“When my family would leave my Tio’s house in Manhattan,” registered dietitian Catherine Perez reminisces in her cookbook, Peaceful Kitchen, “he would send us away with bags of large plantains, salchichón, and an unmarked container of sazón.”

“Sazón is a Dominican style sofrito,” she explains — a savory blend of various herbs, onions, plenty of garlic, and other seasonings. “Every Dominican home I know makes theirs differently because we all have our own specific preferences.”

Perez’s version is a great place to start. She blends together aromatics like cilantro, onion, oregano, and scallions, then adds lime juice and apple cider vinegar for brightness.

But what do you do with sofrito? “Think of it like a flavor shortcut,” Perez says. “Make a large batch, store it fresh or save in the freezer, and when you want to flavor your beans or stew, or even make a fantastic marinade, this sofrito will be waiting for you to use up.” Add it dollop by dollop to slowly season to taste, then get ready to demurely inform friends and family that you’ve added a secret ingredient to your already-famous chili.

Get ready for guests to beg for the recipe — whether you share it or not is up to you.

Catherine Perez’s Dominican Sofrito Recipe

Makes: 2 ¾ Cups | Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 garlic heads, peeled (about 26 cloves)
3 scallions, roots removed and roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 cubanelle pepper or 1/2 green bell pepper
Kosher salt to taste
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh culantro (or more cilantro)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste
1 tablespoon Dominican oregano or Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Add the garlic, scallions, onion, pepper, and a generous pinch of kosher salt to a food processor or blender. Process on high until the ingredients are finely minced, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed.
Add in the cilantro, culantro, vinegar, lime juice, bouillon cube, oregano, and another pinch of salt, then blend again until it becomes a coarse paste.
Remove the blade of the food processor and stir in the oil.
You can store this in the fridge in an airtight container for up to seven days.
To preserve it even longer, freeze it! Divide the paste in an ice cube tray. Cover and freeze, then transfer the cubes into a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to six months. Use the cubes to add to your beans, stews, or marinades as a shortcut for extra flavor.

Cooking tips:

To quickly peel all the garlic, break apart the bulb and place it in a jar. Seal the jar, then shake well to help release the peels. Most of the peels should come off easily.
You can find Dominican or Mexican oregano at local Latin markets. If you are unable to locate it, just leave it out of the recipe — it should still work really well.
The is a difference between cilantro and culantro goes beyond just looks. Cilantro has a more delicate and mildly sweet flavor, while culantro is much stronger in flavor.