Tomato puree is a very popular and beloved ingredient in cooking. This simple ingredient can be used to make delicious pasta sauces or special dips for tortilla chips, seasoning soups, and lasagna. Tomato puree is also great for thickening sauces and making homemade barbeque dressings. Substitute For Tomato Puree are quite tasty and popular among local people across the world.
Tomato paste is a thick sauce made from tomatoes. It’s made by juicing the tomatoes, straining to remove seeds and skin, and then simmering. Tomato puree has a thicker consistency than tomato sauce but is not as thick and rich in flavor as tomato paste. It is used as a thickening or base flavoring agent in many soups and dishes.
Alternatives and Substitutes For Tomato Puree
What if you are in a situation where you need tomato puree, but don’t have any? Below, we have summed up some best alternatives in that situation:
Tomato Sauce
Made of tomatoes and water, tomato sauce is an excellent substitute for tomato puree. You should note that tomato sauces usually contain more ingredients than regular tomato purée. You can easily modify it by adding or removing other ingredients from your dish, including vegetables, meat, cream, or spices. You can season tomato sauce with salt, pepper, or other seasonings. A major difference that arises is the thinner consistency of tomato sauce.
Cook it in a pan or container to increase its thickness. Many tomato sauces are available at a local grocery store, as they come in many flavors and brands. You can substitute any flavor you like with the classic or the original flavors. These are the ones that complement most tomato-based dishes. For every cup of puree, you should use one cup of sauce.
Pizza Sauce
Even though it might seem oddly substitute for tomato puree, pizza sauce is an excellent alternative to make when you are in a rush. Pizza lovers will be happy to learn that pizza sauce can substitute for tomato puree. You can use it in the same amount as tomato purée in your dishes.
Pizza sauce is high in salt, spices, sugar, and other ingredients, and thus, it is best to not add any ingredients. It is a thicker alternative used to top pizzas. It’s also used frequently as a dipping sauce, and many people use it in their meatball and eggplant recipes.
The sauce is basically a tomato puree but with additional flavorings and seasoning. You can use this substitute as an equivalent substitution, and to accommodate the extra flavor, you might modify your other ingredients. The consistency of the pizza sauce is thick and has a strong flavor.
It contains the fresh taste of tomatoes and the minty taste of oregano. It can be used in simple dishes like pies and burritos. You can also use it as a substitute for the puree in soups, grilling, or dipping sauces.
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste is different from tomato puree in that it is cooked longer. It has a thicker consistency, a more rigid texture, and a deeper, more acidic flavor. However, it retains some sweetness. Tomato paste is highly concentrated, so recipes tend to require small quantities.
To thinner the consistency of tomato paste, you can add some water or olive oil to it. To avoid making it too watery, only add a small amount at a time. If the mixture is not blending well, you can simmer the mixture on low heat while mixing until it reaches a consistency similar to the tomato puree.
To compensate for the differences in flavor intensity, you will need to use slightly more paste than what you would puree. Be careful not to make the mixture too watery. A few teaspoons would be sufficient. If you have fresh tomatoes, you can add some more to the mix.
You can also buy tomato paste in large quantities in bottles. There are no seasonings or spices added to the tomato paste. You can make tomato puree from mashed tomatoes as it will have a similar texture and taste to mashed tomatoes. To replace the tomato with 1/3 cup of tomato puree, add 2/3 cup water and the herbs.
Diced tomatoes
Diced tomatoes are the best substitute for tomato purée. Tomato puree is not often made with many additives, so it’s easy to make your own using simple diced or minced tomato paste from the produce aisle. Tomato puree can be much smoother than diced tomatoes and is easier to swallow.
This is fine for some tomato lovers. Some people enjoy the taste of their tomatoes and don’t mind a bit of extra chewing. It all depends on the recipe as to whether a thicker tomato topping is necessary.
It is important to know that diced tomatoes can be used in recipes that call for tomato puree. A person will need two tablespoons of diced tomatoes for every tablespoon of tomato purée that a recipe calls. This is due to the differences in the surface area between them.
Canned tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are another great alternative to tomato puree. They are available in almost every corner shop. This option is very practical as the best before the date for canned fruits can be quite generous. These tomatoes are blended to release liquid. Or you can leave them whole. You can substitute tomato puree for a real substitute by not adding any seasonings, spices, pepper, or salt. You can use canned tomatoes in equal amounts in your recipes to substitute the puree.
Canned tomatoes are an affordable and convenient alternative found at most grocery stores. There may be a few tins in your cupboard. You can make a puree out of canned tomatoes just like fresh tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are cooled, blend them and add them to your recipe. Canned tomatoes will likely be the next best thing for a good soup. Canned tomatoes taste very similar to tomato paste in density and flavor. The flavor of canned tomatoes can be improved by using them.
To use canned tomatoes in place of tomato puree, you will need to remove the stems from the pieces. The tomato paste from a pot is more concentrated than the tomato paste. It may be necessary to use canned tomatoes for this dish to get a rich tomato flavor. In a 1: 2, replace the tomato sauce with the tomatoes cooked in a pot. If a recipe calls for two tablespoons of tomato paste, you can substitute it with four tablespoons of tomatoes in a pot.
Roasted Tomatoes
You can roast fresh tomatoes to make your tomato puree if you have plenty of them. Thanks to this substitute, the puree will have a deeper and richer flavor, which gives the dishes a deep and rich flavor. Be patient. Put the tomatoes in a bowl, drizzle oil on them, and then roast them. After the tomatoes are roasted, blend them until you get the desired consistency. You can also use a 1-to-1 substitution.
Ketchup
Although tomatoes are the primary ingredient in ketchup, it is not always a good substitute for tomato-based sauces. Ketchup can be used as a condiment on the table, and you must not add it to the food. It is typically added to the cooking process to enhance flavor. Ketchup can be made from many ingredients other than tomatoes, such as sugar, vinegar, salt, and various seasonings and spice. This is the secret to ketchup’s distinctive sweet-tangy flavor. You may find that vinegar and sugar are stronger than puree.
Tomato ketchup is also thinner than puree and closer to a sauce. Ketchup’s strong vinegar flavor pairs well with meat. Ketchup also contains more sugar, which gives it a unique flavor. It has a texture that is markedly different from tomato puree. Tomato puree is smooth but still retains some texture. Ketchup is, however, silky smooth. You can substitute ketchup for tomato puree, but it will have a taste and texture that is not as good as tomato puree.
However, you can use it in pinches if your preference is there. If you need a mildly sweet flavor, you can use ketchup in place of tomato puree. Although it is not the best substitute for real mashed tomatoes, it can be a great way to save time if you have a recipe that requires very little tomato paste.
Red Bell Pepper
Bell pepper is an excellent alternative to tomato puree if you want to try other vegetables. Even though they lack acidity, the red, orange, and yellow bell peppers have a similar sweetness to tomatoes. You can also add a little vinegar to enhance the flavor. Romesco sauce is made from pureed and cooked bell peppers. It’s very similar to tomato sauce. You can make it by simply cooking bell peppers and blending them with olive oils.
Pumpkin Puree or Squash
You can also substitute tomato puree with pumpkin or squash purée. Both are from the same family and can be available in canned form, the same as tomato puree. However, neither of these winter squashes are known to have much juice, so the resulting puree may be a little dry. It is more like tomato paste than tomato puree. The result is thicker and dryer than tomato paste. However, you can quickly fix it by adding oil or water to the mixture while using it to make recipes like pumpkin bread etc.
For every two tablespoons of tomato puree, a chef should use approximately one tablespoon of tomato/squash puree. However, there are very few differences in taste. Both substitutes for tomato purée have distinct flavors, but they will get lost in all the other flavors and spices used in most tomato puree dishes. It is not recommended that tomato be replaced in dishes that have it as the main ingredient.
Passata
Passata, which means puree in Italian, is probably something you know if you speak it. The American and Italian versions are different. The Italian version of tomatoes is usually left raw during purée, which results in a thicker final product.
American tomato puree is made from skinned and cooked tomatoes. Passata is made from crushed tomatoes that have been pulverized in a can. This gives it a strong tomato taste and thick consistency. Passata shines when used in soups and pasta recipes that don’t take more than 30 minutes to cook.
Passata is slightly thicker, so you may need to add water to thin it. Passata is less popular in the United States but is still available in specialty food stores and grocery stores. It is an excellent substitute for tomato puree if you have any, as both are similar in texture and taste. You may need to thin the puree a bit more than passata.
Fish Sauce and Worcestershire
Some people don’t like tomatoes, and others want to make dishes that include tomato puree. There are two options that a chef could use interchangeably in this category. You can use tomato puree in a recipe as either a primary flavor or sauce base. If you prefer Worcestershire Sauce or fish sauce, it will surely work. Although they lack the sweetness of tomato purée or any substitutes, both sauces add a similar zest to the dish.
They can also be used as binding agents in sauces that require them. They have a similar taste to tomato puree if they are well mixed with other ingredients. Both sauces are thinner and have a stronger flavor than the tomato puree. They are not the best substitute for tomato purée. A chef will have to adjust the quantities and water down the sauces. However, they will still serve the same purpose as tomato puree when cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between purees and pastes?
Passata, a thick sauce that is sweet and creamy, is used to base soups and traditional sauces. Tomato puree tomatoes are heated before skinning and deacidified to release their final flavor. Passata tomatoes are usually cold-puréed and thus raw.
Is tomato purée healthy?
Yes, homemade tomato puree is very healthy, as it has no sugar or preservatives.
How do you make tomato puree?
Tomato puree is a thick liquid made from cooking and straining tomatoes. Tomato paste, tomato purée, and tomato sauce are all made from tomato paste. However, tomato puree is thicker and has deeper flavors than tomato sauce.
We are baking experts and connoisseur of food with decades of cooking experience to cook and bake a variety of scrumptious food item to awaken the taste buds of people who eat our baked delights.
With our gumption, alacrity along with astute acumen to pick the authentic and best quality ingredients from across the world to make the scrumptious recipes which soothes the taste buds of eater has made him the name on which people can count on when it comes to cooking advice, world class meals and cuisines native to the different cities of world.
Our chefs unique ability improvise and make baked dishes with different raw produce and ingredients in less time which are delicious and relished by the guests has made kooky bakes leader in the arena of baking and serving mouth watering food.