Authentic Puerto Rican Sofrito

Close up of homemade sofrito in a food processor

Author: Latina Mom Meals

4.26 from 112 votes

Authentic Puerto Rican Sofrito

Puerto Rican sofrito is a fresh, aromatic blend of peppers, onion, garlic, culantro, and cilantro. Use it as a wet seasoning and flavor-building base for rice, beans, soups, stews, and roasted or braised meats.

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Equipment

food processor
Large mixing bowl
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Airtight refrigerator and freezer-safe containers

Ingredients

▢ 3 medium green bell peppers (stems, seeds, and membranes removed and roughly chopped)
▢ 1 medium red bell pepper (stem, seeds, and membranes removed and roughly chopped)
▢ 2 Cubanelle peppers (stems and seeds removed and roughly chopped)
▢ 12 to 15 ají dulce peppers (stems and seeds removed)
▢ 1 large Spanish onion (peeled and roughly chopped, about 2 ½ to 3 cups)
▢ ½ cup peeled garlic cloves (about 20 to 24 cloves)
▢ 8 to 10 recao or culantro leaves (rinsed and roughly chopped)
▢ 1 large bunch cilantro (rinsed and roughly chopped, about 2 packed cups of leaves and tender stems)

Instructions

Prep

Rinse the produce and allow the excess water to drain. Peel the onions and garlic, remove the pepper stems and seeds. Trim and discard the tougher ends of the cilantro and culantro stems, leaving the tender stems attached.

Roughly chop the herbs and larger vegetables so they blend easily without becoming tangled around the food processor blade.

Process

Add the ingredients to a food processor, filling it no higher than the fill line. Blend until everything is finely chopped and combined.
Transfer the sofrito to a large bowl. If everything did not fit, continue blending the remaining ingredients in batches.
Add batches to the bowl, and stir to combine the sofrito.

Storage

Divide the sofrito into containers. Refrigerate what you'll use soon and freeze the rest.

Notes

This recipe is intentionally made without salt or oil. Season the finished dish according to its individual recipe.

If your food processor is small, work in several batches. Do not overfill it. Combining all the processed batches in one large bowl ensures that the final sofrito has an even flavor.

Do not add water to help the ingredients process. The onion and peppers will release their own liquid.

Ají dulce, recao, and Cubanelle peppers each contribute a distinctive flavor. If one is unavailable, you may omit it, although the finished sofrito will taste slightly different.

Once frozen in ice cube trays, remove the solid portions and transfer them to a labeled freezer bag or airtight container. Use within approximately three months for the best flavor and color.

Sofrito is intended to be cooked into other dishes rather than eaten by the spoonful as a raw condiment. Sauté it near the beginning of rice, bean, soup, and stew recipes, or use it to season meat before roasting, baking, or braising.

Nutrition