Heart-Healthy Vegetable Tomato Sauce
Transform your everyday meals with this vibrant, nutrient-packed Heart-Healthy Vegetable Tomato Sauce, the perfect blend of wholesome ingredients and bold flavors. Featuring a medley of fresh, diced vegetables like zucchini, carrots, red bell peppers, and celery, this sauce delivers a powerhouse of vitamins and textures. Combined with aromatic garlic, onion, and herbaceous seasonings like oregano, basil, and parsley, this recipe brings a gourmet touch to your kitchen while keeping sodium and unhealthy fats to a minimum. The addition of crushed tomatoes and rich tomato paste creates a silky, comforting base perfect for pasta, whole grains, or even roasted veggies. Easily customizable for spice lovers with optional crushed red pepper flakes, this heart-friendly dish is ready in just 45 minutes, making it both quick and nutritious. Whether you're meal prepping or serving it fresh, this savory sauce is sure to be a crowd pleaser while promoting a healthy lifestyle.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 medium Yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium Carrot, shredded
- 1 stalk Celery stalk, diced
- 1 small Zucchini, diced
- 1 medium Red bell pepper, diced
- 28 ounces Canned no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Tomato paste (no salt added)
- 1 teaspoon Dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dry basil
- 0.25 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes (optional for spice)
- 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley, chopped
- 0.5 cup Water or low-sodium vegetable broth
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add the shredded carrot, diced celery, zucchini, and red bell pepper. Stir everything together and cook for 5 minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.
Add the water or low-sodium vegetable broth to thin out the sauce to your preferred consistency.
Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the sauce uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the fresh parsley before serving.
Serve immediately over pasta, grains, or as a topping for vegetables, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
557 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 17.4 g | 22% | |
| Saturated Fat | 2.7 g | 14% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1.3 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 330 mg | 14% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 96.2 g | 35% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 27.8 g | 99% | |
| Total Sugars | 54.8 g | ||
| Protein | 19.1 g | 38% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 384 mg | 30% | |
| Iron | 7.5 mg | 42% | |
| Potassium | 4028 mg | 86% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
