Out of Tomato Sauce? These Are the Best Substitutes (2024)

Are you out of tomato sauce and trying to avoid a trip to the grocery store? Thankfully, you probably have something in your pantry or fridge that you can use in its place. Let's look at four possible substitutes for tomato sauce: The two best are tomato paste and canned tomatoes, while ketchup and tomato soup can be used for certain recipes when you are really in a pinch.

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. Tomato sauce is typically seasoned with herbs, garlic, and onion. You may even find the sauce benefits from a drizzle of olive oil or a pinch of sugar.

For the most authentic tomato sauce taste, cook some garlic and onion in oil until they're soft, add the tomato paste and water mixture, and heat through. Taking the time to add a few extra ingredients will greatly enhance the flavor and texture of your finished sauce.

Make Your Own Sauce

It's easy towhip up a batch of tomato sauce—ideal when you have a bounty of fresh tomatoes in your garden. It requires no peeling, blanching, or coring, and it freezes beautifully. Divide it up into meal-size portions in airtight containers so it's easy to grab just what you need from the freezer. Allow it to thaw overnight, or defrost it in the microwave if you're in a hurry. Another option is to use canned tomatoes

Making tomato sauce from canned tomatoes is simple and the same process as using fresh. You can use whatever type of canned tomatoes you have. Whole, stewed, diced, or crushed canned tomatoes work wonderfully.

First, drain off the liquid in the can and put it aside. Then give the tomatoes a quick whirl in your blender or food processor. If the resulting purée seems wetter than a typical tomato sauce, just drain off some excess liquid, or cook the mixture downuntil you reach the desired consistency. If using crushed tomatoes, cook down until it thickens a bit.

Some canned tomato products have added seasonings and some don't. Taste your sauce and tweak the flavor as needed, adding salt, oregano, basil, or your favorite spices. Cook your sauce long enough to warm it through for a fresh tomato sauce, or cook it until it develops a dark color and thick texture if you want more of a jarred sauce consistency. If the sauce gets too thick, add some of the reserved liquid.

Out of Tomato Sauce? These Are the Best Substitutes (3)

More Tomato Sauce Substitutes: Ketchup and Tomato Soup

The following substitutes won't stand in for tomato sauce if you're making a pasta dish, but they will give you satisfactory results if the tomato sauce is being mixed into a crockpot recipe, casserole, or something similar that just needs that touch of tomato taste. Here are a couple of options to try.

  • Ketchup: Use 1 cup of ketchup in place of 1 cup of tomato sauce. Add spices to tweak the flavor as needed. A bit of basil is a good choice.
  • Tomato Soup: Add a 10 3/4-ounce can of tomato soup. Then, cut one of the wet ingredients in the recipe back by 1/4 cup to account for the extra liquid. Tomato soup tends to be sweeter than most tomato sauces, so you may need to make some flavor adjustments.
Out of Tomato Sauce? These Are the Best Substitutes (2024)

FAQs

Out of Tomato Sauce? These Are the Best Substitutes? ›

Thankfully, you probably have something in your pantry or fridge that you can use in its place. Let's look at four possible substitutes for tomato sauce: The two best are tomato paste and canned tomatoes, while ketchup and tomato soup can be used for certain recipes when you are really in a pinch.

What can be used in place of tomato sauce? ›

Thankfully, you probably have something in your pantry or fridge that you can use in its place. Let's look at four possible substitutes for tomato sauce: The two best are tomato paste and canned tomatoes, while ketchup and tomato soup can be used for certain recipes when you are really in a pinch.

What is the same as tomato sauce? ›

Marinara sauce and tomato sauce are often used mutually due to some very easy to see similarities. They taste similar and look the same. So, just what is the difference between marinara and tomato sauce? The key difference is that tomato sauce is thicker and much more complicated.

What is a good substitute for tomatoes in a recipe? ›

If you've thought your recipe through and still think you'd like to substitute for the tomatoes, here are some possibilities:
  • Tomatillos. If you can't eat nightshades, tomatillos are a no-go. ...
  • Red peppers. ...
  • Onions. ...
  • Peaches. ...
  • Butternut squash. ...
  • Apples.
4 days ago

Can I replace tomato sauce with ketchup? ›

Dishes like bolognese or lasagna sauce are probably out. However, slow cooker meals, pot roasts, glazes, casseroles, meatloaf, and beans could all handle the swap. In these cases, you can substitute ketchup for tomato sauce in a one-to-one ratio, but adjust the recipe to balance out the sweetness.

What to put on spaghetti when you have no sauce? ›

Simply melt butter and sprinkle in some garlic powder. Toss your spaghetti or favorite type of pasta in this delightful mixture to create a filling and appetizing meal. This is a great way to enjoy pasta on hot days, when a heavy pasta sauce is just too filling.

What is a good substitute for tomatoes if you are allergic to tomatoes? ›

Beets – If you're looking to add some sweetness to your salads or a substitute base for pasta sauces, beets can be a great substitute packed with Vitamin C that you would get from tomatoes. Carrots – Similar to beets, carrots can be a great substitute base especially in soups and are a great source of beta-carotene .

Is tomato sauce basically ketchup? ›

Sugar is the main component that differentiates tomato ketchup and tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is often made with only tomatoes, seasonings, onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Ketchup, on the other hand, typically has additional sugar, which contributes to its sweeter flavour.

Can you use tomato soup instead of tomato sauce? ›

Although it is likely to change the flavor profile more than other substitutes, tomato soup can work as a tomato sauce substitute. A can of tomato soup can replace 1 cup of tomato sauce. However, because the soup has more liquid than tomato sauce, you should reduce another liquid ingredient by 1/4 cup if possible.

Why use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce? ›

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.

What can I substitute for tomato sauce in Lasagna? ›

What can I substitute for tomato sauce?
  • Tomato paste. “I think of tomato paste as the garlic powder equivalent to fresh garlic,” Xie said, noting that it's highly concentrated and very dehydrated. ...
  • Canned tomatoes. ...
  • Tomato soup. ...
  • Ketchup. ...
  • Fresh tomato. ...
  • Sun-dried tomatoes.
Mar 24, 2022

What can I use instead of tomato sauce on pizza? ›

What can I use instead of pizza sauce?
  • White Base. White based pizzas are made many different ways but the most common is cheese (usually mozzarella but there's no white base rules to follow) straight onto the base followed by toppings. ...
  • BBQ Sauce. ...
  • Vegetable Purees. ...
  • Cheese Sauce/Rarebit. ...
  • Creme Fraiche.

What's a good substitute for tomatoes in salad? ›

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!

What is a substitute for 1 cup of tomato sauce? ›

For this swap, David Joachim, author of The Food Substitutions Bible, recommends you use ½ cup tomato paste and ½ cup water to replace 1 cup of tomato sauce—just keep in mind that you'll need to season your substitute to taste.

What is a healthy alternative to tomato sauce? ›

Carrot and Beet Sauce

Similar to marinara but with a different flavor, carrots, and beets offer a ton of nutrition and can be supplemented in many dishes that use tomato sauce. Try sauteeing the vegetables with onion, garlic, and olive oil, then blend to desired texture. Add seasonings to taste.

How much tomato paste to make 14 oz of tomato sauce? ›

Mix 4 tablespoons of tomato paste with 1 1/2 cups of water , 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. It will be watery when “raw” but once added into a dish like Bolognese, it thickens as it cooks (it only takes 3 minutes to thicken). This makes 400 grams (14 oz) which equates to 1 standard can of tomato.

Is tomato ketchup and tomato sauce the same? ›

Sugar is the main component that differentiates tomato ketchup and tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is often made with only tomatoes, seasonings, onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Ketchup, on the other hand, typically has additional sugar, which contributes to its sweeter flavour.

Is tomato juice and tomato sauce the same thing? ›

Tomato juice is typically made completely from tomatoes with a little salt added. Sauce generally consists of the same ingredients: tomatoes, water, and salt, plus a little lemon juice to ensure proper acidity during the canning process.

How do I substitute tomato juice for tomato sauce? ›

Tomato Sauce Substitute for Tomato Juice

For example, 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water to make 1 cup tomato juice. This alternative will give you a very close approximation of what you will get with canned tomato juice.

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