Soffritto is a fundamental base in Italian cooking, a flavor-packed mixture of finely chopped or minced aromatic ingredients gently cooked in olive oil or butter. It forms the foundation of countless Italian dishes, adding depth and complexity to flavors.

Italian soffritto is made of a combination of chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Traditional recipes like lasagna alla Bolognese or pollo alla cacciatora include this vegetable mix which is usually slow-cooked to add richness and texture to the final dish.

One of the first things I learned about cooking when I came to live in Italy more than 20 years ago, is that you don’t need lots of complicated ingredients to add flavor to a dish, Italian cooking is mostly about simplicity and this soffritto recipe is the proof of it. It is a game changer.

Soffritto mixture in a jar with a wooden spoon.

Ingredients

Onion: White, yellow, or red onions can be used to make this recipe.
Carrots: Adds a touch of sweetness and earthiness that helps to balance the flavors.
Celery: Brings a herbal and slightly bitter note to the mix. It also adds freshness and complements the other ingredients, enhancing the overall aroma.
Extras (optional): The basic recipe is sometimes enhanced with different extra ingredients, depending on the final dish. The most common are garlic, parsley, rosemary, sage, and sometimes basil.

How To Make Soffritto

Use a knife to trim off the top and bottom ends of the onion. Peel away the papery outer layers. Next, Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the carrot.

Last, wash the celery stalks thoroughly under cold running water, paying attention to the inner parts where dirt might accumulate. Then cut off the root end and the leafy top.

Carrots, onion, and celery on a cutting board with a knife on the side.

Next, dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Dicing the vegetables helps in achieving a more uniform and consistent texture.

Diced celery, carrot, and onion on a cutting board.

Now, depending on the recipe where you want to add this preparation, you can keep chopping to achieve the desired texture.

Roughly chopped soffritto will work perfectly for soups like minestrone, while finely chopped can be perfect for slow-cooked stews.

You can go as far as you want when chopping the vegetables, for example, to make quick pasta sauces just keep chopping until the mix has a finer texture, which will cook faster.

Showing finely chopped vegetables with a spoon.

How to Cook It

Most of the Italian recipes call to slow-cook the soffritto in extra virgin olive oil, lard, or butter.

You will start by heating the oil at medium temperature, then adding the vegetables and lowering the heat to allow them to cook slowly, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are slightly transparent and soft.

If the recipe asks for searing the meat before adding the soffritto, you need to make sure there’s no liquid left from the meat, as it will steam the vegetables instead of frying.

Soffritto condiment added to the pan and cooking with the meat.

Tips & Notes

You can use either a knife or a mezzaluna to chop the vegetables.
A knife is good for quickly and roughly chopping the vegetables, while a mezzaluna is recommended for a mix with a finer and evenly texture.
Typically, the ratio for an Italian soffritto mix is one part of each vegetable, but again, it depends mostly on which recipe you’re preparing, a stew with lots of tomato sauce will need something sweet to balance the tomato acidity and this can be achieved by adding more carrots.
This basic Italian recipe is something really handy to have available at any time. Then why not make a large batch and store it for later use? Even if you’re not making Italian dishes, those veggies add a nice touch to many recipes out there.

Italian soffritto cut into three ways: Roughly diced, minced, and finely chopped.

Ways to Use

Many recipes in Italian cuisine call for this preparation, here are a few you might want to try, each one comes with an easy step-by-step process:

Coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew).
Fagioli con le cotiche (beans with pork rinds).
Spezzatino di manzo (beef stew).
Ribollita (Tuscan soup).

How To Store It

One of the things I love most about this recipe is how easily is to store, there are a few ways to do so, here are my favorites:

In the fridge

After chopping the vegetables, place the mixture in a jar or air-tight container, pack it lightly with a spoon, and store it on the coldest shelf of your fridge for about 5-6 days

In the freezer

Place it in a colander and let it drain for half an hour, then make portions of about 3-4 tablespoons and place them in resealable bags. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can also use an ice cube tray for smaller portions.

You can either thaw it overnight before using it or just add it like that into the oil, it will defrost eventually.

Tip: To avoid having a whole block of iced chopped vegetables, place the bags in the freezer and after one hour or so, take them off and smash them a little bit against the kitchen counter, repeat this 2-3 times.

More Italian Recipes

Tasca di Vitello Ripiena (stuffed veal breast)

Fagioli con le Cotiche (Beans with Pork Rinds)

Penne Pomodoro

Lasagna alla Bolognese

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