All about sofrito

Sofrito is a thick sauce that is popular in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, and Italy.

The word "sofrito" comes from the Catalan word "sofregir" which means to lightly fry. A lot of people will use the names “sofrito” and “recaito” interchangeably. They are quite similar, but there are some differences. 

Sofrito is made from onions, garlic, tomato sauce, a bay leaf, and olive oil (typically annatto infused), and recaito.

Traditionally recaito is a greenish blend of cilantro, peppers, onions, and garlic. Tomatoes are omitted and typically added to recipes while cooking to infuse the flavor. 

There are many variations for both recaito and sofritos depending on the region, though they are typically made from peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro and tomatoes. The ingredients are minced finely and mixed together. 

Both can be used as a base for rice, beans, meat, and fish dishes or even as a topping for tacos. 

Recaito

Ingredients:

To make recaito, you will need:

1 cup minced onion

8 mini sweet peppers, minced

1 green bell pepper, minced

1 poblano pepper, minced

12-15 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch (1 cup) chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Mince all the ingredients. 

Add to a bowl and mix together. 

Sofrito

Ingredients:

For the sofrito, you will need:

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup reciato

¼ cup onions

½ cup tomato sauce

½ cup water or broth

1 bay leaf

Salt & pepper

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce (optional)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil and lay leaf in a pan until fragrant. Add onions and cook until translucent, then add recaito and cook for 5 minutes.

Mix the tomato sauce and broth/water together then add to the pan. Season with salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce if you are using it.