Sofregit, homemade tomato sauce recipe

Sofregit is a basic sauce of the Mediterranean Catalan cuisine. The secret of this fresh tomato sauce recipe is a perfectly caramelized onion, generally followed by a patient caramelizing of the tomato.

Catalan sofregit or homemade tomato sauce recipe.

Basic sofregit with
onion and tomato.

Sofregit, pronounced soo-frah-GEET, is one of the five fundamental sauces of Catalan cuisine together with allioli, samfaina, picada and romesco. A myriad stews and other Catalan Mediterranean diet recipes consistently begin with one or other version of sofregit.

Catalan cuisine without a sofregit is unthinkable. At the same time, it has the potential to be used in other culinary contexts as it is very useful and versatile. It provides a savory base for fish, meat, poultry and vegetable stew recipes.

Here I give you the recipe for a basic sofregit of onion and tomato. Elsewhere in this web you can find a variation of sofregit, a fresh tomato sauce recipe with garlic and parsley.

Sofregit is derived from the verb sofregir: to fry lightly. In this case it means that you fry it slowly over low heat.

So, regarding the cooking time, it can take as long as an hour or even much longer. Or you can make a quick sofregit in only fifteen minutes that nicely flavors a stew or a pasta dish.

In the recipe below we chose the middle way: 30 to 45 minutes. 15 minutes cooking makes it usable; with 30 minutes cooking you have a good sofregit; 45 minutes, and it's already gourmet-like.

Ingredients for sofregit

Yields 1� to 2 cups

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-sized onions (7 ounces or 200 g) - finely chopped
5 medium size ripe tomatoes (1 pound or 450 g) - peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon sugar � optional

Sofregit recipe preparation method

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 30 to 45 minutes.

Heat olive oil in an earthenware casserole or dutch oven. When the oil is hot, make sure the heat is low, add the chopped onions and stir. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the onion caramelizes. Stir often with a wooden spoon.

First the onions become transparent, then they turn golden, and finally they begin to caramelize.

Add the tomato, stir briefly and cover.

At this point you can add the optional half teaspoon of sugar, if you find your tomatoes are too acidic. Seasonal local natural tomatoes generally don't need sugar, but that's up to the home cook to decide.

Cook covered for 15 to 30 minutes stirring occasionally.