Sofrito
It has been many years since I made homemade Sofrito. So, I checked a number of sites just to get a feel for it again but, in the end, made my own version.
From Spain to Cuba, along with a number of other Latin countries, Sofrito is a blend of aromatic herbs, vegetables and spices used to flavor a wide variety of dishes. It can be prepared raw (which is how I chose to make it as I was using it as the base for other dishes) or cooked. Its ingredients vary from country to country, and often unique to individual families.
Bon Appetit!
Total Estimated Time: 20 minutes
Total Estimated Calories: 285
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Immersion Blender with chopper attachment or blender (a)
Ingredients
1 medium-large Green, Red, Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper (I used orange)
1 Jalapeno Pepper
1 c Onion (I used white)
3 large Garlic Cloves
15 Grape Tomatoes (or 2-3 Roma tomatoes)
1 tbs Olive Oil
1/2 tsp ground Oregano
1 tbs ground Cumin
12 sprigs Cilantro (or more or less as desired)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Directions
1. Core, seed and large chunk bell and jalapeno peppers. Peel and dice onion. Peel and halve garlic. Halve tomatoes. Pluck cilantro.
2. In order, place the peppers, then the onion and garlic, followed by the tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, cumin and cilantro in the chopper attachment of the immersion blender. Blend each until mostly smooth, then place each into the same large container. (b)
3. Switch the attachment from the chopper to the immersion blender and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and blended until well incorporated.
4. Place in a sealed, refrigerated container until ready to use. (c)
Cook’s Notes:
Over the years I have made my fair share of Cuban Black Beans, as well as a Puerto Rican-style Ultra Crispy Picnic (see recipes). But, as I said above, I generally just threw them together. After finding the most amazing Latin restaurant, whose Sofrito flavors are superb, I decided to make these two dishes again…the correct way.
I chose to use an orange bell pepper for its sweetness, counterbalancing it with a jalapeno. And since I had grape tomatoes and white onion on hand, I saw no point buying other types. I also chose to pluck the cilantro. This isn’t a needed step as the stems are edible, but I like the flavor of just the leaves better than the stem and leaf combination.
I also chose to use my immersion blender, which takes a few more steps (a), but gives a bit more control on how much of each item I wanted to add. Once I combined them I added the salt, just enough to make the flavors pop, and the (black) pepper. I then blended it all together until I was satisfied the flavor was exactly how I wanted it, sealing and refrigerating the container until I was ready to make two of my most favorite dishes. I set aside one cup for my black beans, although I intend to use a little more the next time I make them…maybe a cup and a half. The remainder I left the marinate the picnic.
Original Source:
· https://www.wellandgood.com/sofrito-recipe/amp/
· https://ethnicspoon.com/sofrito-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-7129
Ingredient & Direction Notes:
a. I prefer to use my immersion blender with chopper attachment. It adds a few minutes as you can’t combine everything together, but it is one of my favorite go-to tools.
b. If using a blender, all ingredients can be combined in the blender at the same time and blended until mostly smooth.
c. This made enough Sofrito to utilize in both recipes it was intended for.
