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 like spicy, keep a few seeds for extra heat. 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.
Tips
Culantro and cubanelle peppers can typically be found in most latin American or international grocery stores. if unavailable in your area, you can substitute with an additional bunch of cilantro for culantro and 2-3 serrano peppers for a cubanelle pepper.
