What Does V8 Taste Like?

Wondering about V8?We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the taste and texture as well as some helpful tips and tricks for turning it into a dazzling breakfast beverage or mocktail.

Let’s hop to it…

What Does V8 Taste Like? 

V8 is like tomato juice, but fancier.It has a blend of vegetables added to a tomato base, including carrots, celery, parsley, beets and spinach.As you might imagine, it tastes quite vegetal.

There are no pronounced flavors from any one ingredient in V8—it’s not bitter from the parsley or particularly earthy from the beets.Instead, it’s really quite like herby, slightly salted tomato soup served chilled.

V8 Texture 

V8 looks as soupy as it tastes.It’s much thicker than juice but thinner than marinara with a pureed feel rather than a liquidy juice texture.

In this way, V8 vegetable juice is hardly like juice at all.However, the brand does make something called V8 Splash, which blends fruits and veggies and has more of a traditional juice texture.

Related Article: What Does Turmeric Taste Like?

What Can You Add to V8? 

If V8 is too much like tomato soup for you, there are plenty of ingredients you can add to make the flavor more appealing.The first step is to go the homemade V8 Splash route and add your own fruits in a blender like oranges, mangos and berries.

You can also add hot sauce, horseradish and lemon to make it more like a virgin Bloody Mary.It may sound far-fetched, but adding some fizzy water to a V8 and fruit concoction can produce a darn refreshing drink.

You Might Also Like: What Does Turnip Taste Like?

What Can I Substitute for V8 Juice? 

Whether your craving it or you need it for a recipe but you don’t have any, V8 juice can be swapped for various things, including—did you see this coming?—tomato juice.

You can even use tomato paste and add water until you get the desired flavor and consistency.This is like a hack for tomato juice, and you can add a pinch of celery seed to make it taste a little more like V8.

Tomato soup is also an option, but you have to be careful of garlic and creamy (potentially non-vegan) ingredients.If some garlic and spices won’t affect the outcome of your recipe, then it’s totally doable. 

See Also: Best Juicer Blender Combo Options

Can I Use V8 Instead of Tomato Sauce? 

Believe it or not, you can use V8 if you don’t have tomato sauce.Simply thicken it with a starch like arrowroot or cornstarch or just cook down a bit in a saucepan.

V8 can be used in place of tomato sauce in anything from vegan chili to pasta.Just add the usual seasonings and you’ll end up with a dish that’s quite close to the tomato sauce-based version.

Recommended Article: What Does Vanilla Extract Taste Like?

How to Make V8 Taste Better 

The best way to make V8 taste better is to make your own. Ready to learn how? We’re sharing a couple of video links with recipes for homemade beverages that are better than actual V8.

This recipe can be your base for delicious, nutritious V8.Add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor and feel free to throw in whatever needs to be used up in your fridge.

Here’s what you need:

• Tomatoes
• Celery 
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Beets
• Beet greens

Further Reading: What Does Watermelon Radish Taste Like?

This is a fruit spin on V8 if you’re looking for a sweeter drink that tastes absolutely amazing. And all you need is your trusty blender.

Blend these ingredients:

• Tomatoes
• Oranges
• Carrots
• Papaya
• Lemon juice
• Ice
• Salt

Wrap Up

V8 is a versatile beverage that tastes quite like cold tomato soup and can stand in for tomato sauce when you need it to.As a beverage, it does wonderfully with added fruits and spices.For the freshest flavor, make your own V8 at home and throw in some fruits to make a delicious smoothie.

Related Article: What Does Wheatgrass Taste Like?

Joey Bruno

Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!