Karen’s Essential Puerto Rican Sofrito
Jun 18, 2020, Updated Dec 12, 2020
The mother starter sauce of Latin Cuisine.
A mixture of aromatic ingredients, either chopped or pureed, used to add layers of flavor to different foods. Serve raw, or add a few tablespoons to your cooking to jazz it up!
A fresh mix to stir into so many recipes… the essential flavors of Puerto Rican Cuisine!
I’m adding a little red onion for color and another flavor note
Puerto Rican Sofrito’s key ingredients are a puree of of onions, garlic, aji peppers, green bell pepper, cubanelle peppers, tomatoes and cilantro.
You can adjust it to your desire with other peppers, herbs and seasonings. Use it as base to cook/season ANYTHING!!!
I love it raw too! (with lime juice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup onions, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cilantro leaves (or parsley) cleaned, dried and packed
- 5 medium cloves fresh garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 4 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups green pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium cubanelle peppers, seeded, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon aji peppers (these are spicy ones!) or you favorite hot chili peppers
- 3 aji dulce peppers or sweet red peppers, coarsely chopped, 1/4 cup
- 1/3 cup plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- sea salt to taste (up to 1/2 teaspoon)
- 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice (only add if using raw)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times until the vegetables have started to chop. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula and pulse a few more times until nicely chopped - not too smooth.
- Taste for salt.
- Add lime juice if serving raw as a salsa. Add more garlic or spicy notes if desired.
- Sofrito will lose some of it's vibrant green color after days in the fridge. This does not impart it's flavor! Add some extra cilantro or parsley when using if desired. Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, or freeze some (hint: use ice cube trays!)
- A raw a salsa-like dip/sauce, with the addition of some lime juice.
- Freeze it in ice cube trays ~ have ready any time!
- Try it on breakfast dishes like fried or poached eggs, frittatas and huevos rancheros.
- Add it to Spanish-influenced Chicken Sofrito in the pan with rice and chicken stock.
- The perfect base for soup - such as black bean soup.
- A filling ingredient to jazz up enchiladas.
- A key ingredient for hearty stews.
- Karen's Puerto Rican Sofrito Rice Recipe (similar to Spanish Rice but with a Sofrito starter)
- A starter for any sauté like chicken or shrimp
- Try it on breakfast dishes like fried or poached eggs, frittatas and huevos rancheros.
Uses for Sofrito:
See BLOG more many more photos and information about Sofrito and two more Puerto Rican Recipes.
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
