Planning to make a meal but the recipe has an ingredient you don’t like or you haven’t got in your pantry? Dijon mustard is one of the rare condiments that most international recipe requires.
It has a very distinct flavor, set apart from the commonly prepared mustard in fast food chains.
Dijon mustard has smooth and creamy in texture, pale color in yellow and has a stingy kick when eaten.
I came to know about Dijon mustard when I was working in a culinary school. This was used as salad dressing along with olive oil and other ingredients.
When I first tasted it, it was kind of unpleasant because of its sour and spicy kick.
I realized that this condiment has a flavor that needs to be acquired. So when you have encountered this ingredient and got you thinking to omit it or rather replace it with something but has no idea what, you may want to find out a Dijon mustard substitute.
1. Homemade honey mustard is friendly to the palate
You can choose whether to make or just buy a commercial honey mustard in the supermarket.
There are a lot of brands that sells honey mustard. This is the most common type of the mustard such that its sweet and sour combination is pleasing to the appetite.
It is a common dip for pretzels. Here’s a quick five-minute homemade honey mustard sauce from Food.com.
The recipe is composed of six ingredients, all of which gives a Dijon mustard flavor. But if you are in a hurry you can just buy a commercial honey mustard instead.
If you are a fan of Wendy’s honey mustard, here’s a copycat recipe from The Slow Roasted Italian.
This is a very popular dipping sauce that goes well with anything, mostly with pretzels.
But if you are up for a salad and your recipe calls for a dressing that has a Dijon mustard, here’s vinaigrette from Eating Well which can help you reduce the kitchen drama.
You just need an empty bottle to shake the ingredients and voila to an instant salad buddy.
2. Yellow mustard for a calm flavor and feel
Yellow mustard is the most classic mustard variety. Well-known partners with a hotdog and seems like majority love this mustard.
Most especially in the United States, the country that consumes most of the mustard in the world.
It is also eaten along with ketchup. They’re like salt and pepper which come as a duo. So if you do not like the spicy and tangy sensation that Dijon mustard gives you can really have this one instead.
It is very mild in taste and very yellow in color that can be attributed from turmeric.
You can also have it homemade and bought commercially. Here’s a homemade recipe suggestion from SeriousEats.
The recipe claims to have a copycat recipe of the brand French’s. I tried doing this recipe and it was a sure hit with my family.
For those who are concerned with their sugar or caloric intake, here’s a recipe from Food.com, especially intended for diabetics. It uses honey and your favorite artificial substitute so you can still eat with mustard in control.
Here’s another interesting homemade yellow mustard recipe with a twist. SpicedBlog.com added beer to the mustard sauce recipe. Great for parties to pair up with chips that could use a different kind of dip. Here, they used a cup of a dark beer to liven up yellow mustard.
3. Homemade Dijon mustard because you can control what’s in it
Why not do a homemade as a Dijon mustard substitute? By that, you can control its spiciness and get away with having those preservatives getting in your body from commercial ones.
Or maybe you don’t want that tangy flavor from Dijon mustard that comes from what they call “verjuice” that is extracted from unripe grapes added with either white wine or white wine vinegar.
Archana’s Kitchen has a homemade Dijon mustard recipe which uses an interesting ingredient along with dry white wine. Sauvignon Black or Chardonnay is being added to have a different alcoholic hint to the mustard.
4. Brown mustard for a spicy option
Contrary to honey mustard and yellow mustard, Spicy brown mustard is the closest Dijon mustard substitute. It has a very spicy taste and an extreme pungency that comes from the high concentration of brown mustard seeds.
Obviously, brown in color and thick in consistency because the bran of the seed is being left attached.
So if you want a substitute that is almost like Dijon mustard, you can opt this one. Especially when you are eating cold cut meats or beef products, this is the best type of mustard to pair up with.
As always, you do have it homemade and commercially bought. So here’s a homemade option from Serious Eats.
5. Wasabi to flare up the spiciness in action
Use wasabi in small portions as a Dijon mustard substitute. Wasabi is quite similar with mustard in texture. It can be bought in powder or paste form. When using it, consider mixing mustard powder with wasabi to bring out a mustard flavor.
Mustard and wasabi are plant relatives so it both gives a spicy and tangy taste. Although wasabi is quite hotter than mustard.
If you happen to have bought wasabi powder, here’s a guide to help you out in turning it into a paste and a video tutorial for a more guided demo.
I also discovered a different kick with this substitute. Try adding a fruit flavor when you are mixing it. It will give you a pleasant sweet hint and compliments the spiciness of mustard and wasabi.
6. Horseradish for a different spicy profile
Next to wasabi, horseradish is the next closest to the spiciness. It also came from the same plant family of mustard and wasabi so this ingredient also has the capacity to give an unpleasant wave of spiciness right up to the nose and to the brain.
But horseradish can be a good Dijon mustard substitute if you really want a spicy hint. It is also creamy in texture and mildly spicy flavor. Horseradish is also in small amounts just like wasabi.
If you want to add a zesty citrusy flavor to the spiciness, here’s a recipe from Real Simple. It calls for a Greek yogurt and lemon which is an interesting addition to the overall flavor.
7. Wagarashi mustard from Japan
Why don’t you travel our gastronomic adventure to Japan? Wagarashi is a Japanese mustard, commonly called “Karashi”. It is close to the flavor of yellow mustard but only spicy.
Contrary to mustard as a condiment, wagarashi is more of a seasoning and not squeezed from bottles because of its extreme pungent flavor.
It is usually served with Japanese dumplings, dim sum, and hot pots and commonly added in soy sauce. Karashi is a common pantry staple in Japan.
8. Turn cheesy and choose parmesan sour cream
Since the earlier suggestions all have a spicy ingredient, but you don’t want it, why don’t you try this Parmesan sour cream. Because nothing goes wrong with a cheese in your ingredient, it will contribute a salty flavor in addition to the sourness of sour cream.
You can use this Dijon mustard substitute into a lot of food preferences. From chip dips to sandwich dressing. Here’s a recipe suggestion for this Dijon mustard substitute.
Did you already found out your Dijon mustard substitute? If you’re like me who like to substitute this mustard with something different or basically wants homemade products this list should be of great help.
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