Use this template recipe to make a quick, healthy tomato sauce that packs loads of nutrition and flavor. Homemade tomato sauce tastes so much better than the bottled kind. With just a few minutes of cooking, you can avoid the added sugar, oil, and citric acid found in most commercial sauces. We eat a variation of this sauce about five times a week. Usually I toss it with whole wheat noodles. For a change, ladle it over quinoa, barley, or baked potatoes.
Good Tomato Sauce costs just $1.51 per serving using organic ingredients, without the mix-ins suggested below. Pay even less if you catch the crushed tomatoes on sale or buy them by the case.
The Evolution of a Recipe
My core tomato sauce recipe has changed a lot since I started the Cook for Good project. I used to use a tablespoon of oil to saute the vegetables. That was too expensive for my budget of $5 a day per person, so I dropped it to 2 teaspoons. Next I realized that 1/4 teaspoon was enough to keep the vegetables from sticking. Now I know that a tablespoon of water will do the same thing, essentially for free!
Not only does this sauce have no added fat, but it also now has:
- Red onions instead of yellow onions for more phytonutrients
- Chopped mushrooms for extra umami and cancer-fighting power
- Turmeric to fight inflammation
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Passive Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 4 ounces white button mushrooms chopped
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ground chipotle powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ground turmeric
- 32 ounces fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Ingredients
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- Mince garlic and set aside. Decide what mix-ins you want to use if any (see notes below). Put chopped red onion and chopped mushrooms with water in a large skillet or medium pot. If using fresh greens, pull or cut the stems from the leaves. Add chopped greens stems, bell peppers, or summer squash if using. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Not using fresh greens? Skip to the next step. Otherwise, chop leaves. When onions are tender, top them with chopped greens leaves but don't stir. Cover and let leaves steam on low until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir garlic, chipotle powder, and turmeric into vegetables. Add tomatoes, oregano, and other mix-ins. Bring sauce to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes, until sauce is hot and flavors blended.
- Serve Good Tomato Sauce hot tossed with hot whole-wheat noodles or ladled over quinoa, barley, or a baked potato. Garnish with toppings if desired. Refrigerate any extra for up to a week or freeze for up to a year.
Mix-Ins for Tomato Sauce
Enjoy the base sauce as it is or add one or more of these mix-ins.
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped summer squash
- 1/2 cup chopped or sliced olives
- 1 cup chopped and steamed eggplant
- 1 cup frozen chopped greens
- 2 cups fresh greens, such as kale, collards, or mustard
- 3/4 cup roasted butternut squash
- 1/2 cup cooked black lentils
Consider adding one of these toppings:
- Fresh basil ribbons
- Nutritional yeast, which I use instead of Parmesan cheese
- Toasted bread crumbs, walnuts or almonds, and garlic pulsed briefly in a food processor to make another Parmesan substitute
- Roasted plant-based sausage. My Taster and I like to split a Field Roast Italian Sausage on Friday nights. It's the weekend, Baby!
Nutritional Information for Good Tomato Sauce
The nutrition label is for one serving without mix-ins or any base, such as pasta. Nutritional information is for supporting members and donors. If you don't see it below, log in or join today! Log in to comment, too.
