This is my take on traditional Puerto Rican sofrito, a flavorful herb and vegetable base used in cooking. I didn’t grow up making sofrito, but I found it when I was searching for ways to freeze herbs for easy weeknight meals. I’ve changed the recipe to fit my own taste, and now I use it all the time. It goes into beans, soups, and almost any savory dish that could use more flavor. I always keep some frozen and ready. The secret is to use plenty of garlic, cilantro, and culantro, since their strong flavors last well in the freezer, even after months.
Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
2-3 serrano peppers OR 1 cubanelle pepper
2 large whole heads of garlic, peeled (20-30 cloves depending on size)
1 large bunch cilantro
1 large bunch culantro
Olive oil, drizzle
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Step 1: Prepare your vegetables. Wash the peppers, cilantro, and culantro well, then dry them. Take the seeds out of the peppers, but if you use serranos, keep a few seeds for extra heat. This helps the spice last in the freezer. Peel all the garlic cloves.
Step 2: Put everything in a food processor. You can also use a blender or an immersion blender. Blend until you have a thick paste or a chunky mix, depending on what you like. I prefer mine smooth so it mixes easily into dishes.
Step 3: Spoon the mixture into silicone cube molds and freeze for 24 hours.
Step 4: Take the frozen cubes out and put them in a Ziploc bag if you plan to use them soon. For longer storage, vacuum seal them in small batches. They will stay good in the freezer for 5 to 6 months and still taste great.