Sofrito
intro
Aromatic slow-cooked Spanish vegetable base, the foundation of paellas, stews, and tapas, with rich, sweet-savory depth from peak summer produce.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all vegetables
Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil, blanch Roma tomatoes for 30 seconds then transfer to an ice water bath to slip off skins easily. Scoop out and discard tomato seeds, then finely chop tomato flesh, yellow onion, and green bell pepper into uniform 5mm dice; mince garlic finely and set all prepped ingredients in separate small bowls.
Warm the olive oil
Place a heavy-bottomed 2L (2 quart) saucepan over medium-low heat, pour in 60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil, and warm for 1 minute until the oil shimmers gently, taking care it does not reach smoking point.
Sauté onion and pepper
Add diced onion and green bell pepper to the warm oil, season with 2.5g (1/2 teaspoon) fine sea salt, and stir to coat all vegetables evenly in oil. Cook for 12 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring every 2 minutes, until vegetables are completely soft, translucent, and just starting to turn pale golden at the edges with no remaining crispness.
Toast garlic and spices
Add minced garlic, 2g (1 teaspoon) smoked sweet paprika, and 1 whole dried bay leaf to the pan, stirring constantly for 90 seconds over medium-low heat until the garlic releases a warm, nutty aroma and the paprika deepens to a rich ruby red; do not let the garlic brown or burn, as it will turn unpleasantly bitter.
Simmer the tomato mixture
Add the finely chopped skinned tomatoes, remaining 2.5g (1/2 teaspoon) sea salt, and 1g (1/4 teaspoon) granulated sugar to the pan, stirring to fully combine with the aromatic vegetable base. Bring to a gentle, low-bubble simmer, then reduce heat to low, prop the pan lid slightly ajar to let steam escape, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking to the pan bottom.
Finish and cool sofrito
After 20 minutes of simmering, remove the lid entirely and cook for 2 more minutes over low heat to evaporate excess watery liquid, until the sofrito is thick, glossy, and spreadable with no pools of separated tomato juice. Fish out and discard the bay leaf, then taste and adjust salt if needed before using, or cool completely for storage.
Tips
2.Use ripe, in-season Roma tomatoes for the brightest flavor; canned San Marzano tomatoes work as a convenient off-season substitute, but avoid over-processed canned tomato sauce.
3.Portion cooled sofrito into 60ml (1/4 cup) ice cube trays and freeze for up to 3 months, so you can pop out a portion anytime to add instant depth to eggs, pasta, rice, or stews.
OMG this sofrito is a total game changer! I made a big batch on Sunday for meal prep and tossed it in everything this week—eggs, rice, chicken, even stirred a spoonful into my taco meat last night. My kids kept asking what made everything taste so good! 10/10, so easy too, I was worried it’d be fussy for a weeknight staple but 45 minutes is totally doable.
Took this to my neighborhood potluck last weekend as a base for my slow-cooked pork and people were hounding me for the recipe all night. Didn’t tell them the secret was this dead-easy sofrito, oops. Only note: I added an extra pinch of smoked paprika because I’m a paprika fiend, worked perfectly.
SO good! I swapped the regular olive oil for garlic-infused olive oil and let it slow simmer a little extra to get that deep, sweet flavor from the onions and peppers. Perfect base for my vegan paella I made for my sister’s birthday dinner, everyone raved.
Wait, total newbie question here—do I have to peel the tomatoes? I tried making sofrito once before and left the skins on and it was kinda chewy, but I hate peeling tomatoes with a passion. Any shortcuts?
This tastes exactly like the sofrito my abuela used to make when I was a kid! I was so scared I’d never get the flavor right after she passed, but this is spot on. The slow cook time is key, don’t rush it y’all, that 45 minutes is worth every second.
Froze half the batch in ice cube trays so I can pop a cube out whenever I need a flavor boost for soups, stews, or skillet meals. Total time saver for busy weeknights when I don’t have time to chop a ton of veggies. Way better than the store-bought stuff that’s loaded with weird preservatives.
I added a whole seeded jalapeño to mine for a little extra kick and it was chef’s kiss. How long does this keep in the fridge, y’all? I don’t want it to go bad before I use the rest of the batch!
My kids are super picky about veggies and they ate every bite of the sofrito rice I made with this! I thought they’d pick out the peppers but they didn’t even notice once everything cooked down and got all sweet and caramelized. Will be making this on repeat.
Tried three other sofrito recipes before this one and they were all too watery or too acidic. This one hits the perfect balance of sweet onion, bright pepper, rich tomato, and garlic. My seafood paella came out better than the one I had at a tapas restaurant in Barcelona last year, no cap.
Does anyone know if this works without garlic? My youngest has a garlic allergy so I have to skip it in basically everything, but I don’t want the flavor to fall flat.
Used this as a topping for my grilled brats at last weekend’s tailgate and people went wild for it. I let it cool down a little and served it chunky style instead of blending it smooth, so it had that nice texture contrast. 10/10, so versatile.
All the ingredients are super cheap and easy to find at my regular grocery store, no fancy specialty items required. I spent like $6 total to make a double batch, which is way cheaper than buying pre-made sofrito from the store that tastes half as good. Perfect for people cooking on a tight budget.
Wait do I *have* to blend this at the end? I don’t own a blender (long story, don’t ask) and I’d rather just keep it chunky if that works. I don’t mind a little texture!
Made this for a tapas date night at home with my partner and we both agreed it was the star of the spread! We had patatas bravas, garlic shrimp, and manchego cheese, and the sofrito tied the whole meal together. Felt like we were at a fancy little restaurant without paying the fancy prices.
Help! I got distracted helping my kid with homework and let my sofrito cook a little too long, the bottom of the pan got a little burnt. Is it salvageable or do I have to start over? I already chopped all the veggies, I don’t wanna waste them!
I grew up eating Puerto Rican sofrito which has culantro and oregano, but this Spanish version is so bright and fresh! I made it to go with my tortilla española last night and the flavor combo was unreal. Love how easy it is to tweak to match whatever dish you’re making.
Threw a few spoonfuls of this into my slow cooker with some chickpeas, chorizo, and spinach for a quick stew and it came out tasting like I spent hours on it. 45 minutes of prep on Sunday gives me so many easy meals all week, I’m obsessed.
I have a tiny apartment kitchen with zero ventilation, so I was worried cooking this for 45 minutes would make my whole place smell like onions for days, but it was totally fine! The low simmer keeps the splatters and strong smells down, and my place just smelled like cozy garlic and peppers all night, which is a win in my book.