Sofrito

Sofrito is a staple of Puerto Rican cooking. It consists of a mix of herbs and vegetables blended to create a sauce.  It is made in large batches and can be refrigerated or frozen for later use, which is especially helpful because it can add flavor to every dish without adding extra prep time.  There are an infinite number of sofrito recipes, but I am sharing a quick easy recipe that uses ingredients that can be found at any supermarket. 

Ingredients: 

• Handful of cilantro 
• 1 onion 
• 6 cloves of garlic 
• 1 green pepper 
• 1 red pepper  (optional) 
• 10 recao leaves (optional) 
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil

Chop onion and pepper into large pieces and place in a blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend. Store in an airtight jar and refrigerate or freeze.  

Sopa de Fideos

There is nothing better on a cold winter day than a comforting bowl of soup.  My grandmother made the best sopa de fideos that I have ever had and I have tried hard to recreate it. I think I have come pretty close, but you can try it yourself and let me know. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp of olive oil 
• 8 oz can of tomato sauce 
• 2-4 tbsp of sofrito
• 15 chicken pieces (legs, thighs, or wings) 
• 10-12 cups of water 
• 4 oz thin spaghetti  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Instructions:

Start by heating  olive oil in a large stew pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the tomato sauce and sofrito. Stir and heat for approximately 1 minute. Add chicken and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2hours. After chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and let cool for 10 minutes. Add noodles and cook for another ten minutes. While noodles are cooking and chicken has cooled, pull chicken from the bone and shred into bite sized pieces.  Return the chicken to the pot once noodles are cooked and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute to warm the chicken through.  Serve with a few sprigs of cilantro for garnish.

Enjoy!