Flavour bombs· VG · GF · DF

Soffritto Base

Name: Soffritto Base
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 (450g) onions, very finely chopped; 3 (300g) carrots, very finely chopped; 4 sticks (200g) celery, very finely chopped; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 100ml olive oil; 4g salt

Finely chopped onion, carrot and celery slowly cooked in olive oil: the flavour base for ragu, soups and stews.

makes 27 cubes, about 6p each

Jump to recipe

BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/sauces/soffritto-base/

Illustration of a bowl of Soffritto Base

Time: 45 min10 min prep · 35 min cook
Makes: 27 cubes
Cost per cubePer cube: 6p
Calories per cubeCalories: 43 kcal
A serving: 3 cubes
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

cubes

3 (450g)onions, very finely chopped
3 (300g)carrots, very finely chopped
4 sticks (200g)celery, very finely chopped
4 cloves (20g)garlic
100mlolive oil
4gsalt

Allergens: Celery. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Use it for

Bolognese for two: 3 cubes, 250g mince, 1 tin tomatoes · 3 cubes; Minestrone or lentil soup · 4 cubes; Risotto base · 2 cubes

Method

Step 1: Pulse the vegetables in a food processor until very finely chopped, or chop by hand.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a wide pan over a low heat, add the veg and salt.
Step 3: Cook gently for 35 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and sweet but not browned. Add the garlic for the last 5 minutes.
Step 4: Cool.
Step 5: Spoon into 30ml trays and freeze.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per cube	43	0.4g	3g	3.4g	0.7g	0.15g
Per 3 cubes	129	1.2g	9g	10.2g	2.1g	0.45g

Cook’s notes

Straight from frozen into the pan, before the meat or rice.
Low and slow is everything here; it should melt, not fry.
Three cubes replaces 15 minutes of chopping and frying.

Use it for

Bolognese for two: 3 cubes, 250g mince, 1 tin tomatoes · 3 cubes
Minestrone or lentil soup · 4 cubes
Risotto base · 2 cubes

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 30ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 6 months.
Use from frozen: Straight from frozen into the pan, before the meat or rice. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
A portion: 3 cubes is a serving: about 129 kcal.

Soffritto Base questions

Why use so much olive oil?

The oil carries the flavour of the vegetables and helps them soften without catching. It also means each cube is ready to cook in straight from frozen.

Can I use it for dishes that aren't Italian?

The same onion, carrot and celery mix starts countless soups, stews and casseroles. Use it in a lentil cottage pie, a bean stew or a vegetable soup.

Can I add other vegetables or herbs?

Leek or fennel can replace some of the onion, and a bay leaf or a sprig of rosemary can cook with the veg. Keep it simple so the cubes stay useful for lots of dishes.