This vegan slow cooker basil marinara is a fresh, flavorful summer tomato sauce. Easy to prep and forget while it slow cooks all afternoon, filling your kitchen with wonderful fragrance!
recipe originally published January 30, 2013
Slow Cooker Basil Marinara
Fresh summer tomatoes are one of my favorites. Indulgent.
I know - indulging? Yes. When you like marinara and the many foods that like to swim in it, this is a form of indulgence.
Fresh Summer Tomato Sauce
Don't even get me started on summertime, when my garden has the most amazing fresh Roma tomatoes. I can often be found standing in my yard, eating a tomato like an apple. Garden fresh is always the best, and tomatoes especially so.
During the summer, this recipe uses a few pounds of my fresh garden tomatoes. I always make several batches to can (well, jar!) so we can enjoy that freshness all year long.
When those extra jars run out, I make this recipe using canned fire roasted tomatoes.
In addition to all sorts of pasta, this marinara sauce is perfect for our Mozzarella Stuffed Vegan Chicken Burgers!
Did you make this marinara sauce?
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Slow Cooker Basil Marinara
This fresh summer tomato sauce is flavorful and easy to prep and forget until dinner is ready!
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds fresh garden tomatoes (or 2 (28 ounce) cans fire roasted tomatoes)
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- large bunch (¾ cup) fresh basil, chiffonaded
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In pan over medium heat, or using the sauté function on your slow cooker, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Sauté several minutes, until softened.
- In slow cooker set to low heat, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add onion and garlic.
- Cover and cook for 2 hours.
- After sauce is warmed through, smash tomatoes into smaller pieces (using a potato masher or large fork).
- Cover and cook on low for another 2-3 hours.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 28Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 76mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
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Kath (My Funny Little Life) says
I love tomatoes! They are among my favorite veggies. And I especially love how they get slightly sweet when you cook them for a long time.
Why are tomatoes related to inflammation? Because they are nightshadows? And do you notice negative effects from eating tomatoes?
Anyway, I'm really in the mood to make something like this! Not to be served with pasta though, but I bet legumes or brown rice would be great as well. 🙂
Kristina Sloggett says
I do, unfortunately. small amounts I can do okay, but there is always even a mild reaction. peppers are my favorite (the spicy hot ones!), and that poses the biggest problem...
have you seen the dal recipe I recently shared? it's a GOOD one you might enjoy: Cholar Dal and the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles
Kristina Sloggett says
and YES - the nightshades are all very inflammatory - tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant...
Jess says
So SAD that you can't indulge in this more often -- there is nothing more comforting or homey than the smell of homemade marinara cooking on the stove -- especially when it's made from fresh from YOUR garden tomatoes. YUM.
Kristina Sloggett says
I know... I love that smell! a nice warm crusty buttery piece of bread dipped in... Oh My Heaven!
Julie Hasson says
Tomatoes and sauce are one of my favorites! I love the idea of using both the slow cooker, and the roasted tomatoes. The Muir Glen roasted tomatoes are the best!
I'm glad you still get to enjoy a little tomato sauce.
Thanks for sharing Kristina.]!
Kristina Sloggett says
I love the Muir Glen - that's what is in this sauce!
happy Thursday, Julie!
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack! says
Oh man, I would be SO bummed if I wasn't able to eat tons of tomatoes! One thing that I am actually really sad that I'm allergic to is beets. 🙁 I make a damn good beet borscht, too. Damn you body!!
Kristina Sloggett says
isn't it strange what we have intolerance to? a beet? a tomato? come ON.
jobo says
I looooooove homemade sauce with fresh tomatoes!! I want to dive in and eat some right now!! And I SO can't wait to have a house and a garden to make piles and piles of tomatoes and basil!
Kristina Sloggett says
tomato and basil are ALL I NEED in my garden. oh, well and peppers. and kale. and my paddle ball game. 😉
Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies says
This sounds very tasty. I love using a slow cooker in the winter. Something about it always being dark out when I'm home makes me want to let the kitchen do most of the work for me.
Kristina Sloggett says
not only is it dark (and cold!), but coming home to a wonderful smelling kitchen and a nearly complete dinner? yes, please!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
Cabbage. I love it but if I eat too much... it's not pretty.
There's nothing like homemade toamto sauce. in the winter I like to use the San Marzano tomatoes. If only those came fire-roasted... life would be perfect. 🙂
Kristina Sloggett says
the San Marzanos are good, yes. I love my tomatoes, but can definitely feel it if I eat too many. 🙁
Leah says
I just started an anti-inflammatory diet plan a few days ago.. I'm on the last day of the detox and will start "testing" foods tomorrow. I'm really hoping to be OK with tomatoes and bananas but we shall see! Today I get to try eggs. 🙂
Kristina Sloggett says
good luck with it - I hope it all goes well and that if you find anything that doesn't agree with you, it's something you don't love 🙂
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
I love tomatoes as long as they're cooked or if they're the really small grapes or cherries. I sure wish my garden had produced enough to jar or to do a sauce from scratch. Big spaghetti sauce fans around my house 😉 Because of all the stuff I've been going through, I've been trying to pay more attention to acidic foods. Probably should pay more attention to inflammatory foods as well.
Kristina Sloggett says
I always plant too many tomatoes. 😉 well, someone's definition of too many. you might want to look at them - the big ones are the nightshades - potato, tomato, and if I remember correctly, eggplant. oh. and peppers. *tear. that is one I often overdo.
kita says
Marinara is one of my most favorite things on earth - and I've got this slow cooker thing going right now 😉 I could eat this by the spoonful.
Kristina Sloggett says
I do too! um, I mean I could too 😉