Sofrito — Abuela Recipes

Really REALLY good food is usually made with love, simple ingredients, and a little magic.

Grandmas and grandpas hold the secrets to that magic. But it can be taught to their children and their children’s children for generations to come. 

On our Puerto Rican side of the family, there is a unique blend of refreshing green aromatics that make our meals taste… well, quite magical. It’s called Sofrito.

It’s a mix of recao’, cilantro, onions, ajicitos, cubannelle peppers, oregano brujo, garlic, and olive oil.

It’s a base for delicious soups, beans, stews, sauces and so many other Caribbean dishes.

This recipe was passed down to us by Abuela Olga. She prepares sofrito often with herbs from her garden and other ingredients from local markets in Añasco, Puerto Rico — where she’s from.

We love how Grandma stores her freshly made sofrito in recycled peanut butter jars. And now, we also do the same as a family.

Because we live in the United States, Daddy and I sometimes make adjustments to the recipe because it can be hard to find certain ingredients, like recao for example.

Also known as culatro, this long saw-toothed herb is pungent in flavor and essential in Caribbean cooking. But it can be found in Asian markets, too. It’s a flavor that is very much enjoyed by other cultures, in different ways.

While it's perfectly fine to make adjustments to a recipe, we enjoy staying as close as possible to Grandma’s original recipe to preserve her magical taste. That's why we try our best to find every original ingredient  — finding it could turn into an exciting adventure and it's worthwhile.

That original flavor reminds us of home and makes us feel closer to Abuela Olga.

SOFRITO

Blend all ingredients. Add a few drops of water if it’s too pasty. Freeze in a jar or ice trays for easy use.

· A big handful of recao or culantro

· A big handful of cilantro

· 1 large yellow or white onion
                                                                                  

                                                                                    ·10 Cloves of garlic (Add a few more if you want!)

                                                                                    · ¼ Cup of olive oil

                                                                                    · 1 small cubanelle pepper

                                                                                    · 1/3 cup of oregano brujo (or ¼ of regular fresh                                                                                                             oregano)

                                                                                    ·10-15 Ajicitos (you may substitute for another small

                                                                                       cubanelle)

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