Yield: 1 cup
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 2 tablespoons | Olive oil |
| 1 medium | Onion(s), diced about 1 cup |
| ½ \N | Green bell pepper, diced about 1/2 cup |
| ½ \N | Red bell pepper, diced |
| \N \N | Extra garlic |
| 1 \N | Bay leaf |
| ¼ cup | (to 1/3 cup) chopped cilantro about 1/2 cup |
| 4 \N | Garlic clove(s), minced |
| ¼ teaspoon | Black pepper |
| ¼ teaspoon | Salt |
| 1 teaspoon | Minced oregano |
| 1 \N | Minced jalapeo pepper or |
| ½ \N | Minced Scotch bonnet pepper |
| 1 tablespoon | Tomato paste |
| ½ cup | Chopped tomatoes |
OPTIONAL
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients. Continue cooking slowly for about 15 minutes.
Sofrito for Meat and Chicken: Substitute ¼ cup diced slab bacon plus 1 tbs oil for the oil in the basic recipe. Add 1 tbs tomato paste, cup chopped tomatoes, and ⅓ cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives (opt).
Sofrito for Fish: Begin with the basic recipe but omit the red bell pepper, use 1 cup diced green bell pepper, and add cup chopped parsley, chopped cilantro, or a mixture of the two.
Sofrito to Use in Bean Dishes: Add cup diced slab bacon or ⅓ cup ground or diced baked to the basic recipe. When making black beans, simply use the basic sofrito without any meat.
Fine Cooking June-July 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 08-18-95