If I were to ask you what is the holy trinity in an Italian kitchen, what would you say?
Pizza? Pasta? Polenta? No, nice try, guess again. I'm sure you can get the right answer.
Tomato? Basil? Garlic? No, but you're getting close. Okay, I'll just give you the answer.
It's soffritto -- a combination of onions, carrots, and celery that is cooked gently in olive oil.
-
Soffritto a base to build on
The term odori refers to the herbs or the onions, celery, carrots, etc. that you will add to flavor whatever you are making. The word odori means fragrances or scents because technically that is what you do -- you season your dish with wonderfully scented vegetable and herbs.
Think of the soffritto as a base that you will build on. You can add garlic, Italian parsley, fennel bulb, herbs, wine, mushrooms, peppers. . . the list is endless. This can be a base for greens or you can add it to braise meat or vegetables. It's great as the base to a gratin of summer vegetables.
Soffritto the Holy Trinity in Italian Cuisine -
Save time with Italian Cuisine's Holy Trinity
- The ratio for the soffritto is always the same 2:1:1 with onions having the largest amount. You will need to use sufficient olive oil to cover the diced vegetables. This is really a handy recipe to have on hand. It can save you lots of time. If you're dicing, why not make extra?
- You can keep it in the fridge for a week or freeze it for up to 6 months. Strain off some of the oil before freezing the soffritto and then use the flavored olive oil in other recipes.
- Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
Italian Cuisine's Holy Trinity is fried
The word soffritto in Italian means "under-fried" or "fried slowly". You're probably going to say that in France it is called mirepoix. That's true. But the French term can mean the raw cut or cooked vegetables.
The Italian term refers only to the vegetables sautéed in olive oil. In France, the mirepoix usually sautés in butter.
Recipe
📖 Recipe
Soffritto the Holy Trinity in Italian Cuisine
Ingredients
- 2 cups minced onion
- 1 cup minced celery
- 1 cup minced carrot or fennel bulb or combination of both
- handful of minced Italian parsley
- 1 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Heat a large pan ( a sauteuse with high sides works well ) over medium heat. When warm, add the olive oil. When the olive oil starts to warm, add the vegetables and stir to coat all of them with oil.
- Cook gently, stirring often to prevent sticking. You may have to turn the heat down because you don't want the vegetables to brown. The vegetables should turn a golden straw color. It can take up to 45 minutes.
- When the vegetables are a golden wheat color, the soffritto is ready. You can refrigerate or freeze it until needed.
- Keeps a week in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
Notes
- Remember the ratio is: 2:1:1 with enough olive oil to cover the odori. You can make as little or as much as you wish. It is very handy to have extra on hand.
- If you are going to freeze, strain off some of the oil and the soffritto will freeze better. You can use the oil in other recipes.
- You can regulate the color and texture of the soffritto by the amount of time you sauté it.
Nutrition
Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!
We'll never share your email or send you spam. Promise
Joseph
will be pulling carrots today. international carrrott today. ? .who knew besides you. !! will make this today !! and pick some Barese Chard as well !!
Paolo
I like to blend large batches and freeze for use in sauces. Sometimes with wine reduce as well.
Delish!
Marisa Franca
What a great idea! Thank you Paolo. It certainly is a time saver.
Glenn Paul
While your recipe is perfect, your use of the phrase "holy trinity" would be considered to be blasphemous in a catholic culture. I suggest that you drop the "holy" and refer to it as the trinity of cooking.
Marisa Franca
Thank you for your correction. That's why I use it in the Italian cuisine reference and NOT in life's reference. Have a wonderful weekend.
Haupia Fernandes
The 'holy trinity' phrase is used all over the world in the culinary culture. It shouldn't be changed just to satisfy the catholic culture especially when it's used as a cooking phrase. And I'm sure that many Catholics, like myself, don't find it blasphemous. As a starting point, you can try to ask the chefs/cooks of Lousiana, where the phrase originated, to stop using it.
Marisa Franca
Thank you for saying it so well!! xoxo
Christopher Hayward
Soffritto is not sauteed, the heat is lower than a saute. It is not supposed to brown or significantly change in color
Marisa Franca
You are right Christopher. The term I should have used is sweat. I will change it. Thank you for catching that. In the directions, though, I am very explicit about cooking gently and NOT browning.
Jovina Coughlin
What a great idea.
Marisa Franca
It is! If you're cutting away might as make extra :-).
Reid
add some olives you could make a muffaletta
Marisa Franca
You are right!! It's a very versatile recipe.
Diane P.
Marisa: I just love this idea of making soffritto ahead of time, and storing it in oil in the fridge or the freezer! What a time saver this is going to be for those days when you really don't have time for all the chopping........... Thanks for this post!
Marisa Franca
I love to cook on rainy days -- with spring and summer (hopefully) coming soon we'll want to spend our time outside so this does help. Enjoy!!