What is the classical mirepoix ratio?

By Paulo de VriesLast verified 2026-05-204 sources~4 min readhigh consensus

Classical French mirepoix is 2:1:1 by weight — 50% onion + 25% carrot + 25% celery. White mirepoix swaps carrot for leek/parsnip. "Holy trinity" (Cajun) is 1:1:1 — equal onion, celery, bell pepper.

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The full answer

Mirepoix (pronounced "meer-pwah") is the French aromatic base of countless soups, stocks, and sauces. The classical ratio is precise but variations exist across world cuisines.

**Classical French mirepoix: 2:1:1 by weight** - 50% onion - 25% carrot - 25% celery (with leaves and stem) - Cut into 1/2-inch dice (small enough to cook through, large enough to remain identifiable for stock)

**Example: 100g mirepoix for stock:** - 50g onion (diced) - 25g carrot (diced) - 25g celery (diced)

**Cooking method (standard "sweating"):** - Heat 1 tbsp butter or oil in heavy pan over medium-low - Add onion first (longest to cook); sauté 5–7 minutes until translucent - Add carrot + celery; sauté another 5–7 minutes - Total: 10–15 minutes of sweating before next step

**Variations by cuisine:**

**White mirepoix (matignon):** - 50% onion or leek - 25% celery - 25% white parsnip OR mushroom - Used in: light fish stock, white sauces, dishes where carrot color would be wrong

**Cajun "Holy Trinity":** - **1:1:1 ratio**: equal parts - 33% onion - 33% celery - 33% green bell pepper - Used in: gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, red beans + rice

**Italian "battuto":** - 50% onion - 25% carrot - 25% celery - Same as French mirepoix; just called battuto - Sometimes adds: garlic, pancetta, parsley

**German "suppengrün" (German "soup greens"):** - Carrots, leek, celery root, parsley root - Roughly equal parts; pre-portioned in German grocery store bunches - Specific to German soup-making

**Spanish "sofrito":** - 50% onion - 25% garlic - 25% tomato OR red bell pepper - Cooked longer (20+ min); deeper caramelization - Base of paella, stews, sauces

**Why these specific ratios:** - Onion-heavy (2:1:1) = sweetness + body - Carrot adds: color + slight sweetness + texture - Celery adds: subtle vegetal + sweet edge - Equal ratio (Cajun Trinity): each ingredient contributes equal weight to flavor - The variations reflect available local vegetables + cuisine traditions

**Sweating vs sautéing:** - **Sweating (low heat, 10-15 min)**: vegetables become translucent, soft, NO browning. For light stocks + soups. - **Sautéing (medium-high, 5-8 min)**: vegetables develop color + flavor through Maillard. For richer sauces + stews. - Different ratios for different methods; classical 2:1:1 works for both, just adjust cook approach.

**The technique:** 1. Cut all ingredients to uniform size (1/4-inch dice for sauces; 1-inch chunks for stock) 2. Onion first (longest to soften) 3. Add other ingredients to match cook time 4. Cook to translucent (no color) for stock OR to golden (some color) for richer dishes

**Don't:** - Brown vegetables for white stocks (defeats purpose; use Method = sweat only) - Use red onion in classical mirepoix (color contamination) - Over-rely on aromatics — they're foundation, not the dish - Skip mirepoix for "saving time" — it's the flavor base of most cooking

**Storage:** - Pre-diced mirepoix: 3-4 days refrigerated in airtight container - Frozen mirepoix: 3 months (texture suffers slightly; only freeze when freshness will be lost otherwise) - Most professional kitchens dice at start of service; not for storage

**Use ratios:** - Per quart of stock: 200-300g mirepoix (about 1.5 cups diced) - Per gallon of stock: 800g-1.2 kg mirepoix - Per 4-portion sauce: 100-150g mirepoix - Per 4-portion soup: 150-250g mirepoix

**Cross-reference:** see /pages/how-long-does/bone-broth-simmer for stock-making methodology + /pages/how-long-does/caramelizing-onions for related aromatic-cooking techniques.

Most published references (Auguste Escoffier "Le Guide Culinaire", Julia Child "Mastering the Art", Paul Prudhomme "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen", James Beard "American Cookery") converge on 2:1:1 for classical French mirepoix and 1:1:1 for Cajun trinity.

Time ranges by condition

Condition	Duration	Note
Classical French mirepoix	2:1:1 onion:carrot:celery	—
White mirepoix (light stocks)	2:1:1 with leek/parsnip replacing carrot	—
Cajun Holy Trinity	1:1:1 onion:celery:bell pepper	—
Spanish sofrito	2:1:1 onion:garlic:tomato	—
Per quart of stock	200–300g mirepoix	—

What changes the time

Cuisine tradition. French 2:1:1 vs Cajun 1:1:1 vs Spanish 2:1:1 vs German equal-parts — all valid
Cook method. Sweat (no color) for white stocks; sauté (light brown) for rich sauces
Size of dice. 1/4" for sauces (cooks fast); 1" for stocks (lasts long simmer); pureé for smooth sauces
Volume vs weight measure. Use weight (grams) for accuracy; volume varies by chopper + season

Common questions

Why is the French ratio 2:1:1 and Cajun ratio 1:1:1?

Different flavor goals. French mirepoix prioritizes onion sweetness as the foundation; the 2:1:1 ratio creates an onion-forward base. Cajun cuisine uses 1:1:1 because bell pepper has the assertive flavor — equal ratio prevents any single vegetable from dominating.

Can I make mirepoix ahead of time?

Yes — pre-diced mirepoix keeps 3-4 days refrigerated. Some chefs make weekly batches for restaurants. Freezing is possible but texture suffers (best to avoid unless freshness will degrade otherwise).

What's the difference between sweating and sautéing mirepoix?

Sweating (low heat, 10-15 min, no color): for white stocks + light soups. Sautéing (medium-high, 5-8 min, golden color): for richer sauces + stews. Same ingredients, different cook approach, different result.

Sources

We cite primary research, expert practice, and authoritative reference. Higher-tier sources weighted heavier. See methodology.

Tier 1 · peer-reviewed / governmentalTier 2 · editorial referenceTier 3 · named practitioner

T2Auguste Escoffier, "Le Guide Culinaire" (1903) — Foundational French culinary reference establishing classical mirepoix
T2Julia Child + Simone Beck, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1" — Canonical English reference with mirepoix methodology
T2Paul Prudhomme, "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" — Definitive Cajun Holy Trinity reference
T2James Beard, "American Cookery" — Comparative American + European aromatic-base methodology

Why this page existsThis page exists because “What is the classical mirepoix ratio?” is one of the recurring questions we measure across search queries + LLM crawls + reading depth. When enough asking accumulated, we wrote this answer with sources cited. The mechanism is the trust signal — see how it works.

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We don’t know your specific equipment, ingredient batch, or environment. This answer is the best directional estimate from cited sources. Here’s where it’s less certain:

4 factors shift the answer. Your specific cuisine tradition, cook method, size of dice (and more) can move this estimate in either direction. The table below shows the documented ranges.
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de Vries, P. (2026). What is the classical mirepoix ratio?. AskedWell. Retrieved 2026-05-21, from https://askedwell.com/pages/what-ratio-of/mirepoix-aromatic

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Last verified: 2026-05-20 · Published 2026-05-20

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