Easy Italian Soffritto Recipe

5 from 5 vote

Easy Italian Soffritto Recipe

Soffritto is the classic base of Italian cooking! Soffritto adds depth to sauces, soups, and stews. This blend of finely diced onions, celery, and carrots is gently sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil to release its aromatic flavors, making it essential in any Italian kitchen.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: sauce base, soup base

Servings: portion

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

Ingredients

1 medium onion finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot finely diced (about ½ cup)
1 celery stalk finely diced (about ½ cup)
2-3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Prepare the Vegetables: Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery for even cooking.
Heat the Oil: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over low to medium heat.
Cook the Vegetables: Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the skillet. Sauté slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and slightly golden. Be careful not to let them brown.
Use as a Base: Your soffritto is now ready to be used as a flavorful base for sauces, soups, or stews.

Notes

Cut- You could use a sharp knife, a mezzaluna, or even a food processor to chop the vegetables. If you use a food processor, do not pulse too many times. You want to keep some of the chunks and not make a puree.
Size- Make sure vegetables are all chopped roughly to the same size.
Olive oil- I always use a very good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Start with 2 tablespoons and you could add more olive oil if needed.
Heat- Keep the vegetables slowly sautéing. It's not a really fast process, but it's best way to release the flavors. The point is to not brown the vegetables, they should turn lightly golden.
Double or triple the recipe- I like to make extra and freeze the diced, uncooked vegetables in small zipped lock bags. It makes it super convenient when you need a quick soffritto to get an Italian dish started!
Storage- You could store the prepped soffritto vegetables in the fridge for 3-4 days, and cook up when you need them. Or, you could cook them up and let cool completely. Store the cooked soffirtto for 4-5 days in the fridge and use when you need them.

Nutrition