sofrito

noun

so·​fri·​to sō-'frē-(ˌ)tō 

plural sofritos

: a mixture typically of onion, garlic, cilantro, peppers, and tomatoes that is finely chopped and used as a base for Latin American, Caribbean, and Spanish dishes

At its most basic, sofrito is chopped onion, garlic and tomatoes sauteed in olive oil at the start of the dish.

—Amy Pataki

Paella starts with a sofrito of onion, garlic, red capsicum and tomatoes …

—Joanna Savill

… stirring in cilantro, sweet little … peppers, and … olives to make her sofrito, the seasoning mix that will give tonight's dish its Puerto Rican character.

—Erick S. Sierra

Cubans add diced ham to their sofritos of tomato, red bell peppers and other ingredients. In the Yucatan, habaneros add sweet heat.

—Robin Mather

Examples of sofrito in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rib-sticking beef and pork dishes are the stars of the menu; ropa vieja, a Cuban stew made with shredded beef braised in tomato sauce and pepper sofrito, is a must-order for carnivores and omnivores. —Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026

The base of the beans and goat ($24.99) are Nigerian honey beans, akin to black-eyed peas, cooked until soft then seasoned with a sofrito of sorts with bell pepper, habanero and onion and a slick of nutty palm oil. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 11 Dec. 2025

The concept of room service seems quaint, when a specific list of groceries can be delivered and a private chef can be summoned to whip up local dishes like red snapper baked in a banana leaf, ginger rice, and savory sofrito. —Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025

Once your sofrito and adobo are ready, cook the cubed chicken in sofrito, tomato sauce, and sazón. —Zayda Rivera, Parents, 2 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish, noun derivative of sofrito, past participle of sofreir "to fry lightly, sauté," from so-, attenuating prefix (going back to Latin sub- sub-) + freir "to fry," going back, with conjugation change, to Latin frīgere "to roast" — more at fry entry 1

Note: The parallel Italian formation soffritto is very similar in meaning, and seems likely to be based on some degree of cultural exchange, though in which direction is not clear.

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above