How to Make Italian Soffritto
Many Italian recipes start with a simple soffritto recipe, which is a mixture of sautéed carrot, onion, and celery. This staple brings rich flavor to many Italian sauces, soups, and stews, and is easy to make in 15 minutes!
Servings: 1 recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 rib celery diced (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and prepare the vegetables.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the onion, carrot, and celery close to the same size. You can mince, chop, dice, finely dice, or use the method you prefer to cut the vegetables into small pieces. Perfection is not required!
- Add extra virgin olive oil to the pan, or pot on medium heat. When the oil starts shimmering add the diced vegetables, and cook, stirring often. If adding meat add now.
- Adjust to medium-low heat, and continue to sauté until golden, it will take from a minimum of 5-7 minutes to 20 minutes.
- See variations in notes for optional add-ins. When the soffritto is 2-3 minutes from being done you can add garlic, herbs, spices, or wine if desired. Give a good stir, keep cooking for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Then, add the rest of the ingredients according to the recipe you are cooking.
Notes
- If you want to speed up the process, you can use the pulse mode of a food processor to finely chop the vegetables.
- Use fresh vegetables and good quality extra virgin olive oil for the very best flavor and texture.
- Chop up the raw veggies in advance and freeze them in ice cubes, a freezer bag, or an airtight container for up to 8-12 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 10372IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg
