Sauces & Condiments · 2 substitutes

Tomato Paste Substitutes

Concentrated tomato puree for deep tomato flavor.

2
Substitutes
3.0/5
Avg quality
4
Use contexts

Best swap

The closest stand-in for Tomato Paste is Tomato Sauce (reduced), used at 3 tbsp tomato sauce reduced to 1 tbsp = 1 tbsp tomato paste and rated 3/5 across 4 cooking contexts.

3/5
Tomato Sauce (reduced) - top pick
2
tested substitutes
3.0/5
average quality across all swaps
2
dietary options covered

Across the 135 ingredients we track, the typical ingredient has about 3.6 documented substitutes.

Common uses for Tomato Paste: pasta sauces, soups, stews, braises, pizza sauce. The best substitute usually depends on which of these functions, flavor, moisture, fat, binding, or leavening, you most need to preserve.

Every documented substitute for Tomato Paste

Ranked by quality score (1–5, where 5 is virtually identical). Check the ratio and context tags before swapping, not every substitution is 1:1.

Tomato Sauce (reduced)
Fair
Ratio: 3 tbsp tomato sauce reduced to 1 tbsp = 1 tbsp tomato paste

Simmer to reduce and concentrate. Takes longer but works well.

Best for: pasta sauces, soups, stews, braises
vegan gluten-free
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Fair
Ratio: 2-3 minced sun-dried tomatoes = 1 tbsp tomato paste

Intense tomato flavor. Blend or mince finely. Best in slow-cooked dishes.

Best for: pasta sauces, braises, soups
vegan gluten-free

Where Tomato Paste ranks for swap options

Number of documented substitutes per ingredient, across the whole database

2 Bottom 1% higher than 0% of 135 ingredients we track

0–1: 0 ingredients we track (0%). Below this entry. 1–2: 0 ingredients we track (0%). Below this entry. 2–3: 11 ingredients we track (8%). This entry sits in this band. 3–4: 54 ingredients we track (40%). Above this entry. 4–5: 59 ingredients we track (44%). Above this entry. 5–6: 7 ingredients we track (5%). Above this entry. 6–7: 0 ingredients we track (0%). Above this entry. 7–8: 1 ingredients we track (1%). Above this entry. 8–9: 3 ingredients we track (2%). Above this entry. Tomato Paste 0 9 every tracked ingredient, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ingredients we track. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainSubstitute editorial database · July 2026

Quick comparison

# Substitute RatioQuality
1 Tomato Sauce (reduced) 3 tbsp tomato sauce reduced to 1 tbsp = 1 tbsp tomato paste 3/5
2 Sun-Dried Tomatoes 2-3 minced sun-dried tomatoes = 1 tbsp tomato paste 3/5

Choosing the right swap

Start with Tomato Sauce (reduced), then adjust for what your recipe needs.

  • Match the substitute’s context tag to your recipe, a swap that shines in baking can fall flat in a sauce.
  • Respect the listed ratio. Many swaps are not 1:1, and over- or under-dosing is the most common reason a substitution disappoints.
  • Working around a diet? 2 of these options carry dietary tags, filter by your need. Browse by diet
  • Need the opposite lookup? Browse other Sauces & Condiments ingredients with overlapping swaps. More Sauces & Condiments

Quality scores reflect overall similarity to the original; expect small differences in texture or colour even with top-rated swaps.

Other Sauces & Condiments ingredients

Coconut Aminos Coconut Milk Dijon Mustard Fish Sauce Hoisin Sauce Hot Sauce

Substitution ratios and quality scores for Tomato Paste are compiled from established culinary references, food-science literature on ingredient functionality, and documented professional kitchen practice. See our methodology.

According to PlainSubstitute's curated database (last reviewed July 2026), this ingredient is one of 135 base ingredients covered, with 486 documented substitute pairings across the site.