You’ll always be a step ahead with homemade bean soups and stews if you keep a stash of sofrito in the freezer. This flavorful and traditional Spanish sauce is made from fresh vegetables, most often garlic, onions, peppers, and tomatoes, all sautéed in olive oil. Freeze sofrito in zip lock bags or ice cube trays and then use throughout the winter as a base for bean soups and stews.

Here is an easy recipe for sofrito, although you should feel free to adjust ingredient amounts depending on what you have on hand.

2 pounds tomatoes

2 large onions

2 to 3 red bell peppers

6 cloves garlic

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Coarsely chop the tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic. Pulse in a food processor in batches to finely chop the ingredients. Heat the olive oil over low heat and add the vegetables. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes until thick. Let cool and then freeze for up to six months.