Stewed Tomato Substitute

Stewed tomatoes are just tomatoes that have been cooked with onion, bell peppers, celery and a few seasonings. So, if you don’t have any in your pantry, it’s easy enough to create a substitute. Here are two ways to do it.

Diced, Whole Peeled or Crushed Tomatoes

Pour a 14.5-oz. can of diced tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, that you’ve chopped up, into a non-reactive pot. Crushed tomatoes will also work in a pinch. To the tomatoes, add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper and 1/4 cup chopped celery. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the onions, peppers and celery are soft. Add 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp dried oregano and 1/8 tsp dried basil to season. Stir to combine.

Measure out two cups of this mixture, and use in place of one 14.5-oz. can of stewed tomatoes. If you need to replace a 28-oz. can, double this recipe.

Need the stewed tomatoes for a soup, casserole or dish with a long cook time? Just add the diced or whole peeled tomatoes, chopped veggies and seasonings straight to the cook pot, with the rest of the ingredients that your recipe calls for. They’ll cook as the recipe cooks.

Fresh Tomatoes

Use ripe tomatoes to make a quick batch of stewed tomatoes from scratch. The whole process will take you less than 25 minutes, and requires little more than chopping and cooking the ingredients. Here are step-by-step instructions to take you through the process. You’ll need 3-4 large tomatoes to make the equivalent of a 14.5-oz. can, or 6-8 large tomatoes to make the equivalent of a 28-oz. can.

Stewed Tomato Substitute

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Here’s how to make a stewed tomato substitute from fresh tomatoes, or other canned tomato products.

• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

• Diced tomatoes, whole peeled tomatoes or fresh tomatoes

Instructions

• From Diced, Whole Peeled or Crushed Tomatoes: Add a 14.5-oz. can of diced tomatoes, or whole peeled tomatoes (that you’ve chopped) to a non-reactive pot. Crushed tomatoes will also work. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper and 1/4 cup chopped celery. Bring to a boil. Then, drop to a simmer, and continue cooking until the veggies are soft. Add 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp dried oregano and 1/8 tsp dried basil to season.Use two cups of this mixture in place of one 14.5-oz. can of stewed tomatoes. Double this recipe to replace a 28-oz. can. If using in a soup, casserole  or other long-cooking dish, just add the ingredients straight to the pot, without cooking first. They’ll cook as the dish cooks.
• From Fresh Tomatoes: Use this quick recipe to make stewed tomatoes from scratch. You’ll need 3-4 large tomatoes to replace a 14.5-oz. can, or 6-8 large tomatoes to replace a 28-oz. can.

• Author: Erin Huffstetler, MyFrugalHome.com
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes (or less)
• Category: Ingredient Substitutions
• Method: Stove-Top
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: stewed tomato substitute