#sofrito

The February deep freeze has settled in with its hard baked, greyed out landscapes. The earth outside lies encrusted with snow and ice, seemingly dormant while patiently waiting to thaw back to life. As we dream of spring, now is the perfect time to take refuge in your cozy kitchen, delighting in comforting, warming and flavorful winter dishes!

Flavor bases formed by aromatic vegetable trios provide the foundation for a range of nourishing and healthy cold weather fare. These culinary starters leverage the heft of winter’s fresh produce while adding taste, texture and visual appeal to a variety of homecooked meals. While different regions of the world have their own unique twists and variations, these four classic flavor bases connect and anchor them all.

Mais Oui: French Mirepoix The best-known flavor foundation used in Western cooking is mirepoix, a fragrant trio of diced onions, celery, and carrots. Mirepoix is a long-standing part of traditional French cuisine and is used as a base in a wide variety of dishes, including stocks, soups, stews, and sauces. The term was popularized in 18th century France by the Duke of Mirepoix’s personal chef, who promoted the combination as a cooking technique to bring flavor to many dishes.

The correct recipe for mirepoix is a ratio of two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery, with bouquet garni herbs like bay leaf, thyme and parsley often added. The mixture is cooked slowly over very low heat in either butter or oil to sweeten and release the vegetables’ flavors without coloring or browning them.

This Pioneer Woman recipe for delicious White Bean & Bacon Soup uses a classic mirepoix to set the stage for the introduction of its heartier, richer ingredients: 

1 lb. dried white beans

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 lb. thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, diced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 bay leaves

Chopped, fresh parsley, (optional)

Muy Bien! Spanish Sofrito Sofrito, which means “to lightly fry” is Spain’s answer to France’s mirepoix. This savory sauce is based on a triad of aromatic vegetables that grow well in southern Europe’s hotter, drier climate – garlic, onion, and tomato. The three are sautéed together in olive oil until they become soft, sweet and caramelized. Sometimes bell peppers and fresh herbs such as cilantro, parsley, thyme and oregano are added.

Sofrito is common throughout Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Latin American cuisines. There are many regional variations which form the rich flavor base for iconic rice-based dishes including Spanish paella, Colombian arroz con pollo and Puerta Rican arroz con gandules. It also features heavily in soups, empanadas, egg dishes, and stews.

Break out a large frying pan and try your hand at making this traditional Spanish paella using a sofrito base, Hudson Valley grown rice, locally caught seafood and other fresh ingredients from the farmers market.

Gutten Essen: German Suppengrün Literally meaning "soup greens," suppengrün is a German flavor base typically consisting of three key ingredients -- carrots, celery root (celeriac), and leeks. This triumvirate is a staple in German cooking and is used to infuse deep flavor in many traditional recipes such as creamy potato soup, hearty broths and Fuhrmannsbraten, a braised beef roast. Bulbs of knobby celeriac are a fixture in the farmers market right now as it’s harvested in late fall and in season till early spring. Be sure to remove its tough, fibrous skin before using celeriac in any recipe.

Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler! Creole “Holy Trinity” Reshuffle the ingredients from the other traditional flavor bases and you have yourself the “Holy Trinity” made from equal parts onion, bell pepper and celery. When sautéed together, the medley lends color, natural sweetness and brightness to everything it touches. This Southern belle of a culinary combination originates from Louisiana and underpins quintessential Creole and Cajun concoctions such as jambalaya, gumbo, and crawfish étouffée.