Catalonia 4: Sofregit 🌞

[justaprogressive]

Last edited Tue Feb 3, 2026, 12:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Sofregit

Sofregit, pronounced soo-frah-GEET, is one of the five
fundamental sauces of Catalan cuisine together with allioli,
samfaina, picada, and romesco, understanding sauce in a very
broad sense. A myriad of stews and other Catalan Mediterranean
recipes consistently begin with one or other version of sofregit
tomato sauce. Source

TO MAKE 1-1 1/2 CUPS

Olive oil
3 onions, chopped (but not minced)
****6 tomatoes, seeded and grated or peeled, seeded, and chopped

Cover the bottom of a cassola, Dutch
oven, or large skillet with at least 1/4 inch of oil,
heat for several minutes, then add the onions.
Reduce the heat and cook uncovered until the
onions are wilted, stirring occasionally. Con-
tinue cooking in this manner until the onions
have turned golden-brown and are beginning
to carmelize, adding and cooking off a bit of
water if desired, For a darker sofregit, the pro-
cess may be continued until the onions reach
the desired color—but do not let them burn.

Add the tomatoes and mix well, then con-
tinue cooking until all liquid has evaporated,
and the tomatoes have begun to “melt” into
the onions. (At this point, add herbs if called
for in specific recipe.)

Note: If a specific sofregit recipe calls for garlic or other
vegetables (leeks, bell peppers, ete.), add them after the
onions have wilted, adding more oil if necessary. Sofregit,
with or without tomatoes, may be made in larger quantities
and stored in the refrigerator, covered with a thin layer of
oil, in an airtight container, for two or three weeks at least.
(It will last longer with tomatoes added, due to greater
acidity.)



****A Trick with Tomatoes.

Apart from salads, almost every Catalan dish that
includes tomatoes calls for them to be peeled, seeded,
and chopped. There is a very easy way to mini-
mize the labor this process usually involves—
a method recommended by well-known
Barcelona (and ex-New York) restaurateur
Montse Guillén. Her method is simply to slice
a whole unpeeled tomato in half horizontally,
squeeze out the seeds, and then grate the fruit
on the large holes of a four-sided grater, flat-
teningit out with the palm of your hand as you
go—and of course stopping when the peel is
about to reach the holes. The result is a sort of
instant coarse puree, perfect for cooking.

From "Catalan Cuisine" by Colman Andrews

Now that you've got a few of the basics, some great dishes
are within reach!

[Kali]

1. how much oil?

think there is a typo there

Cover the bottom of a cassola, Dutch
oven, or large skillet with at least 4 inch of oil,

[justaprogressive]

2. 1/4" fixed,

Thank you!!