Sofrito (Catalan tomato and onion sauce)

Author:: Chef Laura Frankel
Publish date:: Oct 6, 2016

This indispensable base sauce is similar to the French mirepoix. The aromatic quality of the sauce provides a base layer of flavor that gives Spanish and Latin American dishes a slow and long-cooked flavor. It is deeply intense and delicious. Take your time and let the sauce cook down and the flavors meld. Sofrito is a perfect base for soups, stews, and any dish that could benefit from complex, aromatic flavors. Extra sofrito can be frozen for up to 3 months.

75minDuration
65minCook Time
10minPrep Time
3 cupsServings

Ingredients

10 ripe plum tomatoes
1½ cups Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
4 small Spanish onions, finely chopped or pulsed in the food processor (about 4 cups)
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons sweet pimentón* (Spanish smoked paprika)
3 bay leaves

Preparation

1. Slice tomatoes in half. Place a grater over mixing bowl. Rub cut surface of tomatoes over grater until all flesh is grated (yes, this is a messy step!). Discard the tomato skins.

2. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, sugar, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden brown, about 45 minutes. You want the onions to caramelize; if they get too dark, add ½ teaspoon water to keep from burning.

3. Stir in tomato paste, pimentón, and bay leaves; cook for another 20 minutes over medium heat. The sofrito is done when the tomatoes have broken down and deepened in color, and the oil has separated from sauce. Discard bay leaves.

*Pimenton ahumado is smoked Spanish paprika. Made from the highest quality peppers and smoked over oak, the flavor and aroma of pimenton ahumado is earthy, smoky-sweet and mouthwateringly delicious. Pimenton ahumado is not your mother’s paprika. The stuff from Hungary will add color to a dish, but really has no flavor and tastes like dust. The good smoky paprika rocks and turns every dish into a flavor-packed, mouth exploding experience. A key ingredient in many Spanish dishes such as paella, chorizo, and sofrito, the versatility of the product is amazing. For all of you kosher eaters – the paprika adds a smoky flavor that tastes and smells of burning wood (this is a good thing) and if added to a dish can kind of be mistaken for bacon. (Ok, it has been a long time since I have eaten bacon, but if you close your eyes, it seems like it might be in there!)

Recipe published in JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller magazine Fall 2015. Subscribe Now.