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July 30, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Everyday Life • Cooking

Mirepoix

Mirepoix is a French cooking base made from diced vegetables, usually onions, carrots, and celery, gently cooked in fat without browning.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Mirepoix is a classic French vegetable base used to build flavour in soups, stocks, and sauces. It typically combines onions, carrots, and celery in a 2:1:1 ratio.

What it is

Mirepoix is a mixture of diced aromatic vegetables—traditionally onions, carrots, and celery—cooked slowly in fat without browning. The standard proportion is two parts onion to one part carrot and one part celery, though historical versions sometimes included meat.

How it's used

Chefs sweat mirepoix in butter or oil over low heat to soften the vegetables and release flavour before adding liquid. It forms the aromatic foundation for stocks, soups, stews, sauces, and braises in French cuisine and beyond.

Origins and variations

The term dates to the 18th-century Duke of Mirepoix. Similar bases appear worldwide: Italian soffritto and the Cajun holy trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper). In Canada, mirepoix is a standard technique in both home and professional kitchens, especially in French-influenced cooking.

In short

  • Aromatic base of onions, carrots, and celery in 2:1:1 ratio
  • Sweated slowly in fat, not browned
  • Used in stocks, soups, stews, sauces, and braises
  • Standard in French cuisine and Canadian cooking
Canadian angle

Mirepoix is a standard cooking term taught and used in Canadian home and professional kitchens, especially in French-influenced cuisine.

Quick questions

What is mirepoix?
Mirepoix is a French flavour base made from diced aromatics, usually onions, carrots, and celery, cooked slowly in fat.
What is the classic mirepoix ratio?
A common ratio is 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, and 1 part celery.
How is mirepoix cooked?
It is usually sweated slowly in butter or oil over low heat so the vegetables soften without browning.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirepoix
    Supports: Definition as a mixture of diced vegetables cooked slowly in fat; use in stocks, soups, stews, and sauces; historical note
  2. Merriam-Webster — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mirepoix
    Supports: Definition of mirepoix as a sautéed mixture of diced vegetables, herbs, and sometimes ham or bacon used as a basis for soups, stews, and sauces
  3. Cambridge Dictionary — https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/mirepoix
    Supports: Definition as a mix of onions, carrots, and celery cut into small pieces and gently fried as a base for soups and sauces
  4. Wikipedia (French) — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirepoix_(cuisine)
    Supports: French culinary definition, ingredients, and note that it is used as seasoning for soups, meats, or fish
  5. Culinary Institute of America — https://www.ciafoodies.com/recipes-between-the-lines-mirepoix/
    Supports: Common aromatics, use as a base for stocks, soups, sauces, stews, and braises; 2:1:1 ratio