Every delectable stew, soup, and sauce starts with a flavor base of aromatics, herbs, or spices sautéed in a bit of oil or fat. And every culture has its own version, but the one we use most often is the French variant called Mirepoix! It may be prepared in a variety of ways, but this recipe uses 4 ingredients and only takes about 20 minutes to prepare.
Mirepoix, pronounced as "meer-pwah," is a time-honored French cooking technique made of a mixture of celery, carrot, and onion sautéed in oil with herbs. The mixture is cooked at extremely low heat, not sautéed, in order to bring out the natural sweetness of the diced veggies without caramelizing them. It lends a rich aroma to dishes as well as a subtle but distinct depth of flavor that creates a taste that is just undeniably amazing.
Simple and delicious, Mirepoix is the perfect addition to Fall and Winter soups. It is made with a minimum of 4 ingredients, but you can add any other herbs and spices to it to suit whatever dish you plan to add the Mirepoix to. You can even enjoy this as a side dish. Different cultural variations are the Italian Soffrito, German Suppengrün, or the Cajun's Holy Trinity of onions, celery, and bell peppers.
1) Prep your veggies. Rinse and give the celery and carrots a good scrub. Scrub and rinse the celery and carrots well. You want perfectly clean veggies for the Mirepoix.
2) Chop the veggies according to use. The size depends on how long your dish takes to cook. Usually, veggies are diced smaller if it requires a sauté or frying method, approximately ¼ inch. For our favorite soups or stews, a medium dice, about ½ inch, works best.
3) Cook the veggies. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Then, add the veggies and onions. Stir continuously until veggies are soft and onions are translucent.
4) Add to your soup, mains, stews, etc. Follow your recipe guide to continue making your preferred dish!
You can pre-cut your veggies and store them in a sealed plastic/stasher bag or container, ready to be cooked anytime. They should last for a week in the fridge. You can keep cooked Mirepoix chilled for a few days or keep it in the freezer for longer shelf life. You may simply break off a piece anytime you need a little amount of Mirepoix to begin a recipe. Mirepoix should last in the freezer for 6 months to a year.
You can also check out these 23 Cozy Vegan Soup Recipes as well!
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
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Jay says
Super simple! Looks delicious
Andrea White says
Love a good simple starter!