Recipe for Puerto Rican Pepper, Onion and Garlic Sofrito

There are certain food combinations that become the basis for an entire cuisine. The Cajun cooking of New Orleans depends on the trinity of celery, bell pepper and onion; the French live on a base of sautéed onion, shallot and finely chopped mushrooms called duxelles; and southern Indian cooks would be lost without a paste of ground ginger and garlic. Sofrito is the foundation upon which much of Puerto Rican and Latin American cooking is based, and adds a pop of flavor without additional salt. Cooked over low heat with oil (sofrito means lightly fried), the combination of peppers, onions and garlic release a glorious aroma and rich flavors, which only get better with time. Use as a base for beans, rice dishes or soups, or use as a condiment.