Sofrito Boricua (Puerto Rican Green Seasoning Base)
The green heart of Puerto Rican cooking: onion, peppers, sweet ají dulce, lots of garlic, culantro (recao) and coriander blended into a fragrant paste. Freeze in portions for rice, beans and stews.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Prepare the vegetables
Wash the and coriander well and shake off the extra water. Cut the onions, , red pepper, and garlic into rough chunks so they fit easily into the blender.
- 2 onions
- 1
- 1 red pepper
- 12
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 bunch
- 1 bunch coriander
✅ Done when: all vegetables are washed and cut into chunks
Blend
In a blender or food processor, blend the onions first until liquid. Add the , red pepper, and garlic and blend until smooth, then add the and coriander in handfuls, with the olive oil if the mix is too thick, blending until smooth.
- 2 onions
- 1
- 1 red pepper
- 12
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 bunch
- 1 bunch coriander
- 2 tbsp olive oil
✅ Done when: the mixture is a thick, bright green, pourable paste
Portion
Spoon the sofrito paste into ice-cube trays or small jars, filling each compartment or jar almost to the top.
- all of it the sofrito paste from step 2
Store
Keep the filled trays or jars in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Add 1–3 tablespoons at the start of cooking rice, beans, stews or soups.
- 1-3 tbsp the sofrito paste from step 3
✅ Done when: the frozen cubes are solid, or the chilled jars feel firm and are ready to use
Prepare the vegetables
Wash the and coriander well and shake off the extra water. Cut the onions, , red pepper, and garlic into rough chunks so they fit easily into the blender.
- 2 onions
- 1
- 1 red pepper
- 12
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 bunch
- 1 bunch coriander
✅ Done when: all vegetables are washed and cut into chunks
Blend
In a blender or food processor, blend the onions first until liquid. Add the , red pepper, and garlic and blend until smooth, then add the and coriander in handfuls, with the olive oil if the mix is too thick, blending until smooth.
- 2 onions
- 1
- 1 red pepper
- 12
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 bunch
- 1 bunch coriander
- 2 tbsp olive oil
✅ Done when: the mixture is a thick, bright green, pourable paste
Portion
Spoon the sofrito paste into ice-cube trays or small jars, filling each compartment or jar almost to the top.
- all of it the sofrito paste from step 2
Store
Keep the filled trays or jars in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Add 1–3 tablespoons at the start of cooking rice, beans, stews or soups.
- 1-3 tbsp the sofrito paste from step 3
✅ Done when: the frozen cubes are solid, or the chilled jars feel firm and are ready to use
The Story Behind the Dish
Sofrito came from Spain, but Puerto Rico made it green with culantro (recao) and the little ají dulce peppers grown on the island. It's the first ingredient in arroz con gandules, habichuelas, asopao and almost every savoury dish.
Many families make a big batch every few weeks and freeze it.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Fresh, herbal and garlicky, it's the flavour that makes Puerto Rican food taste like home.
💡 Fun Fact
Culantro (recao) and coriander (cilantro) are different plants: culantro has long, serrated leaves and a much stronger aroma.
All over Puerto Rico
18.47°N, -66.11°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!