---
title: "Mirepoix: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "Mirepoix is diced onion, carrot and celery, usually two parts onion to one each of the others. It is the flavor base of French stocks, soups and braises."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mirepoix"
---

# Mirepoix

Mirepoix is diced onion, carrot and celery, usually two parts onion to one each of the others. It is the flavor base of French stocks, soups and braises.

Mirepoix is a mix of chopped onion, carrot and celery, the flavor base of much French cooking. The classic ratio is 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot and 1 part celery by weight. It is cooked in fat at the start of soups, sauces and braises, or simmered whole in [stock](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/stock). Most people never taste it on its own, but they notice when it is missing.

## How to do it

1. Weigh out 2 parts onion to 1 part carrot and 1 part celery. For a pot of soup, 200 g onion, 100 g carrot and 100 g celery is a good start, roughly 1 large onion, 1 large carrot and 2 stalks of celery.
2. Cut them to suit the cooking time. [Dice](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dice) them small, about 5 mm (1/4 inch), for sauces and quick soups, and leave them in large chunks for stocks that simmer for hours.
3. For most soups and sauces, [sweat](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sweat) the mirepoix in butter or oil over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until soft but not brown.
4. For brown stocks and dark stews, cook it over higher heat or roast it until golden.

## How to use it

Mirepoix starts stews, braises, risotto, lentil soup, bolognese and pot roast. It flavors stocks, and it is roasted under meat as a bed that later flavors the gravy. A white mirepoix uses leek, parsnip or mushrooms instead of carrot to keep a pale sauce white.

## How to store it

Diced mirepoix keeps in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

## Common mistakes

* Cutting pieces in very different sizes, so they cook unevenly.
* Rushing it over high heat when the recipe asks for soft, sweet vegetables.
* Cutting it tiny for a long stock, which turns it to mush and clouds the liquid.

## Where it comes from

The name is said to come from the Duke of Lévis-Mirepoix, an 18th-century French noble, whose cook is credited with it. Other cuisines have their own versions: the [holy trinity](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/holy-trinity) in Louisiana, [soffritto](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soffritto) in Italy and [sofrito](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sofrito) in Spain and Latin America.

## Related terms

* [Holy trinityThe holy trinity is onion, celery and green bell pepper, chopped and cooked as the flavor base of Cajun and Creole dishes such as gumbo and jambalaya.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/holy-trinity)
* [SoffrittoSoffritto is the Italian base of finely chopped onion, carrot and celery cooked slowly in olive oil. It starts ragù, minestrone, risotto and many braises.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soffritto)
* [SofritoSofrito is a cooked base of onion, garlic, peppers and often tomato used across Spanish, Latin American and Caribbean cooking for rice, beans and stews.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sofrito)
* [SweatTo sweat vegetables is to cook them gently in a little fat over low heat until soft and translucent, without browning, to bring out a mild, sweet flavor.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sweat)
* [StockStock is an unsalted liquid made by simmering bones, vegetables and aromatics in water for hours. It is the base of soups, sauces, gravy and risotto.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/stock)
* [DiceTo dice is to cut food into small, even cubes. Large, medium and small dice have set sizes, so everything in the pan cooks at the same rate.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dice)

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