Homemade Tomato Sauce and Chicken Broth

Two years ago I asked my readers a question: “Do we really do this?”. The full question was “do we Dominicans really use sopitas (bouillon cubes) so much?”. The question came after a discussion on the subject with some online friends.

Coming from a family where cooking with natural ingredients was the norm, I rarely use industrial seasonings in my home and in the recipes I write both for our blog and for my clients.

When I started writing Dominican recipes I often did list these ingredients. A few times some people complained that my recipes were not authentic because this dish, or that other, did not contain seasonings or sopita. As time passed I came to the conclusion that a) This is our blog, I write the recipes. And b) If I wouldn’t serve something to my family, why would I “serve” it to my readers?

Since we moved to a blog format nearly three years ago I have been re-writing and re-shooting all our old recipes. They reflect my cooking style better (plus better pictures). They won’t be to everybody’s liking, but there never was a chance that I would please everybody.

Nowadays you see I list “tomato sauce” instead of  “tomato paste” in my recipes. I list “chicken broth” or “vegetable broth” instead of bouillon cubes. You can buy pretty decent tomato sauces in the supermarket — which contain no artificial coloring, as opposed to a lot of tomato pastes. You can also buy low-sodium and low-fat broths. But, why not make it at home? It’s cheaper, it’s healthier, you know what’s in your food. Better yet, it’s easy, very easy.

Trust me, as recipes go, this cannot get any easier. It’s just “set it and forget it”, in the immortal words of Ron Popeil.

Aunt Clara

5 from 1 vote

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Homemade Tomato Sauce and Chicken Broth Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Homemade Tomato Sauce and Chicken Broth Recipe: Instead of using bouillon cubes, and tomato paste, make your own. It is easy and you know what goes in it.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Dominican, Latino

Servings: 8 cups of each

Calories: 121 kcal

Author: Clara Gonzalez

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 head of garlic , peeled and crushed
• 10 lb [4.5 kg] of very ripe tomatoes , rinsed and cubed
• 1 teaspoon of pepper (optional)

For the chicken broth

• 1 (1 lb [0.45 kg]) of chicken carcass
• 1 medium onion , quartered
• 1 head of garlic , peeled
• 1 sprig of oregano
• 1 bunch of parsley or cilantro
• 1 cubanelle pepper , seeded and halved
• 1 teaspoon of peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon of allspice berries (malagüeta)
• 3 qt [3 lt] of water

Instructions

For the tomato sauce

1. In a large thick-bottom pot heat the oil over very low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until the garlic is very soft. Add the tomato and pepper.
2. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes are very soft.
3. Remove from the heat and let them cool down.
4. Blend until it turns into a soft paste.
5. Separate into 1-cup portions and freeze.

For the chicken broth

1. Mix chicken, onion, garlic, oregano, celery, bell pepper and pepper.
2. Add 2 quarts of water, cover and simmer over low heat for an hour and a half. Add more water when it becomes necessary to maintain the same level.
3. Remove from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
4. Strain and get rid of solids.
5. Separate into 1 cup portions and freeze.

Notes & Nutrition Facts

This is a substitute for tomato sauce and paste for cooking. I use the whole tomatoes because the peel gives it more color.

To make the broth, buy a chicken, chop it, and save the parts you can use for another recipe. We'll just need the carcass for this recipe. Nothing to waste.