Cocktail Sauce

A low-FODMAP cocktail sauce for shrimp, made from onion- and garlic-free tomato ketchup and prepared horseradish instead of the usual bottled Worcestershire.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 6

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (120 g) low-FODMAP ketchup, or a store ketchup with no onion, garlic, or high-fructose corn syrup
• 2 to 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained (check the label for added onion or garlic)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos (stands in for Worcestershire)
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco (optional; scan the label for garlic)
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

This makes about 3/4 cup, enough for roughly six 2-tablespoon servings.

Instructions

Whisk

1. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the horseradish, lemon juice, tamari, hot sauce if using, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
2. Whisk until smooth and evenly colored.

Adjust and chill

1. Taste. Add the remaining tablespoon of horseradish for more heat, or a little more lemon for a sharper edge.
2. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. The horseradish bite mellows and the flavors settle.
3. Serve cold, alongside chilled cooked shrimp.

Tips & Substitutions

• Skip the Worcestershire. Lea & Perrins and most other brands list onion and garlic near the top. A teaspoon of gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos covers the salty, savory note without them.
• Check the horseradish label. Plain prepared horseradish is horseradish root, vinegar, and salt, and it is generally considered low-FODMAP in the small amounts used here. Creamed "horseradish sauce" versions often add onion, garlic, or cream, so read the ingredients.
• Watch store-bought ketchup. Many national brands use high-fructose corn syrup and onion powder. Homemade low-FODMAP ketchup or a label-checked bottle keeps the base clean.
• Dial heat with horseradish, not more sauce. Extra horseradish sharpens the sauce without adding tomato. A pinch of cayenne works too; the only trap is garlic-based chili blends and pastes.
• Serve it as a dip or a spoon-over. Keep it thick for dunking shrimp, or thin it with a teaspoon of lemon juice or water to drizzle over a seafood platter.
• Salt to the shrimp, not the jar. Cooked shrimp is already salty, so start with the 1/8 teaspoon here and adjust after you taste the sauce with a piece of shrimp.

Why This Works

• The tomato base is portioned. Cocktail sauce is mostly ketchup, and low-FODMAP ketchup keeps the tomato paste under the Monash serve of 2 tablespoons. A 2-tablespoon scoop of finished sauce sits well inside that.
• Horseradish is the heat, not garlic. The classic bite comes from horseradish root, which brings the pungency without the fructans in garlic. Fructans are a type of FODMAP the small intestine cannot break down.
• No bottled Worcestershire. Standard Worcestershire lists onion and garlic, so a little tamari or coconut aminos delivers the same savory depth in its place.
• Lemon does the brightening. Fresh lemon juice is low-FODMAP and adds the acid that makes the sauce taste finished, so you do not need onion or garlic for lift.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to 1 week. The flavor is best about 30 minutes after mixing and holds for several days, though the horseradish heat fades slowly over time. Stir and taste before serving, and whisk in a little fresh horseradish if it has gone flat. It does not freeze well.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.