Sofrito

Sofrito, where have you been my whole life? This traditional Spanish cooking base using onions, garlic, peppers, cilantro and culantro is pulsed in the food processor and used in a variety of Puerto Rican specialties such as Beef Empanadas, Picadillo, and even Red Beans with Rice. Sofrito becomes that secret ingredient that will take your Puerto Rican and Latin American cooking to the next level.

What is Sofrito?

Sofrito is a traditional Spanish cooking base that flavors many Puerto Rican and Latin American dishes. Brought over to the Americas by Spanish colonists, each region and even each household has their own unique version. Considered an aromatic in the cooking world, it is a blend of vegetables, herbs and spices, that are used as the flavor foundation for many recipes. This version was given to me from my friend Ruth who cooks up some amazing Puerto Rican specialties that I can’t get enough of.

What do you need to make Sofrito?

• Aji Dulce Peppers – Small umbrella shaped peppers that are highly aromatic, sweet and spicy. Mostly used in Latin American and Caribbean cooking they are generally mild on the heat index. You can find these peppers in most Spanish and Latin American markets.
• Bell Peppers – Any combination of green, red, orange or yellow bell peppers will work.
• White Onion – A crisp and mildly flavored onion that won’t overpower the other flavors.
• Garlic – You will use a lot, don’t be afraid.
• Cilantro – Soft leafy green herb, also known as coriander.
• Culantro – Related to cilantro. It has long tapered leaves with serrated edges and has a pungent grassy flavor with a hint of citrus. Look for it in Spanish and Latin American markets.
• Ingredient Note – If Aji Dulce peppers and Culantro are unavailable, it’s okay to substitute with bell peppers and additional cilantro.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Wash your peppers, cilantro, and culantro under cold water. Pat the herbs dry to remove excess water and trim the ends. Peel the onion and garlic cloves.
2. Remove the seeds and ribs from the peppers and coasely chop. The Aji Dulce peppers are small and the best way to remove the seeds is to cut in half and peel away the seeds and ribs.
3. Coarsely chop the onions, cilantro and culantro.
4. In the bowl of a food processor with the steel blade, place equal amounts of bell peppers, aji dulce peppers, onions, garlic, culantro and cilantro to the fill line. Pulse several times scrapping down the sides until the ingredients are finely chopped.
5. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Repeat as needed until you use up all your ingredients. Stir the mixture well before storing in a mason jar or freezing in plastic bags or ice cube trays.

How to Store your Sofrito

Sofrito has a pretty long shelf life in the refrigerator but it also freezes well. Store a small batch in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. Two great methods for freezing your sofrito are to use plastic freezer bags or ice cube trays. If using plastic bags, place about a cup of sofrito in the bag, seal it and then lay it flat in the freezer. Once frozen you can stand the bag on the side of your freezer to save space. The other method is to fill ice cube trays with your sofrito, freeze, then place the frozen cubes in a plastic bag to store in the freezer. When you need a tablespoon full, just take out a sofrito cube and use. So easy.

You’ve got this

The beauty of making homemade Sofrito is you can make it your own. There are as many different recipes as there are families in Puerto Rico. You can find it in a jar in the Spanish foods section of your grocery store, but homemade is so simple and will taste that much better. Challenge yourself to whip up a batch and try out a recipe that uses Sofrito. You’ll be amazed how flavorful your dish will be.