The Italian soffritto normally consists of a little handful of fragrant herbs — parsley, dill, sedano (green celery, cultivated as a herb, not a vegetable, and unblanched), thyme, savory, rosemary — and aromatic vegetables — onion, leek, garlic, carrot — very finely chopped, simmered in oil before the meat, beans, fish or whatever it is, is added, the moment they begin to colour.