rare for a plant. In a randomized controlled trial of 36 men, a meal built on a cultivated strain of Wolffia globosa raised blood B12 more than cheese or peas did.
- Micronutrients. It's rich in polyphenols, iron, zinc, and calcium.
It's grown on water at a single, traceable farm in Thailand. Non-GMO. No pesticides or herbicides. No added sugar.
Where I'd Use It When Garlic Is Off the Table
- Blended into a garlic-free pesto
- Whizzed into green sauces
- Whisked into savory dressings with olive oil and lemon juice
- Sprinkled on as a nutrient-dense garnish or topping for pasta, eggs, or toast
No chopping. No cooking. No dishes. (My three favorite cooking instructions.)
Two Honest Caveats
First, I haven't seen FODMAP testing on Wolffia, so I'm not going to call it low FODMAP. People with sensitive digestive systems should run it by their dietitian first.
Second, you can't buy Wolfa yet. I'm working with our farm in Thailand to bring it to America.
Garlic's Out. Real Nutrition Is In.
Cutting an ingredient shouldn't mean your meals lose something. Wolffia is a single whole plant with complete protein and bioactive B12, and it takes zero prep. Join the waitlist at mywolfa.com for early access before we launch in the US.
If you want a different header, here are two alternates:
- Get Early Access to Wolffia
- Put Something Real Back on Your Plate
2. Asafoetida (Hing)
If you want the spice that actually tastes like garlic, this is it.
Asafoetida is a dried resin from a fennel-like plant. Raw, it smells aggressively sulfurous. Cooked in hot oil or ghee for a few seconds, it develops a pungent, savory aroma similar to cooked garlic and onions.
A tiny pinch does the work of a clove or two in a whole dish of dal, curry, or stew.
It's generally considered low FODMAP, but many powders are cut with wheat flour, so check the label. Store it sealed and away from direct light.
3. Garlic Infused Oil
This is the closest you'll get to real garlic flavor. Because it is real garlic flavor.
Garlic infused oil captures the taste without the FODMAPs, which is why it's considered low FODMAP and safe for sensitive individuals.
The process is simple. Slice a clove or two with a knife, warm the pieces gently in a cup of olive oil over low heat, then strain out every last bit. Skip the garlic press here. A garlic press makes tiny shreds that are hard to strain.
Homemade infused oil belongs in the refrigerator and should be used within a few days. Or just buy a certified bottle.
Use it as your cooking oil for sauces, marinades, and stir fries.
4. Green Onion Tops and Leek Greens
The white bulbs of green onions are high in FODMAPs. The green parts are not.
Leeks work the same way. Green leek leaves are low FODMAP and flavorful, and they can stand in for garlic and onions as the aromatic base of soups and stews.
Slice green onion tops thin and scatter them over a finished dish. Chopped leek greens need a few minutes in the pan over medium heat until they turn tender.
Easy rule: use the green parts, skip the white.
5. Chives and Garlic Chives
Chives are fresh green shoots that belong to the allium family. They offer a mild onion-garlic flavor, and they're low FODMAP.
Garlic chives are the flatter cousin, with a fresh, grassy flavor you'll find all over Southeast Asian cuisine.
Sprinkle chopped fresh chives over eggs, soups, and salads, or fold them into soft butter.
To store them, wrap the bunch in a damp paper towel, slide it into a plastic bag, and keep it in the refrigerator.
6. Shallots
Shallots are a member of the allium family, with a sweet and delicate flavor that lands somewhere between onions and garlic. They're lovely in dressings and light sautés.
Big catch: like onions, shallots are not low FODMAP.
So this is one of the alternatives for "I ran out of garlic," not for "garlic hurts."
7. Ginger
Totally different plant family. Similar job.
Ginger is known for its sharp and warming bite, and it wakes up a savory dish the way garlic and onions do. On the health side, it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Use it raw and grated, or slice it for cooking in stir fries, marinades, and broths.
(If ginger is the thing you're missing, here are my favorite ginger substitutes.)
8. Fennel
Fennel provides a sweet and aromatic base with a subtle anise undertone.
Slice the bulb thin with a sharp knife. Slow cooking turns it tender, and it goes right where most recipes would normally start with onions and garlic. It's great under soups and pasta sauces.
9. Cumin
Cumin doesn't taste like garlic. It fills the same slot.
It gives many dishes an earthy, savory depth, the kind of robust flavor you'd otherwise miss without garlic and onions. Pair it with seasonings like paprika and salt in recipes for rubs, chili, and roasted vegetables.
10. Lemongrass
Lemongrass adds a citrusy flavor that makes up for missing garlic in curries and broths.
Bruise the stalk, let it simmer, and pull it out before the dish hits the table.
11. Truffle Oil
Truffle oil adds an umami flavor similar to garlic.
It's strictly a finishing move. Drizzle a little over a finished dish of pasta or mashed potatoes, and never use it for cooking.
Wait, What About Garlic Bread?
Fair question. Garlic bread without garlic sounds like a prank.
It's not.
Brush sliced bread with garlic infused oil. Sprinkle on salt and chopped chives. Toast until golden.
That's low FODMAP garlic bread, assuming the bread itself works for you.
No infused oil? Melt butter with a tiny pinch of asafoetida instead.
And if you want the most nutritious garlic bread on your street, sprinkle Wolffia over the top once it's out of the oven.
Honestly, most people won't notice the difference. It just tastes like garlic bread.
Garlic-Free Questions, Answered Fast
These four come up constantly, so here are the short versions.
### What do Indians use instead of garlic?
Asafoetida, also called hing. It's the classic choice in Indian cooking traditions that avoid garlic and onions, including Jain recipes. A pinch bloomed in hot oil or ghee gives dal and curries that savory, allium-style depth.
What spice tastes like garlic?
Asafoetida is the closest. It provides a garlic-like flavor once it's cooked. Garlic powder tastes like garlic too, but it's still garlic, so it won't help on a low FODMAP diet.
What can I use instead of garlic if I have acid reflux?
Raw garlic and onions are commonly reported reflux triggers, so gentler alternatives like ginger, fennel, cumin, and fresh herbs are worth trying. Everyone's triggers differ, though. Test one swap at a time and check with your doctor.
What vegetable is similar to garlic?
Shallots, leeks, and onions are the nearest relatives, and green onions are right behind them. If you're eating low FODMAP, stick to the green tops of leeks, green onion tops, and chives.
Picking Between These Alternatives
Here's how I'd decide.
If you want the actual taste of garlic, go with infused oil or asafoetida.
If you want something fresh on top, grab chives or green onions.
If you just ran out and your gut is fine, shallots will do the job.
And if you're tired of recipes losing something every time an ingredient gets cut, that's where Wolffia comes in. It won't replace garlic. It makes what's left on the plate count for more.
You don't need to eat garlic to make your cooking worth eating.
You just need a better plan than leaving it out.
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