Sofrito (Traditional Puerto Rican Style)

Sofrito, also called Recaíto; is a staple to seasoning many Puerto Rican food dishes. 

What is Sofrito?

If there is one thing that was always in my grandmother’s kitchen, it was the unlimited stock of sofrito.

There something about that fresh homemade sofrito smell as it sizzles on a frying pan.

A childhood aroma that will forever continue to be passed down generations.

It is made in different variations around the Caribbean Islands. The base consisting of peppers, onion, garlic, and tomatoes.

However, Puerto Rican Sofrito rarely has tomatoes and uses two main ingredients – recao (culantro) and ají dulce. This is one of the main reasons why sofrito is also called “recaíto” for Puerto Ricans.

How to Make Sofrito?

This seasoning is used to prepare Arroz con gandules, pasteles, and many other Puerto Rican food dishes.

The ají dulce is also called aji cachucha and is very hard to find at the grocery stores. They are usually found at a vegetable market or Hispanic/latin supermarkets. If you cannot find these, you can use mini sweet peppers instead.

Be careful when blending with a high powered food processor or blender because it can become too purée. To reduce water content, strain the blended sofrito seasoning before storing.

Also, it is a common practice to spread it out in an ice cube tray and freeze the sofrito. Then, place sofrito cubes into a ziplock freezer bag for long-term storage.

Puerto Rican Sofrito

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Caribbean, Puerto Rican

Keyword: ají dulce, caribbean food, puerto rican recipe, recaito, recipe, sauce, sofrito

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2 Cups

Sofrito, also called Recaíto; is a staple to seasoning many Puerto Rican food dishes. 

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Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
• 1 red bell pepper seeded & chopped
• 1 green bell pepper seeded & chopped
• 1 garlic head
• 14 ají dulce seeded & chopped
• 10 leaves culantro
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp oregano ground
• 1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin

Instructions

1. Start off by roughly chopping the yellow onion. Continue doing the same and removing the seeds from the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and the ají dulces.

2. Place the chopped ingredients into a food large sized food processor or blender. 

3. Break apart the garlic head into cloves and peel away the outer papery skin. Place the garlic cloves and culantro leaves into the food processor or blender. 

4. Add a tbsp of salt, black pepper, and oregano. Lastly, add the 1/3 cup of olive oil and blend everything together. 

Recipe Notes

• The ají dulce is also called aji cachucha and is very hard to find at the grocery stores. They are usually found at a vegetable market or a Hispanic/Latin supermarkets. You may use mini sweet peppers instead if you cannot find these ají dulce peppers.
• Be careful when blending with a high powered food processor or blender because it will become too purée. To reduce water content, strain the blended sofrito mixture before storing. 
• To store, it is a common practice to spread it out in an ice cube tray and freeze the sofrito. Then, place sofrito cubes into a ziplock freezer bag for long-term storage.