Healthy Homemade Tomato Sauce

In News by Justin Welton

Serves: 4-6

This gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free tomato sauce is made from fresh, whole tomatoes naturally sweetened with grated carrot. Use it in any recipe that calls for tomato sauce!

Ingredients (organic/biodynamic):

  • 2 lbs. (about 6-8 medium) whole ripe tomatoes
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely grated
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • ½ cup water or vegetable broth
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt®
  • Pinch of freshly ground pepper
  • ¼ c. fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

  1. On the stove, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Separately, fill a large bowl with ice water to prepare an ice bath.
  2. Cut a small “X” on the bottom of each tomato, and carefully place the tomatoes into the boiling water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the skins start to peel back.
  3. Remove the tomatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon and immediately place them into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
  4. Once cooled, peel the skins off the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds, then roughly chop the remainder and set aside.
  5. Add the chopped onion, grated carrot, and chopped celery with 1/2 cup of water or vegetable broth to a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 5-7 minutes.
  6. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add more water or broth as needed if the mixture starts to stick to the pan.
  7. Add the chopped tomatoes to the saucepan, along with the dried oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes (if using).
  8. Stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer uncovered over low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water or broth if the sauce becomes too thick or starts to stick.
  9. For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to blend the vegetables directly in the pot. Alternatively, you can transfer the sauce in batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Be careful with hot liquids in the blender.
  10. Season the sauce with Celtic Sea Salt® and freshly ground pepper to taste.
  11. If using, stir in the fresh basil leaves.
  12. Let the sauce simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to mix.
  13. Use the sauce immediately over gluten-free pasta, as a pizza sauce on gluten-free pizza, or in any soup, chili, or other recipe calling for tomato sauce.
  14. If you have leftovers, let the sauce cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to three months.

Did you enjoy this post? We post new content regularly! Click here to see our latest blog posts.

Justin Welton
Author: Justin Welton