{{Short description|Cooked vegetable foundation for cooking}} {{Distinguish|soffritto|sofritas}} {{For|the Sephardic Jewish stew|Sofrito (stew)}} {{Use dmy|date=November 2021}} {{Italics title}} {{Infobox food | name = ''Sofrito'' | image = Sofrito.jpg | caption = {{lang|es|Sofrito}} being prepared in Spain | alternate_name = | region = Latin American, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese | main_ingredient = Garlic, onion, peppers, and tomatoes | minor_ingredient = Olive oil }}
'''{{lang|es|Sofrito}}''' ({{IPA|es|soˈfɾito|lang}}), '''{{lang|ca|sofregit}}''' ({{IPA|ca|sufɾəˈʒit|lang}}),<ref name="Catalan">{{cite book |author-last=Andrews |author-first=Colman |author-link=Colman Andrews |title=Catalan Cuisine, Revised Edition: Vivid Flavors From Spain's Mediterranean Coast |chapter=Part Two: SAUCES - Sofregit |pages=37''ff'' |publisher=The Harvard Common Press |publication-place=Boston, Massachusetts |edition=Revised |df=dmy-all |year=2005 |orig-date= Originally published: New York: Macmillan, 1988 |isbn=9781558323292 |url={{google books |id=-K_ekX6BVXsC |plainurl=yes}} |access-date=2021-11-08}}</ref> soffritto ({{IPA|it|sofˈfritto|lang}}), '''{{lang|fr|sofrit}}''' ({{IPA|fr|sofʁi|lang}}), '''{{lang|pt|refogado}}''' ({{IPA|pt|ʁɨfuˈɣaðu|lang}}) or '''{{lang|eu|sueztitze}}''' ({{IPA|eu|s̺ues̻ˈtits̻e|lang}}) typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sautéed or braised in cooking oil for a long period of time over a low heat, then used as a foundation for a variety of dishes. It is a basic preparation in Mediterranean and Latin American cooking.
The word {{lang|es|sofrito}} derives from the Spanish verb ''sofreír'', meaning 'to stir-fry'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sofrito {{!}} Definition, Origins, Ingredients, Varieties, & Uses {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/sofrito |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Mediterranean== The earliest mentioned recipe of ''{{lang|es|sofrito}},'' from around the middle of the 14th century, was made with only onion and oil.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The book of Sent Soví : medieval recipes from Catalonia|date=2008|publisher=Tamesis|others=Santanach i Suñol, Joan., Vogelzang, Robin M.|isbn=978-1-85566-164-6|location=Woodbridge, Suffolk|oclc=183149198}}</ref>
In modern Spanish cuisine, {{lang|es|sofrito}} consists of garlic, onion and peppers cooked in olive oil, and optionally tomatoes or carrots. This is known as {{lang|pt|refogado, sufrito}}, or sometimes as {{lang|pt|estrugido}} in Portuguese-speaking nations, where only garlic, onions, and olive oil are considered essential, tomato and bay laurel leaves being the other most common ingredients.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt/pesquisa/?word=refogado|title=Lisbon Academy of Sciences, Dictionary of the Portuguese Language, Refogado|access-date=23 October 2018}}</ref>
In Italian cuisine, chopped onions, carrots and celery is {{lang|it|battuto}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.italiana.co.uk/onionscarrotandcelery.html|title=Onions, Carrot and Celery|website=www.italiana.co.uk|access-date=13 October 2018}}</ref> and then, slowly cooked<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tastingtable.com/cook/national/soffritto-italian-secret-ingredient-cooking-base-need-to-know|title=The Secret Weapons in Italian Cooking|date=5 July 2016|website=tastingtable.com|access-date=13 October 2018}}</ref> in olive oil, it becomes {{lang|it|soffritto}}.<ref>{{cite web |author-last=Howald Patton |author-first=Lindsey |title=All About Mirepoix, Sofrito, Battuto, and Other Humble Beginnings |website=Serious Eats |publisher=Dotdash |df=dmy-all |date=2020-04-04 |orig-date=May 2014 |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/all-about-mirepoix.html |access-date=2021-11-08}}</ref> It may also contain garlic,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cookingwineandtravel.com/recipe/Marinara_Sauce__Soffritto_Style|title=Marinara Sauce - Soffritto Style|website=CookingWineandTravel.com|access-date=13 October 2018}}</ref> shallot, or leek.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.seattlemag.com/article/chef-jerry-corso-gets-cooking-soffritto|title=Chef Jerry Corso Gets Cooking with Soffritto|date=15 March 2016|website=seattlemag.com|access-date=13 October 2018}}</ref>
In Greek cuisine, ''sofrito'' is a dish that is found almost exclusively in Corfu. It is served less commonly in other regions of Greece and is often referred to as 'Corfu sofrito' outside of Corfu. It is made with veal or beef, slowly cooked with garlic, wine, herbs, sugar and wine vinegar to produce an umami sauce with softened meat. It is usually served with rice and potatoes.
==Latin America== thumb|Sofrito being prepared from bell pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs In Venezuelan cuisine, ''sofrito'' or ''aliño'' has four main ingredients: garlic, onions, bell pepper and sweet chili (ají dulce) generally fried in corn oil. Sometimes other secondary components are added such as tomato, spring onions, parsley or coriander, depending on the dish.
=== The Caribbean === In Cuban cuisine, the main components of {{lang|es|sofrito}} are Spanish onions, garlic, and green or red bell peppers. {{lang|es|Ají cachucha}} is also often used instead of or in addition to bell peppers. It is a base for beans, stews, rices, and other dishes, including {{lang|es|ropa vieja}} and {{lang|es|picadillo}}. Optional ingredients include tomato sauce, dry white wine, cumin, bay leaf, and cilantro. {{lang|es|Chorizo}} (a kind of spicy, cured sausage), {{lang|es|tocino}} (salt pork) and ham are added for specific recipes, such as beans.<ref>Rodriguez, Hector (October 16, 2017). [http://latinfood.about.com/od/seasoningmarinade/p/What-Is-Sofrito.htm "All About Sofrito: Origins, History, and Variations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105211924/http://latinfood.about.com/od/seasoningmarinade/p/What-Is-Sofrito.htm |date=5 January 2017 }}. The Spruce Eats.</ref>
In Dominican cuisine, sofrito is commonly known as sazón. Unlike many other Caribbean and Latin American sofritos, Dominican sazón does not follow a single standard recipe, since ingredients vary widely between cooks and families. What most defines Dominican sazón is the use of false orégano, garlic, onion—especially red onion—and cubanelle peppers. False orégano is one of the most important herbs in Dominican gastronomy and appears in countless savory dishes, including meats, stews, beans, and even hot sauces. Depending on the household or region, sazón may also include annatto, tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, vinegar, citrus juice, culantro, ají dulce, cilantro, and other aromatics.<ref>[http://www.dominicancooking.com/1095-sofrito-sazones-dominicanos-4-versions.html "Dominican Sofrito & Sazón – 4 Versions"]. DominicanCooking.com, January 1, 2011.</ref>
In Puerto Rican cuisine, sofrito is defined by its heavy use of recao (culantro) and ají dulce (sweet chili peppers), which give Puerto Rican sofrito its characteristic flavor and aroma. Yellow onions, garlic, cilantro—sometimes including the roots—cubanelle peppers, red bell peppers, and pimientos are blended into a smooth paste. The sofrito is then stored for later use and, when cooking, is typically sautéed in oil or lard, often alongside cured pork, olives, capers, tomatoes, and other seasonings. Orégano brujo, sometimes called “sofrito oregano,” was also traditionally used in some Puerto Rican sofrito recipes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rivera |first1=Meseidy |title=Recaito (Puerto Rican Sofrito)|url=https://thenoshery.com/recaito-puerto-rican-sofrito/ |website=The Noshery |access-date=22 August 2025}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |last1=Calder-Rodas |first1=Lola |title=How to Make Puerto Rican Sofrito - Recaito |url=https://cafesazonyvida.com/2021/08/25/how-to-make-puerto-rican-recaito-sofrito/ |website=Café Sazón y Vida |access-date=7 August 2025}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |last1=Rivera |first1=Marta |title=Puerto Rican Sofrito- Authentic Culantro Cooking Base |url=https://senseandedibility.com/sofrito-authentic-recipe/ |website=Sense and Edibility |access-date=6 August 2025}}</ref>
==Asia== In Filipino cuisine, {{lang|fil|ginisá}} is a culinary term that refers to a base of garlic, onions, and tomatoes sautéed together with cooking oil. It is essentially similar to the Spanish {{lang|es|sofrito}}.<ref name="Filipino">{{cite web|url=http://www.glorious-food-glossary.com/cms/glossary-lexicon/glossary-g/805-ginisa.html|title=Ginisa|access-date=2008-05-22|date=December 2003}}</ref><ref name="Manila">{{cite web|url=http://www.manilaspoon.com/2012/05/giniling-guisadoginisang-giniling.html|title=Giniling Guisado/Ginisa - Basic Recipe|access-date=2014-03-28|date=2012-05-02}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Food}} <!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order ♦♦♦---> * Epis * Holy trinity * Mirepoix * Salsa * Sauce * Sofrito (stew) * Tempering (spices)
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==Further reading== *Roden, Claudia, ''A New Book of Middle Eastern Food'': London 1986 {{ISBN|0-14-046588-X}} *Roden, Claudia, ''The Book of Jewish Food'': New York 1997, London 1999 {{ISBN|0-14-046609-6}}
== External links == * {{commonscatinline}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/sofrito|title=Sofrito - Recipe|author=Thomas Keller|author-link=Thomas Keller|website=finecooking.com<!-- |access-date=13 October 2018 -->}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.thepauperedchef.com/article/how-to-soffritto|title=How-To: Soffritto|author=Thomas Keller|author-link=Thomas Keller|website=The Paupered Chef<!-- |access-date=13 October 2018 -->}}
Category:Food ingredients Category:Tomato sauces Category:Caribbean cuisine Category:Colombian cuisine Category:Cuban cuisine Category:Dominican Republic cuisine Category:Ecuadorian cuisine Category:Filipino cuisine Category:Cuisine of the Ionian Islands Category:Italian cuisine Category:Mexican cuisine Category:Portuguese cuisine Category:Puerto Rican cuisine Category:Sephardi Jewish cuisine Category:Spanish cuisine