Homemade Sofrito

[NePaSmoKer]

I use sofrito in alot of my cooking.

Here is my recipe.

Makes about 4 cups.
If you can't find ajices dulces or culantro, no problemo. Up the amount of cilantro to 1 ½ bunches.

2 medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks
3 to 4 Italian frying peppers or cubanelle peppers
16 to 20 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch cilantro, washed
7 to 10 ajices dulces (see note below), opt
4 leaves of culantro (see note below), or another handful cilantro
3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large chunks
 

Chop the onion and cubanelle or Italian peppers in the work bowl of a food processor until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth. The sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It also freezes very good. Freeze sofrito in ½ cup batches in sealable plastic bags. They come in extremely handy in a pinch. You can even add sofrito straight from the freezer to the pan in any recipe that calls for it. I freeze mine in ice cube trays so i can add 1 at a time.


Note: Ajices Dulces, also known as cachucha or ajicitos are tiny sweet peppers with a hint of heat. They range in color from light to medium green and yellow to red and orange. They add freshness and an herby note to the sofrito and anything you cook.

Do not mistake them for Scotch bonnet or Habanero chilies (which they look like)--those two have to much heat. If you can find ajicitos in your market, add them to sofrito. If not, up the cilantro and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Culantro is not cilantro. It has long leaves with tapered tips and serrated edges. When it comes to flavor, culantro is like cilantro times ten. It is a nice, not essential addition to sofrito.  I have to go to a mexican or PR market to find these.


I add sofrito to beans and rice and when i make empanadas  ;D

nepas

[HCT]

Thanks for the recipe Nepas. Next time my SIL is in Poughkeepsie I'll have him stop at the mex market. I know he'll be thrilled. :)

[stillsmoking]

Thanks for sharing Nepas, i have heard and read about Sofrito but didn't really have a clear idea what it was.  My theory is that anything with tomatoes, garlic, onion and peppers can't be bad!

[Smoking Duck]

Thanks for sharing Nepas, i have heard and read about Sofrito but didn't really have a clear idea what it was.  My theory is that anything with tomatoes, garlic, onion and peppers can't be bad!

My theory is that anything with 16-20 cloves of garlic has got to be awesome!

[Habanero Smoker]

Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to give this a try, for some reason I don't like Goya's Sofrito.