Sofrito

This is a Spanish tomato, pepper and garlic base sauce and sometimes known as refogado.  

I make a big batch of this on a Sunday night and use a scoop full in various dishes during the week.  

Makes about 3 cups

Sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until soft, about 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes, garlic – stir and allow to simmer for another 20 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with wine vinegar and stir in all other ingredients.

Cook for another 10 minutes.
 Use immediately as is or place in a processor and blend for a creamy sauce.

Sofrito keeps for about 1 week in the fridge.
If extra is left over, freeze it in a tray of big ice cubes and use one or two to add a smoky, paprika flavour to other dishes.
It goes well with stir fried mushrooms and any dry kidney bean dish like minestrone.
Add sofrito to a creamy cheese to make a delicious dip with crispy vegetables for a snack.
Use in the hot spicy potato Tapas recipe.
Perfect for fried chorizo and shell fish like mussels, any chicken dish with olives and thinly sliced lamb with vegetables.
In summer when tomatoes are well in season, we make a huge batch and jar/bottle it for the winter months.

NOTE:   Not to be confused with the Italian soffritto which means “just fried”.
This usually consists of only onion but depending on the area some add carrot and celery in preparation for a meat sauce.