Sofrito pronounciaton suh·free·tow
If you’re into home-cooked meals, you must learn all about sofrito (suh·free·tow), an aromatic base to turn your food from good to great. The sofrito is one of those culinary secrets that chefs use worldwide, but not every home cook knows about. Let’s talk about what is sofrito, how to use sofrito and how to make a traditional Puerto Rican sofrito. Let’s get started!
Sofrito is a combination of finely diced onion, garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes, cooked in olive oil to create a fragrant chunky sauce. Of course, many countries, mainly those around the Mediterranean Sea, use sofrito as an aromatic base for more complex preparations, and ingredients vary.
“I use sofrito on my pernil (roasted pork shoulder) and rice. Gives it that special taste.”
Sofrito is the starting point for sauces, stews, broths, rice dishes, and more! The sautéed veggies provide color, flavor, aromatics and texture to a wide variety of dishes in Spain, Italy, Greece, the Philippines, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan and add the chosen veggies, all chopped evenly, often in small dices. Cook low and slow to tenderize the vegetables. Finally, use the sofrito to give life to your favorite meals. The sky’s the limit!
In Italy, soffritto (spelled with additional letters ‘f” and ‘t’) is a sautéed combination of chopped onions, carrots, and celery. In France, they have their own sofrito version, the mirepoix. In Latin American countries, tomatoes play a significant role in the recipe. Hot or sweet peppers can also be part of sofrito recipes, mainly in the Americas, so, yes, there’s no one sofrito recipe but many.
The most popular sofrito-like recipe is the French Mirepoix (meer·pwaa) traditionally a combination of onions, celery and carrots in a 2:1:1 ratio. On the other hand, Sofrito often contains garlic, bell peppers and tomato. Either way, both the sofrito recipe and the mirepoix play a similar role.
One of our favorite renditions of the famous sofrito is the Puerto Rican version. Here, red and green bell peppers give color to a sofrito based on tomatoes, garlic and onion. Cilantro and parsley leaves are also a highlight in this version, and so are the country’s famous “ajices,” or small sweet peppers. Here’s a recipe for Puerto Rican sofrito you’ll love.
If you enjoyed this post, wait until you listen to the cooking tips, recipes and food knowledge we share on our Podcast “More Than Rice and Beans.” Let’s talk about our favorite food and culinary traditions; when it comes to the food, there’s always something to learn!
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