Standby Veg: Canned Diced Tomatoes

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While tomatoes are usually consumed as vegetables, strictly speaking the tomato is a berry or fruit. The tomato originated in western South America, Mexico and Central America. Its domestication and use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico and it was used by the Aztecs in their cooking at the time of the Spanish conquest. The tomato was then brought to Europe together with several other New World plants and was introduced to other parts of the European-colonized world during the 16th century. Since then, tomatoes have become an essential ingredient in most cuisines.

Fresh tomatoes are readily available and can be peeled and used for cooking. However, you’ll find that most of the fresh tomatoes you can buy lack natural sugars as they have been bred for yield, shelf life, size, and resistance to environmental pressures rather than taste. Consequently, most cooks use canned tomatoes which are bred for taste and are picked and canned at their ripest. In fact, as tomatoes are canned within hours of being harvested, they can be even more nutritious than fresh tomatoes which may take many days to get from the vine to your plate.

You’ll find several types of canned tomatoes on the supermarket shelves such as whole peeled, crushed, diced and cherry tomatoes. You can, of course, use any of these in the following recipes. I choose diced tomatoes because they are easier to use in small quantities.  However, I would recommend Italian tomatoes as they are usually redder and tastier. An alternative is tomato passata, either homemade or off the shelf.

The following recipes can be made entirely from Standby Vegetables and Pantry Essentials, including some Crisper Essentials. 

You’ll find recipes for fresh tomatoes in the entry Hero Veg: Tomatoes, while cherry tomatoes are in the Crisper Essentials collection.

You likely won’t be using the whole can of tomatoes for a single meal, but decanted into a sealable container, canned tomatoes keep for several days in the fridge. As canned tomatoes are extensively called for on this website, you’ll be able to use the rest of the can quite easily. 

Recipes:

Tomato and Lentil Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup

Tomato and Vegetable Soup

Vegetable and Pesto Soup

Pasta with No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Pasta with Tomato and Pesto

Pasta Napolitana

Pasta all’Amatriciana

Pasta with Red Lentil Bolognaise

Tomato Risotto

Tomato, Peas and Potato Curry

Tomato and Vegetable Stew

Tomato and Bacon Pie

 

Tomato and Lentil Soup

  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. red lentils
  • ¼ cup carrot, grated (optional)
  • Dried onion, garlic and chilli
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

 

  1. Liquidise the diced tomatoes in the small cup of a bullet blender with dried onion, garlic and chilli
  2. Place in a small saucepan with an additional 2 tbsp. water and bring to the boil
  3. Add stock and carrot (optional) and return to the boil
  4. Add red lentils, cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are cooked

Variations:

  • substitute 1 tbsp. rice for 1 tbsp. red lentils and add at Step 4
  • substitute ¼ cup finely chopped red capsicum or celery for the carrot
  • omit Step 1, after Step 4 allow to cool, thoroughly liquidise and gently reheat

 

Creamy Tomato Soup

  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 small potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. sugar (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. red lentils (optional)
  • Garlic, chilli or paprika, pepper and basil
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)
  • Olive or canola oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté onion with garlic and spices
  2. Add tomatoes with tomato paste, basil and sugar (optional)
  3. Add stock and bring to the boil
  4. Add potato and lentils (optional) and simmer until potato is tender (approx. 30 minutes)
  5. Allow to cool, empty saucepan into large cup of a bullet blender and liquidise
  6. Return to saucepan with an additional ¼ cup water and gently reheat
  7. Remove from heat and stir in yoghurt (optional)

 

Tomato and Vegetable Soup

  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 tbsp. red lentils (optional)
  • Garlic and chilli (optional)
  • Pepper, basil and dried onion
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

 

  1. Liquidise the diced tomatoes in the small cup of a bullet blender with herbs and spices
  2. Place in a small saucepan with an additional 2 tbsp. water
  3. Add stock, bring to the boil and add vegetables and lentils (optional)
  4. Simmer until vegetables are tender

Variations:

  • substitute coleslaw mix for the mixed vegetables
  • substitute 125gm can four-bean-mix or chickpeas, drained, for ½ cup mixed vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes before adding vegetables

 

Vegetable and Pesto Soup

  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • ¼ cup carrot, chopped
  • ¼ cup frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp. small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1–2 tsp. basil pesto
  • Garlic and pepper
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • Olive oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté onions with garlic and pepper
  2. Add carrot and peas and sauté
  3. Add diced tomatoes and sauté to heat through
  4. Add stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5–10 minutes
  5. Add macaroni and simmer for a further 12–15 minutes
  6. Stir in pesto and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (optional)

Variation: substitute 1 portion frozen spinach for the pesto and add at Step 5 at 10-minute mark

 

Pasta with No-Cook Tomato Sauce

  • ½ – ¾ cup pasta
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes (at room temperature)
  • Garlic granules, chilli or paprika, basil and pepper
  • ½ tbsp. olive oil
  • Shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese

 

  1. Boil pasta until cooked through
  2. Meanwhile, place diced tomatoes in a 1 litre bowl
  3. Add basil, pepper, garlic granules and chilli and stir through with olive oil
  4. Drain cooked pasta and stir through tomato mixture immediately
  5. Sprinkle with shredded cheese

 

Pasta with Tomato and Pesto

  • ½ – ¾ cup pasta
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 2–3 tsp. basil pesto
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil

 

  1. Boil pasta until al dente, drain (and set aside)
  2. Place tomatoes in the small cup of a bullet blender with tomato paste and liquidise
  3. Heat oil in a small saucepan, add pesto and sauté
  4. Stir in tomato mixture, bring to the boil and simmer for 3–5 minutes
  5. Stir pasta into sauce to heat through
  6. Stir in a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

 

Pasta Napolitana

  • ½ cup pasta
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • Garlic, chilli or paprika, basil and pepper
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil

 

  1. Liquidise diced tomatoes in the small cup of a bullet blender with tomato paste
  2. In a small saucepan, sauté onions with spices
  3. Add tomatoes with an additional ¼ cup water and basil
  4. Bring to the boil and stir in pasta
  5. Set to simmer, stirring often and adding more water if required for 12–15 minutes or until pasta is cooked
  6. Stir in a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Variation: add ½ cup chopped red capsicum, mushrooms and/or carrot after Step 2 and sauté

 

Pasta all’Amatriciana

  • ½ cup pasta
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp. chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp. diced bacon
  • Crushed chilli and garlic
  • Basil and pepper
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • Olive oil

 

  1. Liquidise diced tomatoes in the small cup of a bullet blender with tomato paste
  2. In a small saucepan, sauté onions with generous amounts of crushed garlic and chilli
  3. Add diced bacon and sauté
  4. Add tomatoes with an additional ¼ cup water, basil and pepper
  5. Bring to the boil and stir in pasta
  6. Set to simmer, stirring often and adding more water if required for 12–15 minutes or until pasta is cooked
  7. Stir in a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Variation: substitute a few slices of shredded hot salami for the bacon and omit or reduce the chilli.

 

Pasta with Red Lentil Bolognaise

  • ½ cup pasta
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp. red lentils
  • ¼ cup carrot, grated
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • Garlic, chilli or paprika, basil and pepper
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • Olive oil

 

  1. Liquidise diced tomatoes in the small cup of a bullet blender with tomato paste
  2. In a small saucepan, sauté onions with garlic and spices
  3. Add diced tomatoes with an additional ¼ cup water and basil and bring to the boil
  4. Add grated carrot and lentils and simmer for 5 minutes
  5. Bring to the boil and stir in pasta
  6. Set to simmer, stirring often and adding more water if required for 12–15 minutes or until pasta is cooked
  7. Stir in Parmesan cheese (optional)

Variation: add ¼ cup finely sliced mushrooms and/or capsicum at Step 4

 

Tomato Risotto

  • 1/3 cup rice
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • Chilli (or paprika) and garlic
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • Parsley and basil
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil

 

  1. Liquidise diced tomatoes in small cup of a bullet blender with chilli, garlic and stock powder
  2. Sauté chopped onion in a small saucepan
  3. Add rice and sauté until translucent
  4. Add tomatoes with ¼ cup water, lemon juice, parsley and basil
  5. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often
  6. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese

Variations:

  • substitute 2 tbsp. rice and 2 tbsp. red lentils for the 1/3 cup rice
  • add ¼ cup frozen peas at Step 4

 

Tomato, Peas and Potato Curry

  • ¾ cup canned potatoes
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. chopped onion
  • Garlic, chilli, ginger and coriander
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Canola oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté onions with garlic, chilli and spices
  2. Add diced tomatoes and sauté
  3. Add peas and potatoes and simmer for 15–20 minutes, adding a little water if necessary, until potatoes are tender
  4. Stir in lemon juice

Variation: substitute 1 small/medium potato, peeled and diced for canned potatoes. Add after Step 2 with a little water and simmer for 10–15 minutes before adding peas at Step 3.

 

Tomato and Vegetable Stew

  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup canned new potatoes
  • ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp. red lentils (optional)
  • Garlic, paprika, pepper and basil
  • Olive or canola oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté onion with garlic and spices
  2. Add potatoes and sauté to heat through
  3. Add frozen vegetables and sauté to heat through
  4. Add diced tomatoes with stock powder, tomato paste and basil
  5. Add ¼ cup water and bring to the boil
  6. Add red lentils with an additional ¼ cup water (optional)
  7. Simmer until tender (approx. 20 minutes)

Variations:

  • substitute a medium potato, peeled and cubed for the canned potatoes, and sauté until beginning to soften before adding frozen vegetables
  • also suitable for celery, capsicum, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, frozen peas, green beans, sweet potato

 

Tomato and Bacon Pie

  • ½ cup diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 tbsp. diced bacon
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • Garlic granules, dried onion, basil, oregano and chilli or paprika
  • 1–2 slices wholegrain bread, toasted
  • Oil spray

 

  1. Place diced tomatoes in a bowl and toss in herbs and spices
  2. Stir in diced bacon
  3. In another bowl, thoroughly mix together shredded cheese and mayonnaise
  4. Spray a small pie dish with oil
  5. Cut toast to fit and place in base of pie dish
  6. Spread tomato mixture over base and top with cheese mixture
  7. Bake in a pre-heated hot (200°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes

Variation: substitute a small round of pita bread for the toast

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