Learn How to Make Soffritto, the Italian secret for flavorful pasta sauces, stews, soups, and more. Simply mince onion, carrot, and celery, sauté in olive oil, then use the mixture to elevate your dishes!
Soffritto is the combination that will have your household asking, "yum, what's that smell?!" Our favorite way to use soffritto is in our bolognese sauce, but you can use it in countless pasta sauces, soups, stews, and more. Soffritto comes from the word soffriggere, which means "to saute." It's a flavor booster and a great way to practice your knife skills!
If you are looking for other classic Italian recipes, check out our authentic pomodoro sauce or classic basil pesto.
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Why You'll Love Soffritto
- Taste - The cooked veggies are savory and a little sweet.
- Texture - It is light and tender.
- Effort - All you need to do is chop the vegetables then cook them.
- Time - It takes about 5 minutes to prep and under 20 minutes to cook.
Key Ingredients
- Carrots - Carrots provide a light sweetness and cuts the acidity of tomato-based recipes.
- Yellow onion - Yellow onion has a savory and pungent aroma.
- Celery stalks - Celery's earthiness and grassy flavor balances the sweet carrots and savory onions.
- Extra-virgin olive oil - Olive oil is a tasty fat to cook the veggies in.
Substitutions and Variations
- Herbs - Add herbs like rosemary or thyme to make the mixture herbaceous.
- Spicy - Add some red chili flakes or to spice it up.
- Salt and pepper - Salt and pepper provide some nice light seasoning.
- Butter - Add a knob of butter to the olive oil to add even more flavor and fat to the soffritto.
- Shallot - If you're looking for a more delicate aromatic flavor, use minced shallot or a mix of a small sweet onion and shallot.
Soffritto Instructions
- Prepare vegetables - Finely mince the celery, carrots, and onion. For the celery and carrots, start by cutting the vegetables into matchsticks, turn the matchsticks so they are perpendicular to the knife, then mince. The goal is to mince the vegetables so finely that they essentially melt when cooked with the olive oil. (Photo 1, 2, and 3)
- Prepare the three vegetables - For the onion, cut the onion in half from root to tip, then lay the onion cut side down. Make 3-4 slices through the horizontal plane of the onion, then make thin slices from root to tip. Finally, turn the onion so the slices are perpendicular to your knife, and mince. (Photo 5, 6, and 7)
- Heat oil - Have all of the vegetables ready at the same time. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. (Photo 8 and 9)
- Cook vegetables - Then stir in minced onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 10-20 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent. The soffritto mixture should almost disintegrate upon cooking. Use the soffritto as a base for your favorite sauces, soups, stews, and more. (Photo 10 and 11)
Cooking Tips
- Extra fine - If you want the consistency of the soffritto to be extra fine, you can pulse the minced ingredients in a food processor a few times.
- Uniform size - Chop the vegetables into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Stir - Be sure to stir the veggies while they cook to prevent sticking.
Recipe FAQs
Both soffritto and mirepoix use similar ingredients, but soffritto is finely minced and cooked down to a fine texture, while mirepoix is chunkier.
Yes, you can freeze soffritto for future use. Let it cool completely then transfer it to a freezer safe bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.
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📖 Recipe
How to Make Soffritto
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 medium pot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2-3 celery stalks
- 2-3 medium carrots
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables - Finely mince the celery, carrots, and onion. The goal is to mince the vegetables so finely that they essentially melt when cooked with the olive oil.2-3 celery stalks, 2-3 medium carrots, 1 small yellow onion, 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Cook vegetables - In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in minced onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 10-20 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent. The soffritto mixture should almost disintegrate upon cooking. Use the soffritto as a base for your favorite sauces, soups, stews, and more.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate leftover soffritto in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. In order to reheat, place the soffritto in a pot or dutch oven over low heat, stirring occasionally until warm.
- Extra fine - If you want the consistency of the soffritto to be extra fine, pulse the minced ingredients in a food processor a few times.
- Uniform size - Chop the vegetables into pieces that are the same size to ensure even cooking.
- Stir - Stir the soffritto while it cooks to prevent the veggies from sticking.
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