The classic French aromatic base of onion, carrot, and celery slowly softened in butter until sweet and fragrant — the foundation of countless soups, stews, and sauces.
Calories
90kcal
Protein
1g
Carbs
8g
Fat
6g
Peel the onions and carrots and trim the celery. Chop all three vegetables into small, evenly sized dice so they cook at the same rate.
In a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat until the butter is fully melted but not browning.
Add the diced onion first with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat in the fat and cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to soften and turn translucent.
Stir in the diced carrot and celery. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally to prevent any sticking or browning.
Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft, glossy, and fragrant. They should not take on any color — this is sweating, not sautéing.
If using, tuck in the fresh thyme and bay leaf during the last few minutes of cooking to infuse the base with subtle herbal notes.
Use immediately as the base for soups, stews, braises, or sauces. Otherwise cool completely and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or portion and freeze for months.
Every professional kitchen has this quiet little secret sitting on the cutting board. Onions, carrots, celery. Chopped small. Cooked gently. Nothing fancy. And yet, this humble trio is the foundation under half the incredible French food you've ever eaten. The Mirepoix Recipe isn't glamorous — it's the invisible thing that makes everything else taste better.
Mirepoix is a classic French flavor base built on a simple ratio — two parts onion, one part carrot, one part celery. Slowly softened in butter or oil until sweet and mellow. It's the starting point for soups, stews, braises, sauces, and stocks. Once you get it in your bones, cooking suddenly makes way more sense.
The magic is in how you cook it. Chop everything into small, even pieces so they cook at the same rate. Then take your time — low heat, gentle sizzle, no rush. You're not trying to brown these vegetables, you're trying to sweat them into a soft, sweet, aromatic pile that dissolves into whatever you're building next.
Everything. Start a chicken soup with it. Braise short ribs on top of it. Build a bolognese around it. Simmer a stock with it. Even scrambled eggs get shockingly good with a spoonful stirred in. This Mirepoix Recipe is less a dish and more a way of upgrading pretty much any savory thing you cook.
Classic French mirepoix is two parts onion, one part carrot, one part celery — always by weight, not by piece. This ratio gives the balanced sweet, earthy, aromatic base that works with almost anything.
Depends on what you're using it for. For quick soups and sauces, small dice (about 5mm cubes). For long braises and stocks, larger rustic chunks are fine because they'll cook down for hours anyway.
Absolutely. Chop it raw and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it in portioned bags for months. Cooked mirepoix also freezes beautifully and thaws in minutes when you need it.
Same idea, different regions. Italian soffritto is often onion, carrot, celery plus garlic. The Cajun holy trinity swaps carrot for green bell pepper. All three are flavor bases doing the same behind-the-scenes work.
Butter gives a richer, more classic French flavor. Olive oil is lighter and works for Mediterranean dishes. A combination of both gives you the best of each — richness and a high enough smoke point to cook longer.
Log in to read and share comments, recipes tips, and connect with other food lovers.
Unlock the full recipe library, premium cookbooks, and members-only weekly drops. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Sign in to unlock everything.
Explore more delicious recipes from our collection
