Mel’s Brown Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 onions, roughly chopped, or more to taste
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
• 5 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 (900 ml) cartons chicken broth, divided
• 3 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dried oregano
• 1/4 cup ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons celery salt
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Working in batches, puree onions, celery, mushrooms, and garlic and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a food processor until smooth, adding more chicken broth as necessary.

Stir vegetable puree and remaining chicken broth together in large pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors blend, about 45 minutes.

Stir tomato paste, oregano, black pepper, sugar, celery salt, basil, onion powder, and seasoned salt into broth mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors blend, about 45 minutes more.

Whisk oil and flour into tomato mixture until pizza sauce is smooth.