Simple flavored stewed tomatoes, prepared from scratch from whole fresh tomatoes and peeled.
I share seasoning, storing options and ways to use them.
Global Food Recipes
with Spices and Herbs
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📕 What are stewed tomatoes?
Tomatoes are peeled and then slowly cooked over a medium to low heat setting.
The tomatoes can be diced or cooked as a whole.
Stewed tomatoes and variations exist all over the world.
🍅 Ingredients
The full recipe with ingredient measurements and steps is located in the printable recipe card further below.
This is a simple-stewed tomato recipe.
- tomatoes - large tomatoes of your choice. You can make it with smaller varieties too.
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- water or broth or water+maggie cube
💡 Add more Flavors
Here are some country specific flavors to pep up your stewed tomatoes:
- French flavor — add fresh or dried lovage, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, or a dash of herbes de provence
- Italian flavors — basil fresh or dried or Italian seasoning
- Mexican style — jalapeños, garlic, and a pinch of cumin or Mexican seasoning blend
- African style — bell pepper, scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
- Southern flavors — filé powder or Cajun seasoning and okra added
- Middle eastern touch — chickpeas and zaatar seasoning
🔪 How to stew tomatoes?
This is an overview, check the recipe in the recipe card below.
Step 1
Heat up water, place in tomatoes to blanch, peel tomatoes.
Step 2
Prep ingredients. Slice onion, chop garlic, cut peeled and blanched tomato ends off.
Step 3
Sauté onion, garlic and add whole tomatoes.
Pour in water or broth, season as you like, and cover to cook.
Step 4
Cook down to desired consistency.
Mash tomatoes a bit with your cooking spoon.
Serve up.
📖 Recipe
Simple Stewed Tomatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 Tomatoes fresh, normal-sized
- 1 Onion white or purple
- 2-3 Pieces Garlic Cloves fresh
- 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Ground
- 1½ Cup Water or broth, *see Notes
- Seasoning of your choice *see Notes
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil and place your fresh whole tomatoes into it.
- Cook shortly for about 30 second (that's called to blanch) or until skin cracks on tomato.
- Keep a bowl or container with ice cold water ready and place tomatoes in it to stop cooking process.
- Peel tomatoes.
- Dice onion and chop garlic. Cut and remove tomato top.
- Heat up a small pot with olive oil and saute first onion and then add garlic when the onion looks a bit soft.
- Continue to add the whole tomato. Cook over a slow to medium heat setting.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Pour in water or broth.
- At this point you can season your tomato stew further. You can add basil, Italian seasoning or as I did bay leaf and dried lovage. This is optional.
- Cover to bring to a boil and keep over a medium heat setting.
- Uncover after 5 minutes and check if the tomatoes have become a bit soft. Mash lightly with your cooking spatula to desired consistency.
- Cook further down until you are satisfied with the consistency and thickness. Keep it to stew over a medium to slow heat setting at the end.
- If you added whole spices to season (such as bay leaf) take them out and discard at this point.
- Serve up your stewed tomatoes.
Notes
- You can use water, broth, or maggie cubes with water to cook your tomatoes. broth or maggie cubes add more flavors whereas water makes it taste plainer.
- You can choose to season your tomato stew further. In the video, I added bay leaf and lovage (for french flavors), but you can add 1-2 teaspoons of oregano or marjoram too or Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence. See post under Ingredients for some more seasoning ideas.
Equipment
Nutrition
🍴 Serving Ideas
I love stewed tomatoes because they are simple to prepare and great with most meals as a side dish.
Here are some ideas to enjoy your homemade stewed tomatoes. Serve up with:
You can also use your stewed tomatoes to make another dish, such as in:
- shakshuka
- zucchini boats as a filling
- shrimp fra diavolo
- a soup
- a casserole dish
- a pasta sauce
- chili
- a sauce such as a salsa
🍱 Storing
Cooked stewed tomatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. In fact, I think they even taste better when reheated after a day or two.
To freeze, simply prepare the desired batch size and place in a freezer friendly container. Freeze for up to 2 months, max.
To thaw, simply place into the fridge overnight or heat up gradually in the microwave or over the stove top in a non-sticking pan.
💭 FAQs
Yes you can make colorful stewed tomatoes by using different tomato varieties such as green tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, black tomatoes, purple tomatoes. Or use your favorite tomato variety. I like to use oxheart tomatoes if I get them or else I use oval tomatoes.
Slowly and gradually cook down your stewed tomatoes until you are satisfied with the thickness. I don't recommend adding a slurry (flour with water) to thicken the stew because then it will look shiny and kind of off.
Almost everybody! They are vegan and therefore suitable for a vegetarian diet. They are also healthy all natural without artificial ingredients and preservatives, they are also a great addition to a low-calorie diet and a gluten-free diet.
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