Whether your pantry is bare or you have dietary restrictions, if you need a substitute for condensed tomato soup, you will find this quick and easy condensed tomato soup recipe works very well!
Are you ever disappointed with a product after you read the ingredient list? Yeah, me too! Even when I am lucky enough to find a product without wheat, I am often dismayed by some of the other ingredients like high fructose corn syrup or modified food starch. Fortunately, I have found that creating substitutions from scratch allows me to have complete control over the ingredients, costs quite a bit less, and does not take that much time to do.
When we went gluten-free, I realized we could no longer use canned condensed tomato soup, or most other canned tomato soups because they use flour to thicken the soup.
How to Make a Substitute for Condensed Tomato Soup
I have created a tomato soup substitution recipe that makes the equivalent of one can of condensed tomato soup. You can use it if you are gluten-free or if you are avoiding some of the other ingredients in canned tomato soup. You can also use this as a replacement for condensed tomato soup instead of running to the store if you find that your pantry is bare.
Condensed Tomato Soup Recipe
I use organic tomato sauce and non-gmo cornstarch, but you should choose whichever brands you feel comfortable using or have readily available to you. If you are out of white sugar, you can replace brown sugar or honey, but it will slightly alter the taste.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
- If you are using a recipe that calls for condensed tomato soup, use this substitute as the recipe directs. You can also add 1 cup of liquid (milk, water, or a combination) to make soup, though if I were doing that I would add some seasonings to spice it up a bit!
Printable Recipe for Condensed Tomato Soup Substitute
Condensed Tomato Soup Substitute
Ingredients
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 - 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
Notes
You can also use this recipe in Tomato Soup Cake, which is surprisingly delicious and tastes like a spice cake.
Do you have foods that you have to avoid for health reasons? Do you avoid some just based on principle? Have you found healthier substitutions for convenience foods so that you can avoid these items?
Gail says
On an oddly chilly Memorial Day, I have a taste for grilled cheese and tomato soup, but no soup. I added a touch of garlic, onion powders, Italian seasonings, S&P. Perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich while we listen to the rain and put on a sweater…Happy Summer!
fredswifesue says
Have a question: I want to make an old ‘french’ salad dressing that calls for a can of condensed tomato soup. (I am sensitive to wheat therefore no creamed soups.)
Canned soup is already cooked when it comes from the can. Any suggestions for cooking the cornstarch in this substitute recipe w/o scorching the whole thing in the process? I need it to be cooked for the salad dressing recipe so it can do it’s thickening of the dressing.
Paul says
Like Vashti Wood, I wondered about ‘tomato sauce’, although I’m English. It seems that it is what is sold as Passata in the UK
Elizabeth Kaltenbrun says
Thanks for the recipe. I needed a gluten free version for my son and I make my own tomato sauce….This is perfect and so simple!!
Vashti Wood says
Just a quick question (for all us Aussies out there): to us, “tomato sauce” is what you call ketchup… What exactly, then, is the stuff called “tomato sauce”? I couldn’t see the whole can in the picture. Thanks, in advance, for answering.
Alea Milham says
Tomato sauce is pureed tomatoes. It is much thinner than tomato paste. It has a similar consistency to ketchup, but it is just straight tomatoes, no added ingredients.
Michelle Giroux says
So would just blended tomatoes work?
Alea Milham says
No, you really need the cornstarch to make it thicker.
Jess says
I use this as a substitute in this recipe:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tomato-tortellini-soup?keycode=ZFB
I actually just put the liquid ingredients and the this sub for tomato soup in my slow cooker to heat it up then once it’s warm enough I made and add the tortellini and the other ingredients.
Jenny says
Thanks! This is perfect for when i realize I don’t have any soup in the house, but I do make sure that I pick up tomato sauce each week at the store, so I always have plenty of that!
Becca from It's Yummi! says
I love this recipe, Alea! I’m not eating gluten free, but I try to stay away from all of the “crap” ingredients and extra sodium that are normally in canned soups.
I’m making a stuffed pepper soup and it calls for condensed tomato soup. This will be perfect! Thanks so much.
erica says
Can this be made ahead and frozen for future Recipes?
Jen Emerson says
What a godsend in finding this recipe. I was out of tomato soup and had tomato sauce on hand. Needed it for recipe and was not going out in the snow for it.Thank you so much for posting this.
Cherene says
Thank you so much for sharing this simple recipe. It is exactly what I was looking for. I have Crohns Disease and found going gluten free has made a world of difference. I have become a serious label reader but, for some reason I never read the Campbell’s Tomato soup label until tonight. Wheat flour? Really? I made your soup tonight instead and it was perfect. Thanks again 🙂
Alea Milham says
I am so glad that you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
Martha says
Ever tried making this in big batches and either canning it or freezing it (wonder how it would hold up in the freezer)