Sofrito is a combination of aromatics gently cooked in oil. It's used throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain to add rich flavor to a variety of dishes. While the ingredients vary from country to country and even from one household to another, the concept remains the same: cooking aromatics low and slow to build a flavorful base.
A traditional Cuban sofrito is made with simple ingredients like onion, green bell pepper, garlic, seasonings, and olive oil. Some cooks also add tomatoes, herbs, spices, bacon, or even Spanish chorizo, depending on the recipe. Personally, I add or omit ingredients based on the dish I'm making and rarely, if ever, use bell peppers. Sofrito is very flexible, but the basic combination is all you need to create authentic Cuban flavor.
Ingredients
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- Onion - Yellow or Spanish onion provides the base of the sofrito and adds sweetness as it cooks.
- Bell pepper - Green bell pepper is traditional, but red bell pepper can be used for a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is essential and gives the sofrito its signature flavor.
- Spanish chorizo - Adds a smoky, savory depth that's common in many Cuban dishes.
- Tocino - Bacon or pork belly adds richness and helps flavor the cooking oil.
- Tomato paste - Adds color and concentrates the tomato flavor.
- White wine - Adds depth and balances the richness of the meat. Substitute chicken broth if preferred.
- Seasonings - Oregano, cumin, paprika, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper round out the flavor.
Cooking oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is the traditional choice for Cuban sofrito, but lard or bacon drippings can also be used. Vegetable oil works in a pinch.
Prep work
Prepare the ingredients before you start cooking.
- Tocino - Cut the bacon or pork belly into roughly ½-inch pieces.
- Onion and Bell Pepper - Small dice
- Garlic - Mince
- Spanish chorizo - Remove the casing and slice into thin rounds.
How to make sofrito
This recipe is a good place to start, but sofrito isn't one-size-fits-all. The ingredients vary depending on the recipe and the cook. Some versions include Spanish chorizo, tocino, paprika, white wine, or tomato paste, while others leave them out. You might use a little more oregano, a little less cumin, or skip the wine altogether. It all depends on the flavor you're trying to build.
Every sofrito starts the same way. Heat the oil over medium to medium-low heat and cook the onions until they begin to soften. If you're using bell peppers, add them with the onions.
Cook the aromatics gently. Olive oil has a relatively low smoke point, and onions and garlic can burn quickly if the heat is too high. Stir frequently and let the vegetables soften without browning too much.
As a general rule, the vegetables that take the longest to cook go into the pan first. Onions, bell peppers, carrots, and similar vegetables cook before the garlic, herbs, spices, and tomato paste, which are added near the end because they cook quickly.
From there, the recipe takes over. Some dishes call for deglazing the pan with white wine, while others add tomato sauce, broth, or other ingredients to continue building flavor.
Use a sofrito in these recipes
Sofrito is usually the flavor base for a dish. Cooking starts with the sofrito, then the remaining ingredients are added, like in this ajiaco soup.
Sometimes the meat is browned first, then the sofrito is made in the same pot. For example, when making fricase de pollo, the chicken is browned first, then removed so the onions, garlic, spices, and tomato paste can be cooked in the drippings before the rest of the ingredients are added.
Another method is to prepare the sofrito separately and stir it into a dish later in the cooking process. This works especially well for long-simmered bean recipes, like these Cuban-style red beans.
This is my go-to sofrito recipe. Unlike many Cuban versions, it doesn't include bell peppers. Depending on the dish, I may add other ingredients instead. For example, in my picadillo I use diced carrots for a touch of sweetness and color.
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📖 Recipe
Sofrito
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion small diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet or pot over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Cook the sofrito for 1-2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- That's it for the sofrito. You can deglaze with wine, or add tomato sauce, broth, whatever the recipe calls for.
Video
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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