Sofrito
Puerto Rican sofrito is a vibrant and aromatic sauce that forms the foundation of many delicious dishes in Puerto Rican cuisine. This versatile blend typically includes a medley of fresh vegetables such as onions, garlic, bell peppers, cilantro, and culantro, all finely chopped and sautéed together until fragrant and slightly caramelized. The resulting sofrito adds depth of flavor, a burst of color, and a delightful aroma to stews, rice dishes, beans, and sauces. It's a true culinary treasure that embodies the heart and soul of Puerto Rican cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 pimiento Cubanelle or substitute with green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper or 1sm jar roasted red peppers
- 1 medium head of garlic 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 12 ajíes dulces hard to find and may skip
- 6 leaves of recao - Eryngium (hard to find/skip)
- ¼ cup Spanish olives pitted
- 1 tbsp capers
- 2 tsps salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp crushed orégano
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Soak the garlic heads in water (fully covered), so they’ll be easier to peel, and set aside. Remember this; garlic is good for the nails. It makes them harder.
- Fully wash the peppers, the culantro, ajies and recao.
- Remove all the seeds and stems by carefully removing them with a sharp knife.
- Slice the peppers into long strips about 1/4" wide in length.
- Peel the onions (Ay Bendito!! My poor eyes.) Cut into 6 to 8 pieces each chunk.
- Drain the water from the garlic and peel each garlic tooth.
- Here goes the Best!
- Mix all vegetables (peppers, ajies, onions, garlic, cilantro and recao) in a blender or a food processor. Start with the onions then the garlic. Then add peppers, the culantro and recao.
- NOTE: Don’t Panic!!! You might have to fill the blender more than once.
- Mix all ingredients until everything is pureed and pour the sofrito into a large mother bowl and add the salt.
- Mix thoroughly until the salt is evenly distributed to all the sofrito.
- Put a small amount of the sofrito* in a container or Tupperware bowl (in the refrigerator) for your everyday use. Store the rest in the freezer for later use
Notes
If you are like me and use sofrito everyday, try putting the sofrito in ice cube trays; and remove each cube as needed. This keeps it from spoiling down under.
Depending on your trays, each cube is about 2 tbsp. of sofrito