Ingredients

For the Sofrito

• 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

• 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

• 1 large white or yellow onion, roughly chopped

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro

• 6 leaves culantro (recao)

• 3 ají dulce or ají caballero peppers

• 1 tsp / 3 g Dominican oregano

• ½ tsp / 3 g salt

Method

1. Prep: Roughly chop all vegetables and peppers. No need to be precise — everything is going into the blender.

2. Blend: Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth but slightly textured — you want a paste, not a watery purée.

3. Store: Transfer to an airtight jar or container. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 2 months.

Additional Notes

What is Sofrito: In the most basic terms, sofrito is a flavorful blend of aromatic vegetables and herbs used as a cooking base. There are several variations — Spanish sofrito is a slow-cooked reduction of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil; Caribbean sofrito (recao) is a raw, blended mix of bell peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, and culantro; and Italian soffritto is a finely diced mix of carrots, celery, and onions sautéed in butter or olive oil. This recipe is recao — the Caribbean version.

Peppers: I used ají dulce peppers. I almost used a cubanelle pepper as a substitute before I found them — to my knowledge both work fine.

Blending: It shouldn't be necessary, but if your blender or food processor is struggling to get things moving, add a small splash of water to help it along.

Freezing: I used butter molds to freeze whatever I didn't use, but an ice cube tray works just as well. Pop out however much you need straight from frozen — no need to thaw.