Name: Sofrito
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and quartered; 3 ajíes dulces or ajíes amarillos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse; 6 large garlic cloves , peeled; 1 large onion , chopped coarse; 6 fresh culantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarse; 6 sprigs fresh cilantro , chopped coarse

Why This Recipe Works

Sofrito—a loose paste made from a mix of onion, garlic, sweet peppers, culantro, and cilantro—is a pillar of Puerto Rican cuisine. Our recipe was developed by Von Diaz and adapted from her book, Coconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South (2018). For an easy-to-make sofrito we employed the food processor to quickly break down the classic mix of aromatics and herbs.

Before You Begin

This recipe is adapted from Coconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South (2018) by Von Diaz. If you can't find ajíes dulces or ajíes amarillos, you can substitute half of a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper. Culantro, also called chadon beni and sawtooth coriander, has long leaves with jagged edges and a stronger, earthier flavor than cilantro. You can find it in the produce section of most Latin markets, as well as many Asian markets. If you can't find culantro, substitute cilantro.

Instructions

Process bell pepper, ajíes dulces, and garlic in large (14-cup) food processor until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add onion and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add culantro and cilantro and process until herbs are finely minced, about 30 seconds. (Sofrito can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.)