How to make your own gluten and dairy-free tomato sauce (sugar free)

Homemade tomato sauce so simple to make that you really don’t need an Italian grandmother to show you how. You can make your sauce at home to have a tasty base on hand for all kinds of pasta sauces, soups, casseroles, and more. This sauce is simple to freeze, so you may want to double or triple this recipe. Use it as a gluten-free slow cooker base or perhaps as the sauce for my gluten-free bombay potatoes. This recipe serves 8 people!

Ingredients for my gluten and dairy-free tomato sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, diced

1 large green pepper, cored, deseeded, and diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed

Four 14-ounce cans of whole tomatoes in their juices (you’ll add the liquid too)

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup red wine (Burgundy or similar) or beef broth

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method for my gluten and dairy free tomato sauce (no added sugar)

1.Heat the oil in a skillet or double dutch oven like this over medium heat. Sauté the onions for about 2 minutes or till they soften. Add the green pepper, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for another few minutes.

2.Mash the whole tomatoes and add them to the pan along with the juices. Stir in the fresh basil,  

3.Italian seasoning, and red wine or beef broth. Place the leaf of basil on top of the sauce.

4.Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 2 hours.

5.Stir in the tomato paste, pepper, and salt. Let the sauce simmer for 2 more hours. Take the bay leaf out.

6.If you like a chunky sauce, serve it as is. Otherwise, use a hand blender to blend the sauce for a smoother version.

7.Just before you serve, sprinkle with the fresh parsley.

Homemade gluten and dairy free tomato sauce FAQs

Can I use ripe fresh tomatoes?

You can definitely use fresh tomatoes. For this recipe, you’ll need about 10 to 12 large tomatoes.

Bring to a boil a big pot of water, and prepare a bowl of iced water on the side. Score an x using a knife on the bottom of each tomato. When the water is boiling, plunge each tomato into the boiling water for about 1 minute or till the skin starts to peel. Remove each tomato using a slotted spoon to dip it in the ice bath. Once the tomato is cool enough to touch, take it out, peel it, and squeeze out the seeds.

Chop tomatoes in half or quarters and then blend or process in a food processor before adding to the sauce.

Can I use chopped canned tomatoes?

You can use chopped canned tomatoes, but the best tomatoes to go into cans are always the whole ones since farmers choose the ones that look best. Roma tomatoes are particularly tasty as far as the best type of tomato to use.

Why do lots of tomato sauces have sugar?

Sugar reduces the acidity of tomato sauce, which is why in many restaurants and store-bought sauces, you’ll find a bit of sugar. If you feel that your homemade sauce is acidic, add in a half teaspoon of sugar.

If you don’t want to add sugar, you can use 1/8th of a teaspoon of baking soda instead.

What if I’m in a hurry?

If you don’t want your sauce to simmer for quite as long to thicken the sauce, you can ‘cheat’ by adding some cornstarch. Simply whisk one tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of tomato juice or cold water, and pour the result into the sauce until you reach your desired consistency (you may not need all of the cornstarch mixture).

Just be aware that simmering your sauce for longer will intensify the flavors.

Another way to save yourself some time with this recipe is to pop the veggies into a food processor to mince them together before sautéing them.

What if I don’t have fresh herbs?

You can use dried herbs, but know that they don’t carry as much flavor as fresh ones do. The general rule is to use roughly half the amount of dried herbs for the same quantity of fresh.

How do I store leftover tomato sauce?

Leftover tomato sauce will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to four months. You can separate the sauce into portion-sized containers for a quick midweek dinner or chili.

There are lots of other recipes that you can make with tomato sauce, so enjoy!