What Is Mirepoix? How to Make Mirepoix and Easy Mirepoix Recipe

Mirepoix (pronunciation: meer-PWAH) is the aromatic flavor base made by lightly cooking onions, celery, and carrots. The vegetables are cooked slowly in butter or oil in order to coax out the flavors without browning or caramelizing them. Mirepoix is traditionally used as a flavoring ingredient, which means the vegetables are typically strained out or removed from the final dish before the end of the cooking process.

The word mirepoix comes from the last name of a French aristocrat, the Duke Charles-Pierre-Gaston François de Lévis, duc de Lévis-Mirepoix, whose cook is credited with establishing this mix of ingredients as a staple in French cooking in the eighteenth century.

Mirepoix is the classic French combination of aromatic vegetables, but other cuisines around the world have their own variations. Here are five other aromatic bases you might encounter.

1. 1. Cajun Holy Trinity: An aromatic base used in the American South, the holy trinity consists of onion, green bell pepper, and celery in the following ratio: two parts onion, one part green bell pepper, and one part celery.
2. 2. Italian Soffritto: This variation on mirepoix uses minced rather than diced vegetables, and is typically cooked in olive oil (not butter) until the vegetables are soft and brown.
3. 3. Spanish Sofrito: A basic Spanish red sauce that combines tomatoes, onions, garlic, and other vegetables (like bell peppers or herbs, for example).
4. 4. French Pinçage: French pinçage (pronounced pin-sahge) is mirepoix with tomato paste added. It’s a great option for adding mirepoix to sauces.
5. 5. German Suppengrün: Suppengrün means “soup greens” in German, and includes carrots, leeks, and celery root (celeriac). It can also include herbs like parsley or thyme, as well as other root veggies like onions and rutabaga.

In a truly traditional mirepoix, the ratio of ingredients is determined by weight. So, for example, two pounds of mirepoix would be 16 ounces of onions, eight ounces of carrots, and eight ounces of celery. Home cooks need not be so precise, however. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can use measuring cups to approximate your ratios: for instance, 2 cups onion, one cup carrots, and one cup celery.

The classic French version of mirepoix includes onions, carrots, and celery in the following ratio: two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery. To make mirepoix, start by chopping the carrot, onion, and celery roughly. (If the mirepoix will be strained out of your final dish, it’s not strictly necessary to peel your carrots.) In general, the finer you chop the veggies, the quicker the aroma and flavors will be released. A good way to gauge how finely to chop the vegetables is the length of your recipe: choose a smaller chop for shorter cooking times and a larger chop for longer cooking times. Whatever size you choose, make sure to cut everything approximately the same size so that your vegetables cook evenly.

Classic mirepoix is cooked in butter over low heat or medium-low heat. If you’re making a meat dish, it’s customary to sear the meat first and then use that fat to cook the onion, carrots, and celery. You don’t want to brown your vegetables: instead, cook them until they’re soft, fragrant, and translucent. When your mirepoix is finished, you’ll have a foundation you can build on with the other ingredients that will flavor your stock or sauce, including stock, herbs, additional vegetables, and proteins.

Want to try your hand at a dish that uses mirepoix? Try Gordon Ramsay’s recipe for salmon with shellfish minestrone.