Definitely! And as a matter of fact, that would probably taste even more amazing than canned tomatoes. You could easily replace the 14 oz can of diced tomatoes with 14 oz of Freshly diced tomatoes. But, if you are making this in winter, you may be hard-pressed for fresh tomatoes from your garden (unless you're a canner, then go you! You rock!) and have to substitute for store-bought ones instead.