My Mother’s Puerto Rican Sofrito Recipe
When I was single and only cooked for special occasions, I relied on my Mom to make the sofrito. She would make it in big batches and freeze in recycled plastic containers. Before you cooked, you had to remember to defrost the huge block of sofrito. When I had kids and started cooking several times a week, it was time for me to learn to make my own sofrito. It was like a rite of passage into Puerto Rican motherhood. Of course, I called my Mom for her Puerto Rican sofrito recipe.
I wanted to share my Mom’s recipe because I use it quite a bit in my cooking. Sofrito is a blend of vegetables and spices that are the base for many Puerto Rican dishes. My husband calls it “the secret green sauce.” Each family (and Caribbean island) has a slightly different recipe based on how it’s been made in their family for generations.
Ingredients in the Soto-Landaeta Sofrito Recipe are:
- 2 green peppers
- 2 yellow onions
- 1/2 head of garlic
- 1 bunch of cilantro
You’ll need a food processor or blender, and freezable plastic containers. I like to freeze mine in ice or baby food trays, so I can drop them in the pot and not have to worry about defrosting it.
There are 3 simple steps to making sofrito:
- Prepare your vegetables. Chop the peppers (remove the seeds) and onions. Cut the bottom part of the stems from the cilantro. Some people only use the cilantro leaves but I don’t like to be wasteful. Give your garlic cloves a rough chop
- Add a handful of each ingredient into the food processor or blender. You may need to add a little liquid (water or olive oil) one tablespoon at a time when you start off
- Chop each batch until the mixture becomes a chunky paste, similar to the consistency of pesto. That’s it – you’re ready to use or freeze your sofrito.
I have several baby food trays I use to freeze my sofrito. Once they are frozen, I remove from the trays and place them in a recycled plastic take out container. You can store it frozen for up to 1 year. I tend to make a single batch at a time which lasts a couple of months depending on how much cooking I do.
Call your mother, mother-in-law or grandmother and ask them what they put in their sofrito. I’m sure you’ll be surprised by the subtle differences. If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes.
Enjoy!!
Jackie
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SonyV
May 19, 2017 at 7:04 pmWow…so proud of you Jacky! You go girl! I use a mix of peppers: yellow, green, orange, red. The red ones add an awesome color to the mixture. If you like a kick (spicy) you can add jalapeno peppers to half the mix. I also add olive oil as a preservative. I make about 3″ bowls to freeze and when needed defrost in microwave for a minute or less. Don’t thaw all the way to keep in fridge for future use…which lasts for a week or two depending how many times you use for cooking. It makes a great marinade for meats…chicken, beef, lamb, etc…
jacquelineflandaeta@gmail.com
May 23, 2017 at 4:15 pmThanks for sharing your recipe ingredients Titi Sony. I’m working on the banana bread recipe for you. It should be up tomorrow if I can take the pictures tonight.
SonyV
May 26, 2017 at 7:30 pmGot it…thank you.. The ones you shared were awesome! xxoo
Isa
March 5, 2019 at 2:22 amThe way I make it is: onions, garlic, cilantro, Culantro (recaito),green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, cubanel peppers. Put in food processor. Use ice trays, freeze and put in freezer bags, date it and add as many as you think you need when cooking. it keeps fresh.
Leslie
May 20, 2017 at 12:03 amGreat instructions!!!! I following the same receipe – with an addition of Recao and ajicito. Love the ice cube tray idea.
jacquelineflandaeta@gmail.com
May 23, 2017 at 4:13 pmThanks for sharing your recipe ingredients.
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