Sofrito

Vegetarians and vegans who are visiting Spain and staying in self catering accommodation will find a jar or two of sofrito a must-have addition to the kitchen, opening up the opportunity for a range of quick and easy-to-prepare dishes using readily available ingredients.

What is sofrito?

Sofrito is a foundational culinary base in Spanish cuisine, typically made of onion (cebolla), garlic (ajo), bell pepper (pimiento), and tomato (tomate) cooked slowly in olive oil (aceite de oliva). It serves as the starting point for various dishes, from pisto (a sort of Spanish ratatoullie), stews (guisos) and rice dishes (arroces) to soups (sopas) and sauces (salsas). Its rich, deep flavor enhances any meal and is highly versatile for vegetarian and vegan diets.

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How to use sofrito

Sofrito is typically Spanish and may not be something you are familiar with. However, with its rich tomato flavour and addition of onion, garlic and pepper it’s a very versatile base for many other dishes (however, it’s also great on it’s own too!).

Pisto: Add vegetables such as cougette (calabacín) and aubergine (berenjena) to create a pisto similar to the French ratatouille. A common way to serve pisto is to top it with a fried egg and served with crusty bread. A vegan alternative is to top with half an avocado, smashed with a little lemon juice.

Stew base (Base de guisos): Add it to lentils (lentejas), chickpeas (garbanzos), or white beans (alubias) for a quick stew. You can find ready cooked beans and lentils in virtually all supermarkets. Add more vegetables to extend the sofrito, a tub of mushrooms or pack of prepared vegetables can be a great and easy to prepare option.

Rice dishes (Arroces): Use it as the first step in flavourful rice dishes. Create your own vegetarian or vegan versions of paella or simply top some cooked rice with a spoon or two of sofrito and a sprinkle of cheese for a quick delicious meal.

Quick sauces (Salsas rápidas): Mix it with pasta (pasta) or spread it on toasted bread (pan tostado) as an appetizer.

Soup (Sopa): Add it to vegetable stock (caldo de verduras) for depth of flavor.

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How to buy sofrito in Spain

You will find sofrito widely available in all parts of Spain and in supermarkets large and small.

• In jars or cans (En tarro o bote): Found in supermarkets typically along side the tinned tomato section in supermarkets – next to the tomate frito.
• Frozen (Congelado): Available in small bags in the frozen food section (sección de congelados). This will be the base ingredients chopped and frozen for you to cook at home.
• Fresh (Fresco): Sometimes sold in markets or fresh produce shops, though this will be less common outside of large supermarket.

Tip: While sofrito on its own is both vegan and vegetarian, watch out for an prepared foods that say ‘con sofrito‘ (with sofrito) as this might mean it is something like meat in sauce.

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Easy meal ideas with sofrito

Quick rice (Arroz rápido): Combine sofrito with cooked rice (arroz cocido), spices like paprika (pimentón), and canned or fresh vegetables.

Sofrito toast (Tostada de sofrito): Heat sofrito and spread it on rustic bread (pan rústico). Add avocado (aguacate) or tofu for extra protein.

Quick soup (Sopa rápida): Dilute it with vegetable broth and add noodles (fideos).

Quick pasta (Pasta rápida): Toss sofrito with cooked pasta and a can of mushrooms (champiñones) or olives (aceitunas).

Easy sofrito recipe from scratch

Why not have a go at making your own sofrito! You will find the key ingredients super easy to find in supermarkets or markets, and it’s a great way to get an authentic taste of Spain. Plus, this doesn’t require any fancy cooking equipment and can be cooked with ease on a single hob burner. The only thing you will need is a sharp knife for doing the chopping!

Ingredients (Ingredientes):

• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil (2-3 cucharadas de aceite de oliva)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cebolla mediana, picada)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped (2 dientes de ajo, picados)
• 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped (1 pimiento verde o rojo, picado)
• 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (2 tomates maduros, pelados y picados) or 200 g canned crushed tomatoes (200 g de tomate triturado en conserva)
• Salt and pepper to taste (Sal y pimienta al gusto)
• Optional: 1 bay leaf (1 hoja de laurel) or a pinch of sweet paprika (una pizca de pimentón dulce)

Instructions (Instrucciones):

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat (Calienta el aceite en una sartén a fuego medio).
2. Add the onion and garlic; cook until soft and translucent (Añade la cebolla y el ajo, y cocina hasta que estén tiernos y traslúcidos).
3. Add the bell pepper and cook for 5–7 more minutes (Agrega el pimiento y cocina 5-7 minutos más).
4. Stir in the tomato and optional spices. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the tomato breaks down and the mixture thickens—about 15–20 minutes (Incorpora el tomate y las especias. Cocina a fuego lento, removiendo ocasionalmente, hasta que el tomate se deshaga y la mezcla espese—unos 15-20 minutos).
5. Taste and adjust salt and pepper before serving (Prueba y ajusta la sal y pimienta antes de servir).

Sofrito is a hidden treasure chest for vegetarians and vegans visiting Spain and make food preparation in your self catering accommodation a breeze 🙂