The Secret To My Easy Vegan Recipes: How To Make Dominican Sofrito

I may be mildly addicted to posting vegan food photos on Instagram. It’s no wonder why many people are curious and want to learn to prepare the secret to my easy vegan recipes: how to make Dominican sofrito, or sazón, which is what I usually call it.

In my culture, we rarely use anything that comes in a box or can. When I was growing up, my mom, my grandma, and my great-grandma used to spend the entire day in the kitchen, and that’s probably another reason why I never wanted to learn how to cook back then.

These days, one of the most relaxing times for me is to be barefoot in the kitchen, making creative vegan healthy meals for my family. I don’t need to slave for hours, and I certainly don’t need to trade in my intellectual, career-driven, or fun activities in order to be domestic.

Dominican sofrito (sazón or recaito) is one of my secrets for speed cooking. I make a huge batch of blended herbs and vegetables and it lasts 2-3 months. It keeps fresh in the fridge and helps me add flavor to all my dishes in record time (because I just grab a spoon and add to taste).

Homemade Dominican Sofrito Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 bunches of cilantro
• 8 Cubanelle peppers (also known as Italian frying peppers)
• 4 medium red onions
• 2 lbs. garlic
• 6 Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 gallon white distilled vinegar

Directions

1. Rinse all the ingredients to remove dirt and germs
2. Chop all the herbs and veggies finely [enroll your kids in the task if they’re old enough to use a knife]
3. Blend all the ingredients on low speed (I use an old model Cuisinart Blender and it works just fine)

Useful Tips On Making Homemade Dominican Sofrito

I usually put the tomatoes down at the bottom of because it is easier on the blades and then add the other ingredients.

Your ingredients won’t all fit in the blender and they will differ a bit in color and texture, so make sure you wait until you are done blending everything so you can mix it up well.

I recycle glass jars or plastic containers to store my sofrito in the fridge. I don’t freeze any of it, because it stays fresh, especially when you buy veggies and herbs that are all organically-grown.

How To Use Homemade Dominican Sofrito

I use my sazón in just about everything I cook: soups, beans, lentil, stews, and meat substitutes like vegan ground and tofu. It’s a great alternative for an expensive store-bought cooking base or marinade and it has no chemicals or preservatives.

Are you ready to save time, energy, and money with my homemade sofrito?

[ela]