The difference between tomato puree and paste

Though both come from cooked and strained tomatoes, tomato paste concentrates the tomatoes into a thick form, while tomato sauce uses tomatoes to make a thick sauce. Tomato puree is a blended mixture of cooked and strained tomatoes. Tomato puree has a deep, tangy taste created by mixing ripe tomatoes, salt, and citric acid (like lemon juice) using a blender or food processor. Manufacturers often sell puree as a canned tomato product, but you can make it at home using your own ripe plum or tomatoes.

What Is Tomato Paste?

Tomato paste is a thick cooking concentrate made of blended tomatoes. To make tomato paste, you cook tomatoes, then strain and recook them. This creates a thick, concentrated paste that has body and sweetness but less acidity than pureed tomatoes. Tomato paste is used as a thickening agent in many tomato soups, stews, sauces, or ground meat dishes like meatballs, meatloaf, or tacos.

What is the difference between tomato puree and tomato paste?

Producers cook and blend tomatoes to make both tomato puree and paste, which often add flavor and texture to soups, stews, and sauces. However, some key distinctions set them apart.

Their consistency varies: tomato paste is much thicker and more concentrated, typically spooned or squeezed from a container. In contrast, tomato puree has a thinner, more liquid texture, similar to a blended sauce. Puree sometimes includes added water or is made by diluting paste, while paste results from reducing puree to a dense concentrate.

Flavor-wise, tomato paste tends to be sweeter and milder, while puree carries a sharper, more acidic taste reminiscent of fresh tomatoes.

The preparation methods also differ. Both begin by cooking and straining tomatoes, but producers cook paste longer to evaporate more water and create a concentrate. They cook and blend puree as well, but it retains more moisture, resulting in a looser consistency than paste.

Usage varies too. Tomato paste is ideal for thickening sauces and adding rich flavor to dishes like marinara, pasta, or pizza sauce. Tomato puree works well in Italian sauces, salsas, and dips, where a lighter texture is preferred. Though they can sometimes be swapped with adjustments, each serves its unique role in cooking.

How to substitute tomato puree and tomato paste

Instead of heading to the store, you can easily create homemade substitutes for either ingredient. Here’s a simple guide on swapping one for the other.

Replacing puree with tomato paste:

If you don’t have tomato puree or fresh tomatoes, combine equal parts tomato paste and water. For example, mix half a cup of paste with half a cup of water to make one cup of puree-like sauce.

Replacing paste with tomato puree:

When substituting tomato paste, use three times the amount of puree. Then, cook it down in a saucepan to thicken and achieve a paste-like consistency.

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