Can I substitute tomato sauce for tomato paste?

Question

I am making chili and the recipe calls for tomato paste but I only have tomato sauce. Can I substitute the sauce for the paste and is there anything else I need to know when doing so? Thanks!

Answer 1

If your recipe calls for water, use half as much in your chile when making it with tomato sauce rather than tomato paste.  It will give you the same results.

Personally I would never use tomato in my chile, but then I am a native New Mexican and want my chile pure and not polluted with beans tomatoes and other junk.

Answer 2

No- they are two different things.  Tomato paste is realy bland, and a lot thicker.  It is more of a pure tomato taste

Answer 3

i do not think u could do that just because u need to simmer the chili and the tomato sauce will take 4 ever to simmer or it might never simmer at all

Answer 4

I imagine you mean tomato puree (pure condensed tomatoes), and yes you can.

Tomato sauce generally is made of the same stuff essentially just with added vinegar, sugar and salt - which will change the flavour slightly, although the colour is perhaps better.

Just like any style of cooking, there are no rules.

You could try baked beans instead of kidney beans for example, add real chillies, or just a packet mix.

As long as you have the basic recipe, you can do whatever you want.

Answer 5

Tomato pastes job is to make the chili thicker. If you don't add it your chili will be runny. If you don't have time to run to the store, and if you don't like the consistency of your chili when you make bowls add some cheese. That should make it clump up a little and when you cook it take the lid off sooner and let some of the water evaporate.

Answer 6

There will be no real problem, the sauce is a little thinner and not as intense as the paste, but it will do.