Sofrito is an aromatic mixture of a few different ingredients chopped into very small pieces. It usually includes tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cilantro and garlic, but different products or recipes leave out one or more of these. Usually the sofrito is cooked down into a concentrated paste. Purchase sofrito in a grocery store or make your own. When added to Spanish rice, it enhances the flavor. And it only takes a couple of tablespoons to make a flavorful base for any Latin-inspired dish.
Step 1
Pour enough olive oil into the bottom of the saucepan just to coat it.
Step 2
Saute the onions in the saucepan placed on a stove top burner set to high heat. Cook until the onions are soft.
Step 3
Add the rice, water and sofrito to the saucepan.
Step 4
Cook the mixture on high heat until the water evaporates to almost the level of the rice.
Step 5
Cover the saucepan with the lid, and reduce the heat to low.
Step 6
Cook the rice mixture until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
Tip
To make your own sofrito, process green pepper, onion, cilantro and oil in a food processor.
Most recipes call for using short- or long-grain white rice; use brown rice as a healthier alternative, but note that it takes longer to cook.
Add any other spices or seasonings you prefer to the mixture, such as adobo seasoning and cilantro.
Saute diced, cooked pork with the onions to add more flavor to the dish.
Refrain from stirring the rice mixture while it cooks.