A simple recipe for homemade sundried tomato paste, which can be added to so many dishes (including sandwiches & wraps) as a flavour booster. Try it on this Mini Bagel Pizza as the sauce.
I used to buy so many jars of sundried tomato paste, as I added it to so many dishes I make (more later), and I’d use a jar really quickly.
But one day I’m standing in M&S looking at the jar of sundried tomato paste in my hand and thinking “Why am I buying this, I could easily make it at home?”.
And so the experiments began, although to be honest, it didn’t take long to get it just right.
Simple to make and delicious!
You might also like this Vegan Pesto Recipe, or this Broccoli Pesto Sauce, and if you love tomatoes, try these Puff Pastry Bites and my Easy Vegan Tomato Soup.
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At a glance – homemade sundried tomato paste
⏲️ Ready in: 3 minutes
👪 Serves: 8
🍽 Calories: 220
🧾 Main ingredients: sundried tomatoes, olive oil, tomato puree, brown sugar, dried oregano, garlic powder
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian
Summarise & save this recipe:
👩🏻🍳 Make it at home
This recipe for sun-dried tomato paste is so simple that you can make it at home in minutes.
All you need are a few simple store-cupboard ingredients, a food processor (blender or stick blender), and a clear jam jar or other container to store it in.
You really must give it a go!
💭 If you only have an electric stick blender
Ideally, you would blend this paste in a food processor or blender, but it is possible to whizz the ingredients into a smooth paste with a stick blender (immersion blender).
Just add the ingredients to a jug (chopping the sundried tomatoes first) and blend until smooth.
It might take a little longer, and you do need to chop the sundried tomatoes first, but it will work just as well as a blender.
🍅 What you need to make sun-dried tomato paste
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this tasty paste. It really is only a handful of ingredients.
- Sundried tomatoes – this antipasti is the base flavour of the paste
- Oil from the sundried tomatoes jar – or you could use olive oil if your sundried tomatoes (or sun-blushed tomatoes) are not in oil
- Tomato puree – tomato paste
- Sugar – white or brown sugar would be fine, I generally use caster sugar or brown sugar
- Oregano – dried oregano
- Garlic powder (or garlic granules) – you could use fresh garlic instead
- Salt & black pepper – to season
See below for the full printable recipe card for quantities, method, nutritional information and notes.
📖 Tweaks you can make to this recipe
I always recommend you try my recipe first, as I share it. It’s well-tested; I know it’s good and I know it works.
However, once you have tried the recipe and got to grips with it, feel free to tweak it to suit your tastes or for a wee change next time you make it.
Anyway, here are a few tweaks you could try the second time you make it.
- Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – Or chilli powder if you like heat and want a spicy sun-dried tomato paste.
- More garlic – If you are a garlic-head, add more garlic (I see you!).
- Roasted red peppers – If you are making a double batch in a bigger blender or food proccesor (mine is a mini food processor, so not much room in it), you could add a roast pepper, it softens and changes the flavour in a really nice way (I had to do it in 2 batches and add half a roast pepper from a jar to each batch).
- Dried basil – Instead of oregano.
- Nuts & nutritional yeast (nooch) – Add a generous handful of cashews or pine nuts and two or three spoonfuls of nooch to turn this paste into a really tasty red pesto.
I’m sure you will come up with some ideas to tweak the recipe and ways to serve it, too, but as I said, do try my recipe first.
🍅 Can you use fresh tomatoes?
While I am all for adding fresh tomatoes to all sorts of dishes, this is not that recipe!
You really need sun-dried tomatoes for that intense tomato flavour.
If you used fresh tomatoes, you would end up with a loose tomato sauce rather than an intense tomato paste.
The texture would be all wrong, and the flavour just wouldn’t be there.
🍝 Ways to use sundried tomato paste
If you aren’t already a big fan of sun-dried tomato paste, as I am, you may be wondering how to use your jar of deliciousness, so here are a few ways I use this lovely stuff.
Here are some serving ideas:
- Sandwiches and wraps – Spread some of this unctuous tomato paste onto sandwiches and wraps before adding your other fillings.
- Soup – Add a generous dollop to soups for a boost of flavour.
- Stew – I like to add some to stews and casseroles, where you would usually add tomato puree (tomato paste).
- Pasta sauce – Toss it through freshly cooked pasta with some of the pasta water or some cream (or cashew cream) to thin it. I like to add this paste to aubergine (eggplant) & cherry tomato pasta instead of red pepper paste (I am addicted to this pasta dish).
- Spaghetti bolognese – Add some to your spaghetti bolognese for a boost of flavour.
- Puff pastry tart – Use it as the base sauce in a puff pastry tart and top with veg, like this harissa roast veg puff pastry tart.
- Sharing bread – Spread it on this gorgeous pizza garlic bread.
- Bagel pizzas – Use it as a sauce on bagel pizzas.
- Toastie – Spread it on your cheese toastie (grilled cheese) for a flavour boost.
I’m sure you will have lots of ideas too!
👩🏻🍳 Storing the paste
What to store it in?
I save my jam jars to store all sorts of things, from my easy herb-and-garlic vegan parmesan to salad dressings, blueberries or grapes to take to work for a snack, or for homemade sauces like my hot harissa sauce.
Jam jars are also perfect for storing sundried tomato paste.
You can see what’s in it at a glance and how much is left, and jam jars don’t stain like some other containers, plus glass is great to reuse and better for the planet than plastic (recycling and all that!).
Of course, you can keep it in the fridge in any airtight container.
💭 How long does it keep?
You can keep this tasty spread in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
Believe me, you will be adding it and spreading it on everything, so it won’t last long.
You can freeze it in freezer bags, freezer tubs or even ice cube trays, then add to labelled and dated freezer bags.
To defrost, just leave it in the fridge overnight.
💭 Top Tip
Look out for large ice cube trays, especially made for freezing baby food, which are a good size for freezing portions of sauce.
Then just throw a frozen cube of frozen sundried tomato paste into soups, stews and chilli.
🍅 Pairing with tomato paste
These are my favourite lunches to add this sun dried tomato paste to:
👩🏻🍳 How to make quick and easy homemade sundried tomato paste
These step-by-step photos will show you how to make this tasty stuff.
Step 1
- Add the sundried tomatoes, oil and flavourings to a food processor or blender (recipe below).
- If you are using a stick blender, chop the sundried tomatoes and add them to a jug with the other flavours.
Step 2
- Season well with salt and black pepper.
- Blend well until you have a thick paste with a bit of texture, you don’t want it too smooth.
- Taste to check the seasoning.
- That’s it, it’s ready to use. Enjoy it!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Sundried Tomato Paste (Quick & Easy Recipe)
A simple recipe for homemade sundried tomato paste, which can be added to so many dishes (including sandwiches & wraps) as a flavour booster.
Instructions
Keep screen on
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Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender.
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If you are using an electric stick blender (immersion blender), chop the sundried tomatoes before adding to a jug with the other ingredients (you may need to blend longer).
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Blend until you have a thick paste, but with some texture.
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Taste to check the seasoning.
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Serve & enjoy!
Notes
- You can keep this tasty spread in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
- To defrost, just leave it in the fridge overnight.
- Spread on sandwiches wraps and cheese toasties (grilled cheese).
- Add to sauces, soups, stews and chilli.
- Add to freshly cooked pasta, thinning with pasta water or cream (throw some frozen spinach to cook in with the pasta).
I say 8 portions as I regularly add half a jar when making some of my favourite recipes, which serve 4 people. You may use more or less of the paste when you are using it, depending on what you are using it for, so it’s just a guide.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 portionCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gSodium: 314mgPotassium: 682mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 220IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg