Spanish Sofrito

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium yellow onions, finely diced
• One large green pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
• One large red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
• One medium leek, white and light green parts only, washed well and finely diced, optional
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions

Set a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and warm the oil until it glints. Add the garlic, onion, green pepper, red pepper, and leek, if you’re using it; sprinkle in a light pinch of salt, then cook and stir until the vegetables give off their moisture and the bottom of the pan starts picking up a little color, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and keep going, stirring often and scraping up anything that wants to stick, until the sofrito tastes sweet and turns deep golden brown, about 45 minutes longer. Mix in the tomato paste and let it cook for 2 minutes. You should end up with about 2 cups. Transfer the sofrito to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days.