Roll like a Latina! Dominican Sofrito is a savory sauce used in Latino cooking made with aromatics, peppers, and herbs. Add it to everything!
Peeps…It’s time to roll like a Latina.
There are 3 items you will find in almost every Latino kitchen, no matter where you go.
A mortar and pestle made out of wood – To grind our aromatics into a paste. Or to throw the pestle at someone who annoys us…
Adobo – Cause salt just ain’t enough- we need seasonings in that bad boy.
Savory Dominican Sofrito – The equivalent to top shelf liquor in Latino households.
Ok – Maybe not top shelf liquor…
Sofrito, or sazon as we Dominicans call it, is a savory sauce made of vegetables and herbs; primarily peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, culantro and oregano.
It is either processed or blended until the veggies are unrecognizable; a sea of green with flecks of red and white.
We either freeze or store it in the refrigerator until we’re ready to whip it out. From beans, to meats, to stews, to rice; eve-ry-thang gets a shot of Sofrito. Sofrito is at the base of all Dominican dishes. Mine are no exception.
Sofrito is our Latin flair, our heat.
Forget Ricky Martin and JLo – Sofrito is THE Original Latin Explosion. Its herbal notes, along with onions and garlic add zip to everything that comes out of our kitchens.
No Latino meal makes it to the table without Sofrito – And no two people can make it the same. What defines the personal style of a Latina’s cooking is her sazon. It’s our unique stamp. It’s the mambo that’s spooned in a pot with the flick of a wrist, a switch from her hip and a magic that makes it all happen.
You need to get on this. Roll like a Latina.
Do this…
Dominican Sofrito for Cooking
Ingredients
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 Italian pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 bunch of culantro leaves, chopped
- 9-10 cloves of garlic, whole
- 1 large red or spanish onion chopped
- 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes, cut into slices or chunks
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 chicken bullion cube
- 6-8 Sweet peppers also known as ajices dulces (not pictured)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, a bunch at a time to a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a large mason jar with a tight fitting lid and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Alternatively, you can portion the sofrito in ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen transfer the sofrito cubes into Ziploc bags and store.
Notes
- Ajices Dulces: The color of these peppers range from a light to medium green, yellow, red and orange. They pack some heat - Therefore, you may want to reduce the amount to 1-2 or omit completely.
- In case you're having trouble identifying culantro (my son did for years) Culantro is is identified by its long leaves and serrated edges.
