On the stove · 06 / 15
Sweat, don’t brown
Soft, sweet aromatics with no color. This is the base of soups and sauces.
When to use it
Onions, celery, carrots, leeks, and garlic before a soup, stew, or tomato sauce.
- 1
Medium-low heat. More fat than you would use to sear.
- 2
Add a pinch of salt so the vegetables give up water.
- 3
Stir often. If you see brown spots, the heat is too high.
- 4
A lid for a minute softens them faster if the pan is drying out.
- 5
Garlic goes in near the end so it does not burn.
You are done when
The onions are translucent and sweet, still pale.
Watch out
- Calling browned onions a sweat. Both are useful. They are not the same.
- Burning garlic. It turns bitter and you cannot fix it.