Quick Sofrito Recipe

This sofrito recipe creates a rich, savory blend of fresh garlic, onions, peppers, cilantro, and tomatoes. This Puerto Rican sauce is the base for rice dishes, soups, stews, marinades, and more. Add Caribbean flair to your favorite meals with this quick and easy recipe!

If you are looking for more green sauce recipes, try my Green Mojo Sauce and Taqueria Style Creamy Jalapeno Salsa next!

This sofrito recipe is the key to making everything taste better. When I have a jar of sofrito, I feel like I can take on the world! But seriously, this sauce enhances everything I add it to.

Why We Love This Sofrito Recipe:

Budget Friendly! It is made with affordable ingredients that you probably already have.

Easy Prep! Chop, blend, then pour. It really is that simple!

Delicious! You will be thinking of ways to add this sauce to all of your favorite savory dishes. And it is so much better than storebought sofrito.

What is Sofrito?

Sofrito is a chopped or pureed mixture of aromatic ingredients that adds to food. Sofrito is a Spanish term that references a cooking technique used to fry aromatics in order to release flavors.

This concept originated in Spain and spread to Italian, Portuguese, Latin American, and Caribbean cuisines. Sofrito made its way to Puerto Rico via Spanish colonizers. One of the most popular variations of sofrito is the Puerto Rican sofrito (also known as recaito).

Depending on the ingredients, the sofrito can be green or red.

Ingredients You Need

• Garlic cloves: Remove the skins.
• Tomato: Many cilantro recipes do not include tomatoes while others (like Dominican sofrito) use tomato sauce. But I use fresh tomatoes because they create a smooth creamy texture and add balanced sweetness to the sauce.
• Pepper: I used yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper with the stems and seeds removed.
• Onion: Peel it before adding it to the other ingredients. 
• Herbs: I used cilantro leaves and parsley leaves.

Instructions to Make this Sofrito Recipe:

Chop

Roughly chop the tomato, bell peppers, and onions into large pieces so that they can fit into a food processor or blender. 

Blend

Place all of the ingredients into the blender and blend on high for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes a thick paste-like consistency. The texture should resemble that of pesto, or salsa. 

Pour

Once everything is blended well, pour the sofrito mixture into a jar with a lid, or a container with an airtight lid. 

Use homemade sofrito immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Alternatives and Variations:

• Spicy: Add serrano pepper for a spicy sofrito.
• Culantro: Traditional Puerto Rican sofrito uses culantro, a leafy flavorful herb that is similar to cilantro, but stronger.
• Sweet Pepper: Add cubanelle peppers or aji dulce pepper for a slightly sweet taste.

How to Use Sofrito:

Sofrito can add flavor to anything. Here are some ideas:

• Paella
• Rice and beans
• Soups and stews
• Marinade for meats, seafood, or vegetables
• Chili
• Mofongo with shrimp (one of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes, as pictured below)

Pro-Tips:

• You can use a blender or a food processor. Whichever method you choose, the final result is bound to be delicious.
• If the sofrito does not blend well and needs more liquid, add a teaspoon of water or olive oil. The tomatoes should provide plenty of liquid. Be careful not to add too much liquid because you do not want your sofrito to be watery.
• This sofrito recipe was meant to be made ahead. Prepare a batch and have it on hand when your dish needs a fresh pop of flavor.

Storing and Reheating:

Store leftover sofrito in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Sofrito can be placed in ice cube trays to freeze. Once they are frozen, remove them from the ice cube tray and store them in a freezer bag for up to one year. So whenever you need a flavor boost, you can use a perfectly portioned cube of sofrito.

FAQ:

What is the difference between sofrito and salsa?

Sofrito is a “seasoning” or recipe starter/base, whereas salsa is a condiment.

Is this sofrito recipe spicy?

Although this sofrito recipe includes peppers, it is not spicy. The bell peppers used have a very mild flavor.

Is Puerto Rican sofrito healthy?

Yes. Sofrito is made with fresh natural ingredients like herbs and vegetables. It is also a salt-free sauce so it is a delicious way to sneak a veggie serving into a meal.

More Sauce Recipes to Try

• Salsa Roja
• Garlic Butter Seafood Boil Sauce
• Zesty Cajun Tartar Sauce
• Homemade Marinara Sauce

Continue to Content

📖 Recipe

Yield: 2 cups

Quick Sofrito Recipe

Print

This sofrito recipe creates a rich, savory blend of aromatics that includes fresh garlic, onions, peppers, cilantro, and tomatoes. This Puerto Rican sauce is the base for rice dishes, soups, stews, marinades, and more. Add Caribbean flair to your favorite meals with this quick and easy recipe!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 head of Garlic, skins removed
• 1 large Tomato
• 1 Red Bell pepper, stems and seeds removed
• 1 Green Bell pepper, stems and seeds removed
• 1 Yellow Bell pepper, stems and seeds removed
• 1 medium Onion, peeled
• 1 bunch Cilantro leaves
• ½ bunch Parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Roughly chop the tomato, bell peppers, and onions into large pieces so that they can fit into a food processor or blender. 
2. Place all of the ingredients into the blender and blend on high for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes a thick paste-like consistency. The texture should resemble that of a pesto, or salsa. 
3. Once everything is blended well, pour the sofrito mixture into a jar with a lid, or a container with an airtight lid. 
4. Use the sofrito immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Notes

If the sofrito does not blend well and needs more liquid, add a teaspoon of water or olive oil. The tomatoes should provide plenty of liquid. Be careful not to add too much liquid because you do not want your sofrito to be watery.

Sofrito can be placed in ice cube trays to freeze. Once they’re frozen, remove them from the ice cube tray and store them in a freezer bag for up to one year.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 24Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g

This website provides approximate nutrition information as a courtesy and for convenience only.

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