Recipes

Dominican Sazón Verde (Green Seasoning)

This is the green base behind every good Dominican pot — the sofrito-style sazón verde abuela keeps in the fridge door. Blend it once and you'll reach for it all week: beans, rice, stews, marinades, even eggs.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh cilantro, packed (about 1 large bunch)
• 1 cup recao (culantro) leaves — optional, but traditional
• 8 ají dulce (sweet peppers), stemmed and seeded
• 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 large red onion, quartered
• 1 whole head of garlic, peeled
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ cup olive oil (or water)

Instructions

1. Roughly chop the cilantro, recao, ají dulce, bell pepper, onion, garlic and celery so they fit your blender.
2. Add everything to a blender or food processor along with the lime juice, oregano and salt.
3. Pour in the olive oil and pulse. Scrape down the sides and pulse again until you have a coarse, spoonable paste — keep some texture, don't purée it smooth.
4. Taste and adjust salt and lime.
5. Spoon into a clean glass jar. Keep it refrigerated for up to 1 week, or freeze in an ice-cube tray for up to 3 months.