Sofrito is a Puerto Rican cooking base that is used for a variety of dishes and the two ingredients that give it its distinct flavor and color are Culantro and ají dulce.
Culantro known as Recao in Puerto Rico is a popular herb here and the Caribbean and is also known as Mexican coriander and long coriander. Ají dulce are small sweet perennial peppers found in the Caribbean.
Sofrito is supper easy to make and will add a ton of flavor to your dishes
Typical Ingredients for Sofrito (makes around 3 cups)
- 2 small onions
- 1 Bulb of garlic
- 1 Cubanelle Pepper
- 10 Ají dulce sweet peppers
- 1 bunch Culantro (Recao)
- 1/2 bunch Cilantro
Directions
- Wash and clean the ingredients
- De-seed the peppers and cut into small chunks
- Peel the garlic gloves
- Peel and chop the onions
- Place the ingredients into the food processor and chop/blend until everything is incorporated but still has texture
You can use the sofrito immediately or transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid and keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Too keep for longer you can freeze the sofrito. Use an ice cube tray with a tight fitting lid, or place the tray on a freezer bag. Once frozen you can use the sofrito cubes when it’s time to cook.
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