Best Tomato Paste Substitute

Best tomato paste substitute

Making a recipe that calls for tomato paste and don’t have it on hand? Don’t worry — finding the best tomato paste substitute is easier than you think. Whether you’re mid-recipe or just realized you’re out, there are still a few great options that can work perfectly in its place. Typically, tomato paste is a thick, rich, and slightly sweet concentrate made by cooking tomatoes for hours. As a result, it enhances the flavor of sauces, stews, and soups. Usually, you’ll find it in small cans or squeezable tubes (which we highly recommend!). Fortunately, you don’t have to skip your recipe — just try one of the substitutes below.

Instead, consider these quick and reliable substitute ideas to keep your recipe on track.

1. Tomato puree or sauce

The best substitute for tomato paste is usually canned tomato sauce or tomato puree. However, these sauces are not nearly as thick as tomato paste, nor do they have the lightly sweet flavor. Therefore, to make up for both differences, use this substitution ratio:

• For 1 tablespoon tomato paste, use 2 tablespoons tomato puree or sauce mixed with ¼ teaspoon sugar, and remove 1 tablespoon of other liquids in the recipe.

2. Ketchup

Don’t have tomato sauce or puree? No problem! In that case, the next best tomato paste substitute is ketchup. While ketchup has a consistency similar to tomato paste, it also has a saltier, tangier, and sweeter flavor. Since most recipes use tomato paste in small quantities, using a 1:1 substitution usually won’t affect the integrity of the recipe too much. However, if the recipe calls for large quantities of tomato paste or if the dish’s flavor profile doesn’t suit ketchup, then you should avoid this substitution idea.