7 Best Crushed Tomato Substitutes For You

Tomatoes are an integral ingredient in many dishes. Peeling and crushing tomatoes is too much work, and that’s why we rely on crushed tomatoes. But if you don’t have crushed tomatoes, read about the best-crushed tomato substitutes.

Tomatoes are such versatile ingredients that can be used in multiple ways. It can be eaten as raw, dried, puree, sauce, and whatnot. But out of all these crushed tomatoes are the most easy-to-use ones.

Are you confused about what to do in such situations? Fresh tomatoes, diced tomatoes, fried tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes are some of the best-crushed tomato substitutes.

Everyone knows about tomatoes. But what exactly is crushed tomatoes? Well, if you are someone who has never used crushed tomatoes before, the next session is for you. Read on to know crushed tomatoes better!

Quick Peek: Crushed Tomatoes

Are crushed tomatoes just tomatoes in crushed form, or are there additives in them? In this session, we bring you all the news about our favorite ingredient: crushed tomatoes.

What Are Crushed Tomatoes?

Crushed tomatoes are diced tomatoes in tomato puree or sauce. When compared to diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes are more chunky and have a more concentrated texture.

Describing Crushed Tomato: Flavor and Texture

As we have discussed earlier, crushed tomatoes are diced tomatoes in tomato puree. Therefore it has a sweet and tangy taste similar to that of tomatoes but in a concentrated form.

It has a pourable consistency and is ideal for pasta and curries. It will also have chunks of tomatoes, making it thicker than the normal tomato puree or sauce.

Uses Of Crushed Tomatoes

Crushed tomatoes can be used in all places where we use tomatoes. However, it is mainly used in pasta and soups. It is often used as a flavor enhancer.

Crushed Tomatoes On The Health Radar | Looking Through The Wellness Telescope

Crushed tomatoes contain an antioxidant called lycopene. It is great for fighting free radicals in the body and protecting our body from developing cancerous cells.

Crushed tomatoes are also great for heart health. It is a great source of vitamins and minerals like B and E. It contains flavonoids. Thus all of it aids in maintaining good blood pressure and a healthy heart.

Above this, crushed tomatoes are also helpful in building immunity and lowering cholesterol levels. It is also said to be good in preventing strokes and blood clotting.

Why Use A Substitute For Crushed Tomatoes?

This is a question that may have crossed many people’s minds. Crushed tomatoes are a common ingredient in many kitchens. However, many professional cooks prefer to use replacements for the same. So, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you would choose to employ a substitute.

To begin with, crushed tomatoes have a strong flavor. This powerful flavor is not for everyone. Additionally, they have an incredibly dense texture. This texture, once again, is not for everyone.

So, if you’re put off by the flavor or texture of crushed tomatoes, you may easily replace them with something that has a milder flavor and texture.

Crushed tomatoes may not be ideal if you’re on a tight budget. There is, however, some good news! You can use a variety of less expensive alternatives to crushed tomatoes.

Finally, if none of these things is an issue for you, but you’ve run out of crushed tomatoes, you can easily make do with a substitute. You’ll save a lot of time and effort this way! These are, in my opinion, compelling reasons to consider.

I may have given you too much information about smashed tomatoes. Now, let me quickly walk you through the best-crushed tomato substitutes without further ado!

7 Best Crushed Tomato Substitutes

This section is a list of all the possible substitutes for crushed tomatoes. You’ll also learn which recipes the substitutes work best in and what the substitution ratio should be.

1. Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes are the source of crushed tomatoes. Hence when you are out of crushed tomatoes, you can rely on fresh tomatoes as a substitute.

If you have some fresh tomatoes in hand, you can easily make some crushed tomatoes. Just blend some fresh tomatoes in a blender with some chunks of tomatoes and add some tomato sauce (if you have any). You’re good to go.

However, store-bought crushed tomatoes will have a more intense texture and concentrated taste. Therefore while using fresh tomatoes, always use more quantity than the recipe asks.

2. Tomato Paste

Tomato paste is another widely available used as a crushed tomato substitute. It has a similar taste and can be used in various dishes that call for crushed tomatoes.

Tomato paste, unlike crushed tomatoes, has an extremely thick consistency. Therefore when we use it as a crushed tomato substitute, add some water to it to get a loose consistency.

To make it a perfect crushed tomato substitute, add some water and some diced tomato into it. If you have loosened the paste, follow the standard 1:1 ratio while substituting crushed tomato with tomato paste.

3. Diced Tomato

If you cannot buy crushed tomatoes, look for some diced tomatoes. They are also canned versions of tomatoes and can be used as a crushed tomato substitute.

Diced tomatoes are more watery than crushed tomatoes. Therefore, it is advisable to crush them a little more to obtain the perfect consistency before using them as a crushed tomato substitute.

Diced tomatoes can be used in all dishes that ask for crushed tomatoes. However, it is most suited for making pasta and pizza sauces.

4. Pizza Sauce

Pizza sauce is a sauce that has tomato as its base ingredient. Therefore, in most cases, it works as a great substitute for crushed tomatoes.

But one problem with this sauce is that it is flavored and contains many other ingredients. Therefore, if your dish demands a pure tomato flavor, refrain from using this. 

But if you are making a dish that is a little spicy, you can use this sauce to compensate for the absence of crushed tomato. Needless to say, pizza sauce works best for pizza and pasta as a crushed tomato substitute.

5. Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Fire-roasted tomatoes carry a smoky flavor and can be used as a crushed tomato substitute in some dishes.

Fire-roasted tomatoes are extremely flavorful. They often contain many other ingredients like spices, lime juice, and salt. So if you have some, you can crush them to a paste before using it as a crushed tomato substitute.

Just like pizza sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes aren’t ideal for you if you want a pure tomato taste in your recipe. When replacing crushed tomato with fire-roasted tomato, make sure to do a quick taste test before adding it to the recipe.

6. Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

Sun-dried tomatoes are dehydrated tomatoes and come in handy when you are all out of tomatoes. If you are totally out of tomatoes, you can rely on sun-dried tomatoes as a crushed tomato substitute.

As we have discussed, sun-dried tomatoes are dehydrated tomatoes and don’t contain any water. As a crushed tomato substitute, you can just add them as it is or make them into a puree by soaking them in water and grinding them afterward.

But be careful about the fact that sun-dried tomatoes mostly contain a good amount of salt. So if you use sun-dried tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes, use less salt in your dish.

7. Tomato Puree

Tomato puree has a consistency somewhere between tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Hence can be used as a crushed tomato substitute.

Tomato puree has a less loose texture than that of crushed tomato. However, when it comes to flavor, tomato pure outshines crushed tomatoes. Therefore if you want an intense flavoring, use tomato puree.

Tomato puree can be used as a crushed tomato substitute in soups, sauces, and even curries. However, since it has a loose consistency, it might affect the overall texture of your dish.

Short Recap For Best Crushed Tomato Substitutes

Not a very long list of substitutes for crushed tomatoes, but still a decent enough list that will work in all recipes. So, I am sure you must have gone through them all by now. But, I will break it down for you to make it easier to pick your substitute. 

Best Easily Available Crushed Tomato Substitutes:

1. Raw Tomatoes
2. Tomato Puree

Most Suitable Crushed Tomato Substitutes:

1. Diced Tomatoes
2. Tomato sauce

Substitute Options To Consider Last:

Tamarind paste is the substitute to opt for if you can’t find any of the above mentioned substitutes.

How To Substitute Crushed Tomato

Crushed Tomato Substitutes

Tomatoes are such versatile ingredients that can be used in multiple ways. It can be eaten as raw, dried, puree, sauce, and whatnot.But out of all these crushed tomatoes are the most easy to use. If you are out of crushed tomato, you can rely on a good crushed tomato substitute.

• Fresh Tomatoes
• Tomato Paste
• Diced Tomato
• Pizza Sauce
• Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes.
• Tomato Puree

• Go through the substitutes and see which one seems fit for the recipe.

• Collect your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.

• Use the substitute in the required amount and proceed to make the dish according to the recipe.

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve read the quick summary for the best-crushed tomato substitutes, I’m sure you’ve already decided on your favorite. Though tomato is a very adaptable ingredient that is utilized all across the world, there aren’t many alternatives.

This is due to the fact that the way crushed tomatoes perform in recipes, as well as the flavor and texture they bring, are nearly unrivaled. Crushed tomatoes are one of the few components that work in a recipe similarly.

Having said that, despite the small list, all of the substitution possibilities work exceptionally well in place of crushed tomatoes. Simply use them in the recipes that they’ve been recommended for, and I guarantee you’ll be pleased with the results!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)