Italian soffritto is one of those kitchen basics that forms the heart of Italian cooking. Made with just three simple vegetables; onion, carrot and celery and slowly cooked in extra virgin olive oil, it’s the flavor base behind some of Italy’s most iconic dishes.

italian soffritto with celery, onion and carrots cooked in a pan and a wooden spoon stirring

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What is soffritto?

Soffritto comes from the Italian verb soffriggere, meaning to fry gently. It refers to the technique of slowly cooking onion, carrot and celery in olive oil over low heat until soft, sweet and fragrant.

These three vegetables are known in Italian cooking as the holy trinity, each one playing its own role. The onion and carrots add sweetness and depth while the celery adds a slightly bitter, aromatic flavor that balances the other two.

It builds a rich flavor base that adds incredible depth to any dish, from soups and stews to pasta sauces and braised meats. Keep in mind that soffritto is not a dish on its own, but the flavor base you build other dishes from.

You may recognize this combination from French cooking, where it’s called a mirepoix. The ingredients are the same, but the technique differs. Also in South American / Spanish cooking they use a sofrito as a flavor base, but here the ingredients vary a bit.

Soffritto ingredients

bunch of celery, 3 onions and 4 carrots on a wooden chopping board

For this classic Italian soffritto, you only need a few simple ingredients:

Onion: A yellow onion works best for soffritto, but any onion you have at home will do, whether yellow, red, white or shallots.
Carrot: Use a fresh, firm carrot. It adds a subtle natural sweetness to the base and balances the other vegetables.
Celery: One stalk of celery adds a slightly bitter, aromatic note to the soffritto. Before dicing, remove any tough strings with a peeler. Use just the stalk for the soffritto as the leaves can be added to soups or sauces later for extra flavor.
Extra virgin olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. It is the cooking fat that brings all three vegetables together.
Salt: Just a pinch of salt to season the vegetables as they cook.

How to make soffritto

Note: All the exact quantities of the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Dice the vegetables: Chop the onion, carrot and celery into small, even pieces. The finer the cut, the better the vegetables will soften and blend into the dish you are making.

celery onion and carrots for italian soffritto chopped on a white plate and the full vegetables around it

Heat the oil: Pour the olive oil into a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. A wide pan gives the vegetables more surface area to cook evenly.
Cook low and slow: Add the diced vegetables to the pan, season with a pinch of salt and stir to coat in the oil. Cook over low heat, stirring now and then, until soft and fragrant. This will take about 15 minutes and low heat is essential. Do not be tempted to turn it up.
Watch the color: The vegetables should stay pale and soft. If they start to brown, lower the heat and add a small splash of water to the pan.
It’s ready when: The vegetables are soft and smell deeply fragrant. At this point, your soffritto is ready to use as the base of your dish.

Expert tips

Here are some expert tips for making the best soffritto and to create a good flavor base:

Follow the 2:1:1 ratio. For the best balance of flavors, use twice as much onion as carrot and celery. This means 2 parts onion to 1 part carrot and 1 part celery by volume. This is the traditional Italian ratio that gives soffritto its characteristic sweet and aromatic flavor. So follow the quantities in the recipe card and increase accordingly for larger portions.
Cut all the vegetables evenly: To allow equal cooking, make sure all the vegetables are cut in the same size. The smaller the dice, the better the vegetables will soften and build flavor.
Use good quality olive oil. Since there are only a few ingredients in a soffritto, the quality of the olive oil really matters. Use a good extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
Don’t let it brown: A soffritto should be pale, soft and sweet. If the vegetables brown, they lose their delicate flavor and take on a more, roasted taste instead, which is not what you want in a flavor base.
Low and slow is the key. Never rush a soffritto by turning up the heat. The vegetables need time to slowly soften and release their natural sweetness.
Make a larger batch: A soffritto is perfect for freezing. Make a large batch and divide into smaller portions before freezing. Like this you always have a batch ready when making your next ragú, minestrone soup or any other Italian dish. I always have a few bags of soffritto in my freezer.

How to store

After cooking, allow the soffritto to cool to room temperature. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To freeze, divide the soffritto into smaller portions and transfer to freezer-safe bags or containers. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. For easy portioning, you can also freeze it in an ice cube tray and transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag once solid.

To use from frozen, add the soffritto directly to a pan and let it thaw over low heat, or leave it to thaw overnight in the fridge.

italian soffritto with celery, onion and carrots cooked in a pan

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