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A speckled white bowl of chunky Cajun tomato sauce with diced green bell pepper, celery and onion, a wooden spoon resting in it, on a worn cutting board beside half a lemon
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Cajun Tomato Sauce

A hearty tomato sauce built on the Cajun holy trinity of onion, celery and bell pepper, with Cajun seasoning, cayenne and a little lemon zest. Ready in about 30 minutes.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword Cajun Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 5 cups
Calories 77kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 4 cups tomato sauce chunky or smooth
  • 3/4 cup yellow onions diced
  • 1/2 cup celery diced
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder optional
  • 1 lemon zested
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the yellow onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic for approximately 5 minutes (or until the onions are soft and translucent).
  • Add the tomato sauce, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper powder, bay leaf, and lemon zest to the vegetables and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
  • Lower the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and remove the bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste (and any additional Cajun seasoning/cayenne pepper to taste), then serve the sauce immediately.

Notes

Many store-bought Cajun seasonings are salty, so taste the sauce before adding salt.
For a milder sauce, leave out the cayenne pepper powder and add it at the end to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1549IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg