Tomato Paste Substitute: What Can You Use Instead? (2024)

FAQs

Tomato Paste Substitute: What Can You Use Instead? ›

You don't have to dash out to the store if you're out of tomato paste; tomato sauce and tomato puree are both an excellent substitute. For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste needed, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce.

Tomato purée (boiled and strained tomatoes) works well as a tomato paste alternative. Since purée is much thinner than paste, you'll get the best results if you cook it over medium heat for about 10 minutes before adding it to your recipe — this will give you a slightly thicker consistency and more intense flavor.

Tomato-free swap: Roasted red peppers, refreshing cucumber slices, roasted beets, and figs are just a few options to replace that slightly sweet, juicy tomato. You might find that you prefer your gourmet tomato substitute!

Some recipes use a combination of tomato juice, sauce, or paste along with ketchup. For a 12-serving pot of chili, up to a cup of ketchup will add the sweet and tangy flavors to each bowl. A smaller pot of chili, or one that uses diced tomatoes along with the juice, might only need ½-cup of ketchup instead.

Tomato sauce is thinner than both tomato puree and tomato paste and it is seasoned. Tomato puree provides a rich tomato taste in a thick sauce with no seasonings whatsoever. Tomato paste has the thickest texture and consistency of all three and is used to add a savory, cooked brown note to your dishes.

Tomato paste is an essential pantry staple to have on hand for whipping up delicious, deeply flavored meals—it can transform a ho-hum recipe, like a soup or sauce, into something really special.

Make a Substitute Using Canned Tomatoes

Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and reduced by about two-thirds. A 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes should yield about 2/3 cup (6 ounces) of tomato paste.

To transform your sauce into a paste, simply heat tomato sauce in a pan. Let it simmer and stir it constantly until it is reduced by half. This should take around 10 minutes and produce about 7 ounces of paste from a 15-ounce can of sauce.

Tomato paste is a great way to add bonus tomato flavor, and thickness, to a chili recipe. To get the best flavor it needs to be browned. Add a couple tablespoons (or a whole can if you want a thicker soup base) directly to the pan after cooking the meat and onions. Stir the paste occasionally to prevent burning.

Is tomato paste just thicker tomato sauce? ›

Consistency: Tomato sauce is significantly thinner. Tomato paste is so thick, it doesn't pour.

Substitute Tomato Paste For Tomato Sauce

If you have a can of tomato paste in your pantry, you are in luck—this is the best substitution for tomato sauce. All you need is the tomato paste and water. Mix together 1 part tomato paste and 1 part water until well blended. Then, season your "sauce" to taste.

No, tomato sauce has a thinner consistency and is a seasoned product, with added spices and flavor. Tomato paste is thick, plain (yet intense) cooked-for-hours-and-hours tomatoes that have had the skins and seeds strained out. The two products taste very different straight out of the can or jar.

Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.

Tomato paste is a product that proves that good things come in small packages. It's sold in very small cans or tubes, which tend to contain around 9 or 10 tablespoons of paste. Think of it sort of like the demi-glace of tomato sauce.

Another quick fix is to add cheese: freshly grated Parmesan will add umami and thicken the sauce. Cream cheese is one of our favorite secret ingredients and will thicken a tomato sauce quickly.