Go Back
Hidden veg tomato sauce in a black pot, ready to serve, with a smooth, vibrant orange colour.
Print Recipe

HIDDEN VEG TOMATO SAUCE

A rich, hearty tomato sauce packed full of hidden vegetables — perfect for boosting nutrition without anyone noticing! Smooth, versatile and full of flavour, this is a brilliant base for pasta, Bolognese, meatballs or even as a pizza sauce. Ideal for batch cooking and family meals.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: British, Italian
Keyword: batch cooking sauce, blended veg sauce, family friendly sauce, healthy pasta sauce, hidden veg tomato sauce, kids hidden veg recipe, vegetable tomato sauce
Servings: 2 Litres
Calories: 260kcal
Cost: £1.09 per 500ml

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions
  • 1 leek
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 2 courgettes
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 red chilli optional
  • 1 tbsp Italian mixed herbs
  • 2 tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar optional
  • 2 tbsp Sugar optional

Instructions

Prepare the Vegetables

  • Start by chopping all your vegetables into roughly 1cm pieces. Don’t worry about perfection here — everything will be blended later.
  • Roughly chop the garlic and chilli.
  • Tip: Keeping the pieces similar in size helps everything cook evenly.

Soften the Vegetables

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
  • Add all the chopped vegetables (except the tinned tomatoes) and give everything a good stir so they’re coated in the oil.
  • Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to stop anything catching on the bottom.
  • What to look for: The vegetables should start to soften, shrink slightly, and smell fragrant. The onions will turn translucent and everything will look glossy.

Build the Sauce

  • Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan.
  • Fill one of the empty tins with water and pour it in, then repeat with the second tin (this helps rinse out all that tomato goodness and gives you a nice sauce consistency).
  • Stir well and bring everything to a gentle boil.

Simmer and Develop Flavour

  • Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
  • Stir occasionally to stop it sticking.
  • What to look for: The vegetables should be very soft, and the sauce will start to thicken slightly and deepen in colour.

Blend Until Smooth

  • Remove the pan from the heat and carefully blend the sauce using a stick blender until smooth.
  • Take your time and keep the blender fully submerged to avoid splashes.
  • Tip: The sauce will be hot, so blend slowly and carefully.

Final Taste & Adjust

  • Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  • If you like, add:, A splash of balsamic vinegar for depth and A pinch of sugar to balance the acidity
  • Stir well and adjust to your taste.

Serving Suggestions

  • Use straight away with pasta, meatballs, or in a Bolognese.
  • For batch cooking, divide into 500ml portions and cool completely, then:
    Store in the fridge for up to 3 daysFreeze for up to 3 months

Notes

  • Perfect for kids: Blending hides all the vegetables, making it great for fussy eaters.
  • Consistency control: Add a little extra water if the sauce becomes too thick.
  • Extra flavour: Stir through fresh basil at the end for a fresh finish.
  • Make it spicy: Keep the chilli or add chilli flakes for more heat.
  • Freezer friendly: Freeze flat in bags for easy storage and quicker defrosting.
  • High fibre, low fat: great for healthy eating and budgeting
  • Sweet potatoes + carrots → slow-release carbs
  • Skip the red chilli to save ~15–20p
  • Swap courgettes for extra carrots to cut cost further
  • Add lentils (cheap protein boost for ~£0.20 extra total)