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Not to be confused with soffritto.
Sofrito being prepared in Spain



Other meanings and versions[edit]

In Brazilian cuisine, the verb refogar encompasses also the dishes that are fried in vegetable oil before being e.g. boiled or steamed, even when the actual fried seasoning is not there. Similarly, rice that has been toasted in vegetable oil before it is boiled is technically refogado, even if it is consumed plain, without garlic or any other vegetable or meat addition. Actually, the Portuguese verb refogar is literally "to fire i.e. heat repeatedly", meaning that such language use is a logical construct.


In Catalan cuisine, olive oil is heavily emphasized as the third critical component in a sofregit base along with tomatoes and onions. Garlic is optional, as it is not considered integral part of the standard sofregit recipe.[2] Some sofregit recipes do not contain tomatoes at all but are made more complex with the addition of diced vegetables like leeks or bell peppers.

In Colombian cuisine, sofrito is called hogao or guiso, and it is made mostly of tomato, onion and coriander, and sometimes garlic; it is mostly used when cooking stews, meats, rice, and other dishes.

In Cuban cuisine, sofrito is prepared in a similar fashion, but the main components are Spanish onions, garlic, and green bell peppers. It is a base for beans, stews, rices, and other dishes, including ropa vieja and picadillo. Other secondary components include, but are not limited to, tomato sauce, dry white wine, cumin, bay leaf and cilantro. Chorizo (kind of spicy, cured sausage), tocino (salt pork) and ham are added for specific recipes, such as beans.

In Dominican cuisine, sofrito is also called sazón, and is a liquid mixture containing vinegar, water and sometimes tomato juice. A sofrito or sazón is used for rice, stews, beans, and other dishes. A typical Dominican sofrito is made up of very finely chopped green, red and yellow bell peppers, red onions, garlic, ground oregano, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, water, and cilantro. Ingredients vary and can change, for instance cubanelle peppers can substitute for bell peppers, celery can replace onions and parsley or culantro can be used in place of cilantro.

In Ecuadorian cuisine sofrito is called ajito, and it is made of Spanish onions, cubanelle peppers, fresh tomatoes, roasted garlic, cilantro and ground toasted cumin.




In the Mexican state of Yucatán, habanero chillies are essential to the local variation of sofrito.

In Puerto Rican cuisine, sofrito is mostly used when cooking rice dishes, sauces, and soups. Sofrito is closely related to recaíto. The two main ingredients that give Puerto Rican sofrito its characteristic flavor are recao (culantro) and ají dulce, but red and green cubanelle peppers, red bell peppers, pimientos, yellow onions, garlic, plum tomatoes and cilantro, are also added. All red peppers are roasted, seeded and then added to the sofrito. Sofrito is traditionally cooked with olive oil or annatto oil, tocino (bacon), salted pork and cured ham. A mix of stuffed olives and capers called alcaparrado is usually added with spices such as bay leaf, sazón and adobo.

In the Sephardi Jewish cuisine of the eastern Mediterranean and the Maghreb, the term sofrito emphasizes a method of cooking rather than a specific combination of aromatics. sofrito is Meat (lamb, beef, chicken) sautéed with garlic, turmeric, and cardamom and simmered in a small volume of water or stock with lemon juice, or simmered with all these ingredients without prior sautéing. The second method can also be used in cooking veal, calves' brains or fish.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, the American restaurant chain, has 'Sofritas' as one of its vegetarian options; with braised tofu being the main ingredient.[5]

In West African cuisine, tomato, onion, and peppers cooked together in peanut oil or palm oil are a common base for many stews and sauces.

See also[edit]



External links[edit]