Tomato paste is the puree of cooked tomatoes that are seasoned, canned, and packaged. Tomato soup is a liquid-based soup made from tomatoes.
While both are made with tomato’s, they are not interchangeable in recipes. Tomato soup can be substituted for tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes in some recipes. However, it will not work as a substitute for tomato paste.
So if you’re looking to use one of these ingredients for your next dish, make sure you know which one you need before you head to the grocery store!
Why are they different?
Tomato paste is a puree of cooked tomatoes that have been seasoned, canned and packaged. Tomato soup is a liquid-based soup made from tomatoes. So the two are not interchangeable in recipes – tomato soup can be substituted for tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes in some recipes, but it will not work as a substitute for tomato paste.
The difference between these ingredients stems from how each product is made. Tomato paste is made by cooking fresh or canned tomatoes and then straining them to remove the water content. Tomatoes in soup are cooked in a broth until they become soft and break down easily when stirred with a spoon.
This process leaves you with a thick, concentrated flavor in the form of tomato paste. With soup, you get a much more watered down version of that same flavor that’s easier to consume when eating out of a bowl rather than straight from the jar.
From this explanation, it’s clear why these two ingredients are different – one has been heavily strained while the other has been left with extra water content to make it easier to consume without getting too full too fast!
How can you use them in dishes?
You can use tomato soup as a substitute for other tomatoes in a recipe, but not as a substitute for tomato paste. Tomato soup is typically used as a soup base or added to recipes that have another tomato product. For example, if you want to make a lasagna and you only had tomato soup on hand, you could add it to the sauce instead of crushed tomatoes. You can also use it as part of your vegetable soup base. If you’re making chili and all you have is tomato soup, then adding it would be fine.
As for how you can use tomato paste: With tomatoes comes the need for thickening agents like flour and cornstarch and acids like vinegar and lemon juice. Tomato paste has both of these ingredients inside of it already so there’s no need to add them separately. It’s perfect for dishes like soups, pasta sauces, and pizza sauces where consistency matters most. You can also use it as an ingredient in this beef stew recipe!
Conclusion
In this post, we’ve examined the difference between tomato paste and tomato soup. When it comes down to it, the two are not interchangeable. Tomato paste has a stronger flavor and is more concentrated in flavor than tomato soup. It is a common misconception that they can be used in the same way in dishes, but in reality they have different purposes in a recipe.
So if you’re looking for a way to add more tomato flavor to a dish, try using tomato paste. On the other hand, if you’re looking to add more liquid to a dish, try using tomato soup instead.
The next time you find yourself in the kitchen, don’t reach for the wrong ingredient when it comes down to these two pantry staples—use this guide to make the right choice!
