Sofrito
To be honest, sofrito is like white on rice to Dominicans and many Latin American countries. As a flavoring agent, a version of sofrito is used throughout the Caribbean. Making sure we always had a fresh batch of Sofrito in the freezer was a must in my house, and growing up with that tradition really stuck with me. The nostalgic element is what I enjoy most about cooking and sharing these recipes with you. It preserves my cultura. Whether you use sofrito as a marinade or simply as a flavor punch in your recipes I encourage you to keep some on hand. It is key to Dominican cooking 101 and an easy way to learn how to elevate the flavor profile of your cooking. At the very least, we make extensive use of it in this particular corner of the internet. So get to blending!
What you’ll need:
1 cup Olive oil
1 cup Garlic Cloves
1 bundle chopped scallions
1 Cubanelle Pepper
1 Ped Pepper
1 green Bell Pepper
1 small Onion
1 large Tomato
1 tbsp. pink Himalayan sea salt
1-2 tbsp. All purpose seasoning of choice
2 tbsp. Dominican oregano
1 bundle of Cilantro
1 bundle of Recao (culantro)
A Licuar se a dicho! A few key things:
Cut the stems off the cilantro. This step is important so that your sofrito does not have a strong bitter aftertaste. Don’t say I didn’t tell you so. You also want to cut the roots off of the the scallions. You can save these and use them to make vegetable broth for minimal waste!
Add all of your ingredients to a blender/ food processor and blend for about 3 minutes or until smooth. It’s just that easy.
Pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator and use as needed. In the refrigerator you get a shelf life of about a week for about a week.
For longer and extended storage you want to freeze it. I love to divide into 8 oz. containers that I can easily grab and go. Starting with one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. Once you see that you are running low, bring one of your freezer batches down to the refrigerator to start thawing. This keeps everything cold and fresh.
This recipe yields about four 8 oz. containers which gives you a solid months worth.
Add this to your meal prep and let me know what you make!