Cuban Sofrito

Cuban sofrito
Hector Rodriguez
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 16 servings

The primary ingredients in Cuban sofrito are onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Common secondary ingredients include tomatoes, dry white wine, oregano, bay leaf, and cilantro. Chorizo sausage, bacon, salt pork and/or diced ham are often added for specific recipes, such as beans.

There are as many versions of sofrito as there are cooks, but here's my take on Cuban sofrito. For a vegan or vegetarian version, just leave out the diced ham.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 small bay leaf

  • 2 large Spanish onions, peeled and diced

  • 2 large red bell peppers, diced

  • 1/4 cup diced cooked ham

  • 5 medium Roma tomatoes, diced

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over low heat.

  2. When the oil is hot, saute garlic, bay leaf, onions, peppers, diced tomatoes, and ham until onions and peppers are soft.

  3. Stir in the tomato paste and allow to caramelize. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and oregano.

  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove the bay leaf.

  5. Puree the cooled mixture in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  6. You can use it right away in a recipe calling for sofrito or place the mixture in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate up to two weeks.

Tips

  • Ingredients: The red bell peppers and tomatoes give this recipe a red to orange color.
  • How to Use It: As sofritos, it is used as a base for soups, stews, beans, and rice dishes. The sofrito is sautéed in olive oil to release the aromatics, and then the main recipe ingredients are added. However, there are times when the sofrito can be added toward the end of cooking time to add a finishing touch to the recipe.
  • How to Store It: Make a large batch to use all week long and freeze a little for later. Store freshly made sofrito in a glass container in the refrigerator or freeze in 1/4 to 1/2 cup portions for use any time.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
84 Calories
7g Fat
4g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 84
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 43mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 15mg 73%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 130mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)