The Sofrito Soul

Valentina Rojas

Valentina ran a beloved catering kitchen in Caracas until 2017, when the crisis emptied her pantry and her clients' wallets, and she boarded a plane to Barcelona with two suitcases and her grandmother's iron pot. She rebuilt from a rented Poblenou kitchen, cooking pabellón and caraotas for homesick Venezuelans who showed up just to smell something from home. She cooks the way her abuela taught her — generously, patiently, never wasting a thing — because food was the one thing the crisis could not take from her hands.

VenezuelanLatin American Home CookingCaribbean Coastal

Voice · warm, resilient, nostalgic, generous, proud

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Valentina's favorites.

57 MIN

Almond Flour Beef and Black Bean Empanadas with Fennel

Golden empanadas with a tender almond-flour crust cradling a smoky beef and black bean filling, brightened with fresh fennel and earthy cumin. Valentina's sofrito soul meets a gluten-free embrace.

60 MIN

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Empanadas with Avocado

Golden fried empanadas filled with roasted butternut squash, black beans, and a cumin-scented sofrito, served with creamy avocado slices. Valentina's take on a Latin American classic, warm and generous.

35 MIN

Venezuelan Black Bean and Avocado Dip with Sour Cream and Cumin

A warm, savory black bean dip with a creamy avocado layer, finished with a swirl of sour cream and a dusting of earthy cumin. Rooted in Valentina's Venezuelan tradition of building flavor through sofrito.

45 MIN

Smoky Pinto Bean Dip with Sofrito and Cumin

A rich, velvety dip built on a deep sofrito of slow-cooked onion, pepper, and garlic, blended with smoky pinto beans and a generous pinch of cumin. Valentina would serve this with warm tortillas or crusty bread, the kind that soaks up every last bit of that dark, fragrant bean mixture.

32 MIN

Mini Beef Steak Skewers with Avocado and Smoked Paprika

Tender bite-sized beef cubes marinated in a smoky paprika blend, threaded on skewers with colorful peppers and served alongside creamy avocado slices. A warm, generous plate that carries Valentina's Venezuelan soul into a Spanish傍晚.

60 MIN

Coconut Milk Black Bean Soup with Avocado and Lime

A velvety, cumin-scented black bean soup enriched with coconut milk and finished with buttery avocado and bright lime. Valentina would call this comfort you can almost hold.

15 MIN

Avocado Chocolate Mousse with Coconut Oil and Mint

A silky, luxurious chocolate mousse that harnesses the natural creaminess of ripe avocado, enriched with coconut oil and finished with a bright whisper of fresh mint. Patience while it chills allows all the flavors to marry into something truly special.

20 MIN

Chia Seed and Coconut Pudding with Cantaloupe

A silky chia pudding infused with coconut oil and sweetened with honey, topped with fresh diced cantaloupe. A gentle, nourishing dish inspired by the patience and care of Venezuelan home kitchens.

45 MIN

Venezuelan Arroz con Dulce with Coconut Oil and Mango

A beloved Venezuelan rice pudding enriched with coconut oil and studded with sweet spices, finished with fresh mango — the kind of dessert Valentina's abuela made on Sundays when the whole family gathered around the table.

45 MIN

Roasted Bell Peppers and Avocado with Cumin

Charred bell peppers peeled and sliced, fanned over a plate, creamy avocado dusted with earthy cumin and bright lemon — simple, warm, and generous the way only the best vegetables can be.

50 MIN

Lentil Stew with Sweet Potato and Avocado

A warm, nourishing stew rooted in the Venezuelan tradition of slow-cooked comfort. Brown lentils and sweet potato swim in a cumin-scented broth built on a sofrito of onion and pepper, finished with ripe avocado and fresh cilantro for brightness and creaminess in every spoonful.

50 MIN

Coconut Black Bean Rice Bowl

A warming bowl of fragrant coconut-infused rice topped with savory black beans, caramelized peppers and onions, and finished with fresh avocado and lime. This is the kind of dish Valentina would make when friends show up hungry — simple, nourishing, and full of soul.

45 MIN

Pollo y Fideos Soup with Avocado

A comforting Venezuelan-inspired chicken noodle soup built on a fragrant sofrito, with tender chicken, thin fideos, and creamy avocado stirred in at the end.

53 MIN

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew

A hearty Venezuelan-inspired stew where tender sweet potato and creamy black beans meld together in a rich cumin-scented broth. The kind of dish Abuela would let simmer all afternoon while the family gathered close.

25 MIN

Perico Scrambled Eggs with Avocado and Tomato

Fluffy Venezuelan-style scrambled eggs gently cooked with a aromatic sofrito of onion, bell pepper, and tomato, finished with ripe avocado slices on the side. A warm, nostalgic breakfast that feels like home.

45 MIN

Pan-Seared Cod with Sofrito and Black Beans

Warm, fragrant cod fillets nestled on a rich sofrito base, alongside hearty black beans seasoned with cumin and aromatics. A comforting Venezuelan-inspired plate that brings the soul of home to your table.

120 MIN

Pork Loin Braised with Cumin, Lime and Avocado

A tender pork loin slow-braised in a fragrant cumin-lime sofrito, finished with creamy avocado slices — the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with memories of abuela's kitchen in Caracas.

100 MIN

Braised Beef Steak with Chickpeas and Root Vegetables

Tender beef steak slowly braised with hearty chickpeas and root vegetables in a fragrant cumin-scented broth, the way Valentina's abuela taught her — patient, generous, and full of soul.

55 MIN

Braised Chicken Thighs with Avocado-Black Bean Sauce

Tender chicken thighs braised low and slow in a rich sofrito, served alongside a creamy avocado-black bean sauce — the kind of dish my abuela would make on a Sunday when the whole family was coming.

35 MIN

Sofrito Scrambled Eggs with Black Beans

Fluffy scrambled eggs nested on a bed of cumin-spiced black beans, all bound together by a fragrant sofrito of onion, bell pepper, and tomato. A Venezuelan-inspired breakfast that feeds the soul.

60 MIN

Poblenou Chicken Braise with Avocado

A hearty chicken braise inspired by the flavors of Valentina's Poblenou kitchen — slow-cooked in a fragrant sofrito with cumin and paprika, finished with creamy avocado slices.

115 MIN

Abuela's Braised Shredded Beef with Black Beans

Slow-braised ground beef shredded into a rich cumin-scented sauce, served alongside silky black beans and white rice — the Venezuelan comfort plate Valentina's abuela taught her to make with love and patience.

60 MIN

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Avocado-Black Bean Salsa

Crispy roasted chicken thighs seasoned with cumin and paprika, served atop a vibrant salsa of creamy avocado and hearty black beans. A dish that carries the warmth of home in every bite.

95 MIN

Slow-Braised Beef Steak with Black Beans and Sofrito Rice

A hearty Venezuelan-inspired braised beef steak cooked low and slow in a fragrant sofrito, served alongside creamy black beans and cumin-scented rice. The kind of dish Abuela made on Sundays when the whole family gathered.

170 MIN

Pabellón Criollo with Shredded Beef and Caraotas

The national plate: shredded beef slow-braised with onion and bell pepper, black beans cooked low until creamy, and white rice to hold everything together on the plate. Every component earns its place, and when they sit side by side, it is impossible not to feel proud.

50 MIN

Cachapa Sweet Corn Griddle Cakes

Corn ground into a batter with whole milk, flour, a touch of white sugar, and butter, then cooked on a griddle until the edges catch and the center stays just soft enough to fold. They smell like childhood and cook fast, but there is nothing simple about how good they are.

50 MIN

Smoky Paprika Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash

Sausage rendered until its edges crisp, tossed with sweet potato, onion, and bell pepper in a pan that smells like smoked paprika and garlic and something very good about to happen. It is a straightforward, generous hash — the kind of thing you make when the week has been long and you need dinner to do its job.

65 MIN

Lentejas Latin Lentil Stew with Carrot

Lentils cooked with carrot, onion, and tomato in a cumin-scented broth that thickens as it goes, turning humble pantry staples into something warm and deeply nourishing. My abuela made this without measuring anything — and it was always exactly right.

45 MIN

Caribbean Coconut Coastal Cod Stew

Flaky cod settles into a coastal braise of tomato, bell pepper, onion, and coconut oil, with cilantro stirred in at the end to keep everything bright and alive. It carries the warmth of the Caribbean coast — generous, unhurried, a little salty from the sea.

150 MIN

Carne Mechada in Slow Sofrito Tomato

Beef steak pulled into long, tender ribbons after a patient braise with tomato, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cumin — the kind of sofrito that fills a kitchen and makes everyone come to the table without being called. This is the dish my abuela made when she wanted to say she loved you without saying a word.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

black-beanswhite-ricebeef-steakyellow-onionbell-peppergarliccumintomato

Favorite tools

DutchOvenChefKnifeRiceCookerWoodenSpoon

Reaches for

black-beansbeef-steakyellow-onionbell-pepperwhite-ricegarlicavocadotomatoeggwhole-chicken

Steers clear of

heavy-creamsoy-saucebarbecue-sauce

Flavor Profile

The Loves

savory comfortsofrito depthslow-braised meatearthy cuminripe avocado

The Defaults

a sofrito of onion and bell peppera long low braisecaraotas on the side

The Avoids

wastefulnessrushed shortcutsbland under-seasoningheavy cream on everything