Tomato Paste is no doubt an essential ingredient of most dishes and people make use of it generously. No doubt, at times one may run out of it and would have to make use of substitutes.
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4 Tomato Paste Substitutes
There are several people who do look for tomato paste substitutes when they do want to change the flavor of their respective dish, avoid tomatoes for an allergy reason, or are simply lacking this particular ingredient at a crucial time. The production of tomato paste is indeed quite labor-intensive and is therefore usually store-bought. Made only from highly reduced tomatoes and salt, it is also used to add color and a succulent flavor to dishes and sometimes works as a thickening agent in sauces or soups.
So, what should one do if one finds oneself out of this ingredient? Well, rather than leaving it out entirely, one can recommend trying one of these excellent substitutes that do include tomato sauce or puree, canned or fresh tomatoes, red peppers, and butternut squash.
Tomato Sauce or Puree
There are a number of differences between tomato paste as well as tomato sauce/puree. One is that of consistency – tomato paste is thicker than both of these potential substitutes. The second point is the flavor – many tomato sauces come flavored with other herbs, whereas paste is only composed of tomatoes as well as salt.
However, as the base ingredient is much the same, tomato sauce or tomato paste can be an easy-to-find alternative to tomato paste, particularly in pasta dishes. One recommends doubling the quantity to achieve a similar flavor. If it is a key ingredient, one needs to reduce the liquid elsewhere in the recipe so the consistency is maintained.
Canned or Fresh Tomatoes
One can reduce canned or fresh tomatoes down to make a thicker, paste-like consistency that does offer similar flavors, although fresher and not as rich as the paste. Alternatively, one can try substituting for the canned tomatoes and also reducing the whole recipe for slightly longer than normal to remove any excess liquid.
Red Peppers
This happens to be a good substitute if one’s main concern is the color and thickness of a dish. Blend the roasted peppers in order to make a paste and then add this mixture to one’s recipe in place of tomato paste. This also happens to be a good alternative for those who do not like tomatoes or have an allergy. Add a dash of lemon or a little citric acid to compensate for the acidic flavor that will be missing from the red peppers.
Butternut Squash
Many people are indeed surprised by this, but another vegetable can act as a substitute. Roast one’s butternut squash before blending it to make a paste. This can be a good alternative to tomato paste in curries. It does offer the right kind of consistency, but not the red color. The flavor is different too, so one needs to be sure that one likes the earthy, buttery squash taste before adding this substitute. Like red peppers, one might want to add a dash of something citrus to provide a little more tanginess to one’s dish.