Best Substitutes for Tomato Paste

Pour 3 tablespoons tomato sauce into a small pan. Simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. The sauce reduces to about 1 tablespoon of thick paste. Regular tomato sauce contains 8-12% solids versus paste's 24-28%, so reducing it triples the concentration. The cooking process also caramelizes the sugars, mimicking paste's deeper flavor.

Ketchup already contains concentrated tomatoes (about 20% solids), plus vinegar and sugar. Use the same amount as the paste called for. The vinegar adds tang and the sugar brings sweetness, which works in dishes that benefit from both. Reduce any added sugar in the recipe by 1 teaspoon per tablespoon of ketchup used.

Sun-dried tomato paste has even more concentrated flavor than regular paste (30-35% solids). Use 3/4 tablespoon to replace 1 tablespoon regular paste. The sun-drying adds a slightly jammy, caramelized note. If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, blend 2 tablespoons drained tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of their oil to make 1 tablespoon paste equivalent.

Drain 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes through a fine mesh strainer for 5 minutes. The thick pulp that remains equals about 1 tablespoon paste. Save the drained liquid to add back to your dish. Crushed tomatoes have 10-12% solids, so you're essentially separating the concentrated pulp from the juice. Add the pulp when you would add paste, then use the juice as part of your recipe's liquid.

Grate 2 medium tomatoes on a box grater, discarding skins. Cook the pulp in a dry pan over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Fresh tomatoes are 95% water, so this lengthy reduction is necessary. The result tastes brighter than canned paste but lacks the deep, cooked flavor. Add a pinch of sugar to compensate.

Mix tomato powder with just enough water to form a thick paste (about 1:1). Tomato powder is dehydrated tomato ground fine, with 92-95% solids content. Let it sit 2 minutes to fully hydrate. The flavor is intense but lacks the caramelized notes of cooked paste. Best for adding pure tomato flavor without extra liquid.

These sauces already contain tomato paste as an ingredient, usually at 15-20% concentration. Reduce 1/2 cup sauce to 2 tablespoons over medium heat (takes 12-15 minutes). The herbs and garlic in the sauce will concentrate too, so taste and adjust your recipe's seasonings. Works because you're essentially reverse-engineering the sauce back to its paste component.

These fermented chili pastes provide umami depth and thickening power similar to tomato paste. Use half the amount (1/2 tablespoon replaces 1 tablespoon paste) because they're intensely flavored. Harissa adds North African spices and heat. Gochujang brings Korean fermented complexity and sweetness. Both work when you want depth but don't need specific tomato flavor.

Puree drained roasted red peppers until smooth. The roasting process concentrates their flavor and natural sugars, creating a sweet, smoky paste. Strain through fine mesh to remove excess liquid. While it won't taste like tomato, it provides similar umami depth, sweetness, and color. The texture matches paste perfectly.