For those of you who like to cook, the name sour cream of course no longer sounds foreign. In particular, sour cream is one of the dairy products that lives up to its name, has a sour taste, and is commonly added to various types of dishes or poured over soups, tacos, and baked potatoes as a garnish. Many people even eat sour cream as a dip, lettuce sauce, and marinade. If you're a vegetarian or simply want to use a healthier ingredient, try substituting sour cream for plain or Greek yogurt, crème fraiche, kefir, or even make vegan-friendly substitutes at home!
Step
Part 1 of 2: Replacing Sour Cream with Yogurt
Step 1. Replace sour cream with plain yogurt
If you want a healthier option, try plain plain Greek yogurt or plain plain yogurt, which is similar in texture and consistency to sour cream. In addition, yogurt is also delicious to be processed into dip, lettuce sauce, marinade, or your favorite snack recipe. In general, the amount of yogurt needed can be equal to the amount of sour cream listed in the recipe. Easy, right?
- Remember, the sour taste of food may not be as strong as when you use sour cream.
- Make a cold dipping bowl of yogurt instead of sour cream. To make a creamy and sour bowl of dip, all you need to do is mix 240 ml of Greek yogurt or plain yogurt with 1 tbsp. chopped dill, minced garlic, and 1 tsp. lemon juice. This recipe is great for dipping vegetables or crusty pita bread.
Step 2. Use low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt as a healthier alternative to sour cream
Low or nonfat Greek yogurt contains fewer calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium than sour cream. Specifically, 240 ml of plain sour cream can contain about 480 calories, while the same amount of plain, high-fat Greek yogurt contains only about 220 calories. In addition, Greek yogurt is also a good source of protein to burn energy and metabolism, and is rich in probiotics that are good for your digestive health.
- Generally, Greek yogurt is sold in various flavors in the market. To use it instead of sour cream, choose plain yogurt that has a similar taste, texture, and consistency.
- Pour Greek yogurt instead of sour cream over the surface of the baked potato to cut calories. If you want, yogurt can also be mixed with a pinch of salt, pepper, and chopped parsley or chives to enrich the taste and texture.
Step 3. Choose yogurt with high fat content
Unsalted yogurt is also a healthier alternative to sour cream. However, make sure you use products that are high in fat rather than fat-free, especially since unsweetened yogurt generally contains added thickeners and stabilizers, so it doesn't have the same consistency as sour cream.
Step 4. Prevent the Greek yogurt from clumping
Since Greek yogurt is higher in protein and lower in fat than sour cream, it is more likely to clump when exposed to hot food. To prevent this from happening, pour yogurt over baked potatoes, tacos, or soups just before eating. If you're adding it to a hot sauce, cook the sauce over very low heat and add the yogurt just before turning off the heat so it doesn't stick together.
Part 2 of 2: Replacing Sour Cream with Other Products
Step 1. Try using crème fraiche
For a more luxurious substitute for sour cream, try using crme fraiche ! Like yogurt, crème fraiche is a fermented product whose texture and consistency resembles sour cream. Since the taste of crème fraiche is not too strong, you can mix it into a variety of sweet and savory snacks. In addition, the fat content in crème fraiche is also higher than sour cream and yogurt so the product will not clump when mixed with hot sauce. Unfortunately, the high fat content can make the creamy texture melt when poured over hot soup surfaces as a garnish or grilled under a broiler.
Find crème fraiche on shelves selling cheese and other dairy products in major supermarkets
Step 2. Try using kefir cream
Cream kefir is a delicious substitute for sour cream combined with various types of food. In addition, kefir is the result of fermented cream so it is rich in probiotics and enzymes that are good for the body. Therefore, choose this option if you want to improve your digestive health by consuming more probiotics! Even if it's not as thick as sour cream, it's a good idea to use kefir to make a variety of baked goods or as a salad dressing and marinade.
Due to its very high protein content, kefir cream can thicken when exposed to very high temperatures. That's why you can add it to your favorite sauce or soup recipe that's being cooked on a low heat or just removed from the stove
Step 3. Use buttermilk and butter to make a sour cream substitute
To replace the 240 ml of sour cream in the recipe, you just need to mix 180 ml of buttermilk with 60 grams of butter. Buttermilk itself is a dairy product with a sour taste that can be easily found in large supermarkets and online stores. Since it's not as thick as real sour cream, it's a good idea to use it as a lettuce dip or to make a variety of baked goods.
Step 4. Use heavy whipped cream to make a sour cream substitute
Thick whipped cream contains a very high fat content and has a very creamy texture, making it suitable as a substitute for sour cream. Specifically, you need to first mix 240 ml of whipped cream with 1 tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice for a sour taste. After mixing with the acid, the texture of the product should thicken and resemble the consistency of sour cream.
Drizzle the product over the surface of the soup. If you want, you can also mix it with chopped cucumber and dill leaves to make a delicious Greek marinade for chicken or lamb kebabs
Step 5. Use cashews to make a vegan substitute for sour cream
To make vegan sour cream, all you need is raw cashews, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and apple cider vinegar. The trick, soak 150 grams of cashews in a bowl of water overnight. The next day, process the softened nuts with a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon, and tbsp. apple cider vinegar until the texture is smooth and creamy. Don't worry, this recipe is able to produce products with characters that resemble sour cream, namely creamy and of course, sour.
