So what? Sofrito!!!
What exactly is sofrito?
Sofrito is the base for most Latin American and Caribbean meals. It is used in stews, rice dishes, bean dishes and soups. Sofrito is not a single ingredient, but a tomato base concentrate, accented with garlic, onions, cumin, and jalapenos among other things. An arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), or carne guisada (stewed meat) would not be the same without the fabulous flavors sofrito imparts upon these dishes.
Benefits of homemade sofrito:
In Spanish, the word frito means fried. Loosely translated then sofrito can mean soft fried, which is kind of what we do to the ingredients when we prepare sofrito.
You can certainly buy sofrito in the grocery store, but why do so when it is so easy to make and costs pennies, literally per serving. As an added bonus, the sofrito you make at home is 100% natural, No preservatives. Believe me; you will never purchase the prepackaged stuff again, once you start making your own.
So, without any further delay, go to the recipe I have provided here for you and start making your own sofrito. Your stews will thank you!!! Muchas gracias!
Cook's note:
- Since the home made sofrito does not contain any preservatives, it will not last more than three or four days in your refrigerator.
- You can however preserve your sofrito by freezing it into ice cubes by using a covered ice cube tray
which can be found at most housewares stores. - If you do not have one of these, you can use a regular ice cube tray and once they are frozen, remove them from the tray and put them in a container with a lid or in a ziploc bag. These will last several months in the freezer and you can add a cube or two to your next Latin dish.
Homemade sofrito step by step:
- Gather your ingredients: tomato, jalapeño, garlic, onion, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, olive oil and cilantro.
- Heat the oil slightly and add the onions, garlic and tomato.
- Add the jalapeño.
- Stir fry slowly 3-5 minutes and do not brown the ingredients
- Add the spice mixture.
- Add the cilantro tied with butcher's twine. Cover and cook on low for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove the cilantro and cook uncovered until the mixture is thick.
- Cool the sofrito and freeze into and ice cube tray for future use.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How do I store sofrito for later use? I like to let it cool completely and freeze it into cubes for later use as I described above. You can pop the cubes out and put them is zip-top bags in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- What do I do with sofrito? There are several Latin American dishes that call on the flavors of sofrito. Here are some great recipes that use sofrito's classic Latin flavors to try or bookmark for later:You have to try some Latin style black beans and rice that use the flavors of sofrito and recaito.
Pernil is a slow roasted pork shoulder from Puerto Rico and very close to pulled pork but with a very different flavor profile from a BBQ pork. You will love this and want to keep it on hand in your freezer for an easy meal.
Mini beef empanadas are a meat filled pastry you can make a meal out of, or take to a party as an appetizer. - What is your favorite dish that uses sofrito? I have to say it is the Latin American staple: Black beans and rice! This is a fast weeknight side dish to have with chicken, pork chops (chuletas), fish you name it. It is a side dish that works and sometimes I just eat this as my meal with a little chopped chorizo tossed in. ¡Buen provecho!
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Sofrito Recipe Card
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a skillet, place the olive oil and heat slightly. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapeño.
- Stir fry for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the spices. Tie the sprigs of cilantro with butcher's twine and place in the mixture.
- Turn heat down to low, cover and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes. The mixture needs to cook down considerable, it needs to look thick.
- Remove the cilantro sprigs. Let it cool for about 20 minutes and place in an ice cube tray.
- You should be able to fill one entire tray.
- ** As far as usage is concerned, I normally use 1 cube per can of beans, or per cup or rice.
Notes
- How do I store sofrito for later use? I like to let it cool completely and freeze it into cubes for later use as I described above. You can pop the cubes out and put them is zip-top bags in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- What do I do with sofrito? There are several Latin American dishes that call on the flavors of sofrito. Here are some great recipes that use sofrito's classic Latin flavors to try or bookmark for later:You have to try some Latin style black beans and rice that use the flavors of sofrito and recaito.
Pernil is a slow roasted pork shoulder from Puerto Rico and very close to pulled pork but with a very different flavor profile from a BBQ pork. You will love this and want to keep it on hand in your freezer for an easy meal.
Mini beef empanadas are a meat filled pastry you can make a meal out of, or take to a party as an appetizer. - What is your favorite dish that uses sofrito? I have to say it is the Latin American staple: Black beans and rice! This is a fast weeknight side dish to have with chicken, pork chops (chuletas), fish you name it. It is a side dish that works and sometimes I just eat this as my meal with a little chopped chorizo tossed in. ¡Buen provecho!
Nutrition
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life
This is right up my alley! Its going on my list to try!
Analida
Hope you like it!!! I use it a lot in different things.
Adriana
Delicious! Thank you.
Analida
You are welcome Adrianna!
Linda
There are all kinds of different Sofrito from all parts of the Caribbean. You should them out too!
Eliana Cruz
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this tasty latin flavors. Just one observation, the first step might have errors:
"In a skillet, place the olive oil and heat slightly. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and cilantro"..... I think in here goes the jalapeno instead of the cilantro...
Overall, I loved it.
Analida
Thanks Eliana for your comment. I will definitely look over the recipe. I think you are right!
Dawn
Love all the freshness going on here (especially all the cilantro)! A must try for sure 🙂
Wendy
Great idea to make up a big batch and freeze! Makes for easy prep for meals.
Krista Price
Love this recipe! Simple, clean ingredients are right up my alley! Thanks for sharing!
Aleta
What a delicious recipe! I love the idea of freezing it in ice cube trays, all ready to go to flavour-up your next dish. Genius!
Gloria
WOW...what a great idea. I had no idea what this was. LOVE the fact you can freeze it. I think I have all the ingredients to make this. Looks like a fun kitchen experiment for the weekend. The flavours sound fantastic.
Elaine Benoit
I can see myself making sofrito on a regular basis! Your recipe looks so easy and tasty and I bet would go well with just about anything!
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen
This is one awesome recipe!! I love that you are able to batch cook and freeze it! Can't wait to try 🙂
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
Such a fundamental recipe! Love that you can freeze it and use as you need.
Jennifer
I love this!! Sooo good and such a easy recipe to follow. My family loved it!
Denise
I love this meal prep idea! It's amazing what you can do with a ice cube tray....I bet I could use this with cauliflower rice too! As always, love your recipe.
Analida
Thanks Denise! When my ice cube trays are full I pop them out and store the cubes in freezer bags.
Nicolas Hortense
Such a clever idea to put it in an ice-cube tray! need to do that more often.
Leslie Haasch
I've never made this myself, but I always love it when it's served with dishes at restaurants. Now I have no excuse not to make it at home!
Amanda Mason
I'm so loving this and I'm loving that you freeze these in an ice cube tray!! So authentic! I'm so making these!
Jagruti Dhanecha
What a fabulous recipe with all these fresh ingredients, loving the fact that it can be freeze too!
Liza
This is a version to make sofrito but not how my Puerto Rican Mother and family makes it. We do not add tomatoes, jalapenos, cinnamon and paprika. We do use ice cube trays for easier use of it.
I'm curious so I'll be trying this recipe.
Analida
There many versions of sofrito from all over Latin America. I use this sofrito to make my Panamanian black beans. https://ethnicspoon.com/rice-black-beans-pork-chops/
I hope you enjoy it!
Catherine Cruz-Brazdzionis
My Puerto Rican family doesn’t make it this way either. I’m wondering about the differences.
Analida
There are many variations of sofrito from all over Central America and the Caribbean. There are even Italian versions (soffritto) and various Spanish versions from Catalan and other regions. Enjoy!
Dana
THIS was soooo GOOD... My daughter-in-law is STILL talking about it!!! I used a large can of peeled tomatoes cuz I was out of fresh ones and added red & orange bell pepper to the batch... I never ended up freezing any because the leftovers were devoured with tortilla chips... GREAT recipe, absolutely delicious!!! 😋
Analida
Thanks Dana! I am so glad you liked the recipe! This makes a great seasoning for beef empanadas too!
Here is that recipe-> https://ethnicspoon.com/empanadas-savory-turnovers/