sofrito

American  

[soh-free-toh] / soʊˈfri toʊ /

noun

1. (in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean cooking) a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, etc.

2. Italian Cooking. soffritto.

---

Etymology

Origin of sofrito

First recorded in 1955–60; partly from Spanish sofrito, noun use of past participle of sofreír “to fry lightly”; partly from Italian soffritto “fried, browned”; see soffritto ( def. )

Example Sentences

One of the book’s triumphs is a recipe for campfire paella which calls for prepping squid, sofrito and green beans at home and is finished at camp with shrimp, rice, onion and saffron threads.

From Washington Times • May 24, 2023

Garlic, sweet peppers, tomato sauce, salsa, sausages, sofrito, coconut milk, lime juice: Make these rice and beans as simple or as fancy as you like.

From New York Times • Oct. 29, 2022

These bizarre, intriguing questions are part of the foundation, the spine — the sofrito — of “Flux Gourmet,” the fifth feature by British writer-director Peter Strickland.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 8, 2022

I found that I could make the sofrito using her "measurements," then save any leftovers for the base of other dishes like stews and sauces.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2022

The following day she tries to teach me how to make sofrito, and the day after that, I go with her to some social justice thing at Breanna’s college.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone