How to Make (and Use) Sofrito
Before you get a chance to taste your lunch, you will smell it. Aromatic ingredients in any recipe emphasize and complement the main ingredients, adding interest and layers of flavor. Without flavorings, dishes can seem monotonous and forgettable. To elevate the flavor of your savory dishes, start with your nose. Create a scent with sofrito.
Sofrito – not to be confused with the Italian soffritto , which uses the same ingredients as mirepoix – is a flavor base of bold, aromatic ingredients well known for its use in Puerto Rican cuisine, but it is also used in the Caribbean and in Portuguese , Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine (though under different names). Sofrito, or recaito, is made from garlic, onion, peppers, culantro, cilantro, and sometimes tomatoes. The most interesting thing is that this is not even an exhaustive list of ingredients. Depending on the region, different peppers or herbs are more common than others. In one person’s recipe, the proportions and ingredients may differ from the neighbor’s recipe, and I think that’s fine.
The ingredients work in perfect harmony; wherever they grow, the smell of sofrito is sure to be in the air. Just as mirapua acts as an appetizer for soups and sauces, sofrito lays the foundation for flavor. Vegetables are chopped and lightly fried in oil to soften them and bring out the flavor, and then stewed with other parts of the dish. Frankly, I find the mirapua (diced carrots, celery, and onions) too boring. Mirepoix is subtle while sofrito brings fireworks. This is all because of the pungent taste of garlic, onion, cilantro and/or culantro.
Sofrito takes just a few minutes to make in your handy food processor. Peel the garlic cloves and onions, rinse the herbs (if needed), deseed the large peppers, and core the tomatoes (if using). Cut everything into pieces so that they fit well in your car. Blend the dickens out of it until you have a thick, finely chopped salsa. Use it immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to five days. Sofrito also keeps well frozen. Freeze in individual serving containers or ice cube trays to make small, easy-to-serve portions.
The fresh herbal flavors and pungent garlic notes of sofrito soften upon cooking and pair well with hearty ingredients like grilled meats, beans and stews. Try making chicken sofrito . After you have sautéed the chicken in the oil, add the sofrito to the pan and let it sear for a few minutes until it becomes soft. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil in the oven. Or try homemade sofrito in habichuelas guisadas , a comforting, savory bean stew in which sofrito is cooked and blended with ham until flavored. Herbs, spices, tomato sauce and broth create a flavorful stew, and finally beans are added to simmer until soft and creamy.
I’m having trouble getting culantro and ahies dulces (small bell peppers) at the grocery store next door, so I’m using a modified version of this easy sofrito recipe from Serious Eats , substituting cilantro for culantro. Do what you can with what you have, I always say. Nothing should stop you from having a delicious, flavorful base for your meals.
Sofrito (modified from Serious Eats)
Ingredients:
- 2 green bell peppers or cubanel peppers
- 1 large white onion
- 1 bunch cilantro including stems
- 4-6 small bell peppers or sweet chili peppers
- 8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
Prepare vegetables. Remove stems and seeds from large peppers. Peel the bulb and cut off the root and papery top. Rinse cilantro if necessary. Remove stems from small peppers, but seeds can be left. Peel the garlic cloves. Coarsely chop all the ingredients so that they fit well inside the food processor. Blend until finely chopped. Use immediately or save for future use.