The Magic Two-Minute Ingredient That’s Always in My Freezer

Sofrito, the herb base for almost every savory Puerto Rican dish, is one of the most versatile flavor boosters. The combination of cilantro, onions, peppers, garlic, and recao (also known as culantro) is something that I always have on hand for making my favorite Puerto Rican recipes, and so much more.

Culantro is like cilantro’s cousin who comes to visit from the hood. Yeah, they’re family. But it’s also way more “punchy,” “vocal,” “spirited” — all those politically correct euphemisms. And yet, you’re still happy it showed up to the party because it has the charisma to pull everyone onto the dance floor. It is also called “sawtooth coriander” and “long-leaf coriander” and can sometimes be found in Asian markets, particularly Southeast Asian grocery stores.

Sofrito’s other traditional component is ají dulces — sweet little peppers that resemble habaneros, but aren’t spicy at all. If you think culantro is hard to track down, try tracking down ají dulces if you’re Puerto Rican living in California!

My sofrito is a typical Diasporican workaround: culantro (if I can find it), cilantro, cubanelle peppers (if they’re in-season), green bell peppers, garlic, onion, and the ever-controversial tomato. (I say controversial because not everyone uses tomatoes in their sofrito.)

I shove everything into a blender until it’s well mixed and mostly smooth. Then I pour the sofrito into an ice cube tray and put it in the freezer, where it will keep for six months. When I need it, I separate the herb squares from the tray: The ice cube tray has already done the portioning work for me. I chuck one, two, or three sofrito cubes into arroz con gandules, chicken curry, beef stew, Southeast Asian-inspired stir-fries, and any other dish that needs a quick burst of flavor. Here’s my sofrito recipe, plus just a few ways I use it in recipes from my forthcoming cookbook, Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook, and how you can use it too.

This one-pot compound rice dish features various combinations of pork (I use pork shoulder; some use ham or bacon), tomato sauce, gandules (also known as pigeon peas), olives, sazón — and sofrito! Not only is this hearty dish always the star of any dinner, but it’s also Puerto Rico’s national dish.

I usually call my curries “a curry,” because I know they’re nowhere near authentic — especially because I’m combining sofrito, Puerto Rican adobo, and garam masala! Although the chicken curry in my book has no connection to a true Indian curry, it’s something that I do make frequently. It’s quick, full of flavor, and flexes sofrito’s convenience and ability to cross cultural barriers. It’s a true Diasporican recipe.

Carne guisada is Puerto Rican beef stew. It’s made with your choice of beef (I prefer a boneless chuck roast), sofrito, tomato sauce, adobo seasoning, potatoes, and carrots. Some people also add sázon seasoning. But it’s the sofrito that sets this beef stew apart from all other beef stews. It gives an herbal flavor to your stew that you might not be used to. And yet it’s still comforting enough to be familiar.

My hometown of Sacramento, California, will often reach dry triple digits in the summer. Stir-fries were always my go-to because they’re quick to cook and a quick way to use up a lot of veggies. And the flavors of fish sauce and padaek became my everyday flavors because of the Lao family I lived with in my teens. It’s also where I noticed that some of the same base flavors — shallots, onions, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro — were used in Puerto Rican cuisine. The Puerto Rican laab recipe in my cookbook is the perfect example of the meet-cute story of sofrito and fish sauce. 

The full recipes for all of these dishes can be found in my debut cookbook, Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook, scheduled for release on October 18, 2022. Pick up a copy for more ideas for sofrito and start experimenting with it in your own recipes.