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    Home » Sauces, Dressings and Dips

    Vegan Tomato Sauce

    Published: Dec 26, 2022 by Meesha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Graphic with 2 image of jars of tomato sauce on a wooden board with text between images.
    Graphic with an image of a pan of tomato sauce with text below the image.
    Stirring a pan of tomato sauce with a wooden spatula with text overlay.

    Make vegan tomato sauce from scratch with just a few pantry staples and 30 minutes! Bold, vibrant, and bursting with flavors, this tomato sauce is great on pasta and pizzas. 

    Spooning tomato sauce from a jar with 2 more jars of tomato sauce in the background.

    Trust me; there is no going back to store-bought tomato sauce after learning to make your own! Like my marinara sauce, this homemade vegan tomato sauce is incredibly rich in flavor yet is super easy to throw together. It will elevate even the simplest pasta dish! 

    Jump to:
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
    • 🍅Using fresh tomatoes instead of canned 
    • 🥕What you will need 
    • 📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 
    • 🔪How to make 
    • ✔Helpful tips 
    • 🍝How to serve 
    • ❄Storing suggestions 
    • ❔Commonly asked questions
    • More vegan pasta recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    💚Why you will love this recipe 

    • Vibrant, delicious, and rich in flavor 
    • Quick and easy to make - ready in 30 minutes 
    • Incredibly versatile and works well in a variety of dishes 
    • Stores well and is freezable 

    🍅Using fresh tomatoes instead of canned 

    This recipe calls for canned crushed tomatoes, but you can substitute them with fresh ones.

    • Thoroughly rinse and core your tomatoes. Using a knife, score an ‘X’ at the bottom of your tomatoes. 
    • Blanch them for 30-60 seconds in boiling water. 
    • Transfer blanched tomatoes immediately into a bowl of ice-cold water. 
    • Peel your tomatoes, and you can either puree them in a food processor or finely dice them up before use. 

    For every 14oz can, you will need 1lb of fresh tomatoes. Hence, for this recipe, you will need around 2lbs of tomatoes. 

    🥕What you will need 

    Ingredients needed like onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, and seasonings.

    📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 

    • Crushed tomatoes - Can be substituted with passata. Alternatively, you can use diced tomatoes in place if you prefer a chunkier sauce. 
    • Maple syrup - an optional ingredient, help balance the acidity of the tomatoes. 

    🔪How to make 

    Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Saute until they have softened.

    Add garlic next, and fry for a minute until fragrant.  

    Cooked onion, carrot, and celery in a cast iron pan with 2 empty ramekins beside.
    Adding garlic to a pan of cooked vegetables in a cast iron pan with 2 empty ramekins beside.

    Now, pour in crushed tomatoes, oregano, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. 

    Remove from heat, and stir in chopped basil along with maple syrup. Give everything a good stir, and your vegan tomato sauce is ready to be used. 

    Mixture of crushed tomatoes and vegetables in a cast iron pan on a white teacloth.
    A pan of tomato sauce with a wooden spatula beside.

    ✔Helpful tips 

    • You can chop your veggies in a food processor to make the process easier. Place onion, carrot, and celery in the food processor and give it a few pulses or until everything is finely chopped. 
    • I highly recommend using San Marzano canned tomatoes. They have the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, which are great for sauces. 
    • While cooking, stir your sauce occasionally to prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom. 
    • Tomato sauce will thicken as it cooks. Hence, if it is getting too thick for your liking, add a splash of water to thin it out. 
    • If you prefer a smoother tomato sauce, blend parts or all of it in a blender or immersion blender before serving. 

    🍝How to serve 

    Pasta - For a quick and easy meal, cook up pasta of choice and toss it in this vegan tomato sauce! You could throw in some vegan Italian sausages or tofu chunks to bump up the protein content. 

    Pizzas - This sauce also works great on pizzas or flatbreads. 

    Meatballs - You could use it as a sauce for meatballs or vegan meatballs, like my TVP meatballs. 

    In mains - This sauce can also be used in place of marinara sauce to make lasagna, pasta bake, and casseroles. 

    Tomato sauce in a cast iron pan with a wooden spatula beside.

    ❄Storing suggestions 

    Fridge - Store leftover vegan tomato sauce in a sealed jar, and it will last for up to a week. 

    Freezer - Before freezing, portion the sauce into individual servings using freezer containers or ziplock bags. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw completely in the fridge overnight before using. 

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    Are tomato sauce and ketchup the same?

    Although both tomato sauce and ketchup are made from tomatoes, they are 2 different ingredients. One of the main differences between tomato sauce and ketchup is its texture. Ketchup is smooth and much thicker, while tomato sauce is thinner and has a chunkier texture. 

    Ketchup also has a distinct sweet and sour taste that tomato sauce lacks. This is due to the addition of sweeteners and vinegar.

    2 jars of tomato sauce on a wooden board with basil, garlic cloves, and chili flakes beside.

    More vegan pasta recipes

    • Creamy Korean Gochujang Pasta
    • Creamy Chickpea Pasta Sauce
    • High-protein Pasta Salad (low-calorie, vegan)
    • Creamy Tandoori Pasta

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    3 jars of tomato sauce with garlic cloves and basil leaves in the background.

    Vegan Tomato Sauce

    Meesha
    Make vegan tomato sauce from scratch with just a few pantry staples and 30 minutes! Bold, vibrant, and bursting with flavors, this tomato sauce is great on pasta and pizzas.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Sauces
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 ½ cup serving
    Calories 55 kcal

    Equipment

    • cast iron skillet

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ yellow onion finely diced
    • ½ carrot finely diced
    • ½ stalk celery finely diced
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes or passata/diced tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 2 tablespoons chopped basil
    • 1 teaspoon maple syrup optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Saute until translucent, for about 2-3 minutes.
      ½ yellow onion, ½ carrot, ½ stalk celery
    • Add garlic next, and fry for a minute until fragrant.
      3 cloves garlic
    • Now, pour in crushed tomatoes along with oregano and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and let it cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes.
      1 28oz can crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • Remove from heat, and stir in chopped basil along with maple syrup. Give everything a good stir, and your vegan tomato sauce is ready to be used.
      2 tablespoons chopped basil, 1 teaspoon maple syrup

    Notes

    Helpful tips
    • You can chop your veggies in a food processor to make the process easier. Place onion, carrot, and celery in the food processor and give it a few pulses or until everything is finely chopped. 
    • I highly recommend using San Marzano canned tomatoes. They have the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, which are great for sauces. 
    • While cooking, stir your sauce occasionally to prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom. 
    • Tomato sauce will thicken as it cooks. Hence, if it is getting too thick for your liking, add a splash of water to thin it out. 
    • If you prefer a smoother vegan tomato sauce, blend parts or all of it in a blender or immersion blender before serving.
     
     
    Storing - Store leftover vegan tomato sauce in a sealed jar, and it will last for up to a week. 
    This sauce is freezable too. Before freezing, portion the sauce into individual servings using freezer containers or ziplock bags. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw completely in the fridge overnight before using.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 55kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 279mgPotassium: 439mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1155IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

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