The Lean Green Bean

Crockpot Roasted Vegetable Sauce

by 61 Comments

Hi Friends!

Today I have a fun sauce recipe to share with you. Crockpot Roasted Vegetable Tomato Sauce.

An easy way to add some extra vegetables to your meal, this Crockpot Roasted Veggie Tomato Sauce is super simple and easy to customize based on what you have on hand.

Let’s talk about spaghetti sauce for a minute. I love it…I don’t love how much salt is usually in it. A few years ago I started buying no-salt-added crushed tomatoes and adding my own garlic and herbs to make spaghetti sauce. It’s super easy and much healthier!

Another one of my favorite tricks for making sauce healthier is to add extra veggies. Usually I just chop them up, saute them and mix them into my sauce with some lentils and then serve over noodles. This weekend, however, I was in the mood for a less chunky sauce. So I turned to my crockpot.

An easy way to add some extra vegetables to your meal, this Crockpot Roasted Veggie Tomato Sauce is super simple and easy to customize based on what you have on hand.

Let’s back up a minute. Did you know you can roast veggies in your crockpot? It’s so easy. Just chop up some veggies of your choice, toss lightly with olive oil and spices of your choice and roast in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours or on low for longer. The veggies will get a little softer than when you roast them in the oven and not as “blackened”, but the flavor is still great. I still have a slight preference for oven roasted veggies…but using the crockpot is a fun way to change it up.

Ok, moving on. I decided to use some crockpot roasted veggies to kick my spaghetti sauce up a notch. Here’s what I did:

  • Chopped up some veggies I had on hand and some garlic.
  • Tossed in olive oil and roasted in the crockpot on high for 3 hours, stirring every hour.
  • Added 2- 28oz can of whole  tomatoes, one with liquid and one drained (you could also use 4- 14.5 oz cans of no salt added diced tomatoes, or even crushed)
  • Pureed the mixture using my immersion blender.
  • Added some spices and fresh herbs.
  • Let simmer for a couple more hours.

Voila! Roasted Veggie Sauce. The best part is you can freeze this sauce….so use some now and freeze the rest. When you need more, just pull it out and defrost it! There isn’t an exact recipe for this sauce but here’s the general idea:

Print

Crockpot Roasted Vegetable Sauce

This sauce is a cinch to make and a great way to sneak more veggies into your diet. Enjoy some today and freeze the rest for tomorrow!

  • Author: Author: Lindsay L
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Total Time: 5 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2–3 cups chopped vegetables
  • 2 28-oz cans whole tomatoes
  • 2–3 tsp oregano
  • 2 Tbsp fresh basil
  • 3–4 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

  1. Peel and roughly chop the vegetables. Use whatever you have on hand. I used a sweet potato, a red pepper, 2 leeks, a handful of mushrooms and 3-4 carrots.
  2. Toss lightly in olive oil and add to the crockpot with the garlic.
  3. Roast on high for 3-4 hours or until soft, stirring every hour.
  4. Add one can of tomatoes with liquid, the drain the second can and add it without the liquid.
  5. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
  6. Add spices (adjust to your tastebuds- add parsley or other italian seasonings if desired).
  7. Let simmer 1-2 hours more on warm.
  8. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze.

 

You won’t outright taste the veggies, but it’s awesome knowing that they’re in there…and I think it adds a nice flavor to the sauce if you’re looking for it. Try to find no-salt-added tomatoes if you can! If you can’t, look at several brands to find the one with the lowest amount, and rinse off the tomatoes from the can you drain the liquid from!

crockpot roasted vegetable sauce

Serve this sauce over noodles or spaghetti sauce and add your favorite protein. I usually add lentils or white beans…but you could also add chicken or ground turkey.  And if you’re feeling extra “saucy”, add a dollop of pesto for some extra flavor!

An easy way to add some extra vegetables to your meal, this Crockpot Roasted Veggie Tomato Sauce is super simple and easy to customize based on what you have on hand.

Let’s chat: Do you add extra veggies to your sauce?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

 

Comments

  4. Sounds wonderful. I actually have to do what you said, and mix no-salt added crushed tomatoes with my own spices, in order to have a sauce without garlic and onion! I don’t mind it (I add garlic olive oil).

    Reply

  5. I’ve never thought to roast veggies in a crockpot. Great tip–thanks! I agree that making your own sauce is the way to go. Not only for the salt content, but some companies add sugar (or HFCS) as well. Why is that necessary? Annoying.

    Reply

  7. I feel like spaghetti is one of the easiest ways to add veggies!!! It helps bulk up the meal and adds great nutrients. I love adding veggies to lasagna and I even like to switch out crumbled tofu for the ricotta! Another wonderful swap!

    Reply

  15. You rule Lindsay! We both shared and created to very awesome spaghetti squash meals this week. How funny! Good to now great minds think alike. I can’t wait to try yours. I love how you made your sauce!! xx

    Reply

  17. Yum! I definitely want to use my crock pot more. So many easy recipes! I’ve never made my own sauce but it seems super simple! I’ve got a spaghetti squash waiting to be tried!

    Reply

  21. Stomach is growling…looks so good and there are so many ways to use something like this!

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

    Reply

  25. I LOVE homemade sauce, and the crockpot is a great idea! Totally pinning this! Had no idea about roasting veggies in the crock too! no liquid? does it make them burn??

    Reply

    • they might burn if you didn’t stir them…but the veggies release their moisture while they’re in there so there actually ends up being some liquid in there which helps them not burn!

      Reply

  26. I always add veggies to my sauce! They add so much more flavor, nutrients, and make it more hearty! 🙂

    Reply

  27. Lindsay, this looks great! What an awesome way to get in extra veggies, and add some flavor to the sauce. I love the taste of roasted veggies, and I bet it makes the sauce extra delicious!

    Reply

  29. I love this and I can’t wait to try it. I already add purreed carrots to my spaghetti courtesy of Giada de Lerentis. So, I am so in to adding all this other stuff. Plus, one time I added eggplant. It was yummy.

    Reply

  31. I LOVE adding tons of veggies to my tomato sauces, especially because I love super think and chunky sauce.

    I had no idea you could ‘roast’ veggies in a slow cooker. Not that I’ve ever USED my slow cooker…

    Reply

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