The Cajun Holy Trinity of Cooking

If you’re exploring New Orleans and Cajun cuisine, then you need to learn about the cajun holy trinity! This aromatic seasoning base is the foundation of many South Louisiana dishes like Red Beans and Rice, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, and Andouille Sausage Pasta. 

The holy trinity is as essential to cajun cuisine as making a gumbo roux is.

Many cultures’ cuisines have a blend of aromatic ingredients used as seasoning starters. These seasoning bases are a combination of chopped vegetables and herbs that are cooked first in a dish, helping add to the distinct flavor of that region’s cooking. In France, there is the mirepoix. In Spanish cuisine, there is sofrito. Italians’ base has a similar name, soffritto, but the ingredients are different. In cajun cooking, there is the holy trinity. 

I remember waking up on a Sunday to the sound of my grandpa clanging pots in the kitchen and the alluring smell of sautéing holy trinity. It was a sure sign that something delicious was about to go down in the kitchen. 

What is The Holy Trinity in Cooking?

The holy trinity of cajun cooking refers to the combination of onion, green bell pepper, and celery. 

Chances are if you’ve eaten a cajun or creole dish or some Louisiana cooking, then you’ve eaten the holy trinity. It is used as a seasoning agent and the flavor foundation of many classic South Louisiana dishes. Recipes like gumbo, red beans and rice, crawfish étouffée, and dirty rice all start by sautéing the holy trinity. 

French settlers came to Louisiana in the early 1700s, and the French influence can still be seen in Cajun and Creole cooking today. Andouille, beignets, boudin, roux, pain perdu, étouffée, and the French bread po’boys are made on all have roots in French cuisine. The holy trinity is a twist on the French’s traditional mirepoix, the aromatic base of onion, celery, and carrot. In the cajun trinity, green bell peppers replace the carrot. 

Mirepoix vs Holy Trinity

A mirepoix and the holy trinity are very similar. In fact the cajun holy trinity was derived from the French mirepoix.

In French cuisine, the mirepoix is an aromatic mix of onion, celery, and carrot. These vegetables are finely chopped and used to flavor many dishes like stews, soups, and braised meats.

In the cajun trinity, green bell peppers replace the carrot for an onion, celery, and green pepper trio. The cajun trinity seasoning is used to start off many cajun dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and Red Beans and Rice.

Why is it Called The Holy Trinity?

The Cajun holy trinity gets its name from catholicism, the predominant religion in South Louisiana. In the catholic religion, the holy trinity refers to God in three forms: the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Translated into cajun cooking, the trinity has become the flavor base trio of chopped onions, bell peppers, and celery. 

Garlic is also a big part of Louisiana cuisine, and is sometimes referred to as “the pope”, after the head of the Catholic church. A clove of garlic also looks similar to the mitre (the tall white pointed hat) that the pope wears. 

It’s not known exactly who started using the term “holy trinity” to refer to this trio of vegetables, but it is believed that it started with famous New Orleans chef, Paul Prudhomme in the 1980s. Chef Prudhomme helped put cajun cooking in the spotlight, and was most famous for his dish blackened redfish. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.

Here are the ingredients and honorary ingredients of the cajun holy trinity. 

• Onions – Yellow, sweet, or white onions can be used. In my experience, sweet onions and yellow onions are most commonly used. 
• Bell pepper – Green bell pepper is traditionally used in the holy trinity, but other varieties can be used as well. Red bell peppers are one of my favorites, so I will sometimes use a combination of green and red bell pepper. Red, yellow, or orange peppers will provide a slightly different taste to your trinity. 
• Celery – Celery is the final component of the trinity. Don’t throw the leafy tops away! They can be chopped and thrown in with the rest of your veggies. 
• Garlic – While not technically a part of the trinity, I include garlic here as an honorary member since more often than not garlic is also included in dishes that start with the trinity. 
• Oil/fat – Also not part of the holy trinity, but you will need an oil or fat to sweat and sauté the vegetables in for cooking. Which you use depends on the recipe. Olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, and bacon grease are all common fats to use. 

Other popular seasonings in cajun foods include: bay leaf, green onions, parsley, cayenne pepper, filé powder, cajun seasoning, and blackening seasoning.  

Save your veggie scraps to make vegetable broth! I freeze them in a gallon bag until I have enough to make a batch. 

What is the Ratio of Cajun Trinity Seasoning?

The ratio for the cajun holy trinity sometimes depends on the recipe, but also who’s cooking it. Different people will use different amounts.

As a general rule the trinity has a ratio of 2:1:1. Two parts onion to one part bell pepper and one part celery. 

The parts are measured once chopped. So this would mean 2 cups chopped onions, 1 cup chopped bell peppers, and 1 cup chopped celery, or 1 large onion, 1 small bell pepper, and 2 stalks of celery. 

It is also common to see equal parts onions, bell peppers, and celery. It really comes down to personal preference if you use 2:1:1 or 1:1:1. Also, if the measurements aren’t exact, it’s not a big deal. Go with what you have. 

Storage & make ahead

If you find yourself with an abundance of produce, or just want to save your future self some time, you can prepare the holy trinity ahead of time for later use. Chop the vegetables then store them (uncooked) in refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to use. 

Storage: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. 

Freeze: Store in a freezer safe container with the air removed in the freezer for 2-3 months. There is usually no need to defrost, just throw the frozen trinity in your pot to thaw and sauté. 

Holy Trinity Recipes

These recipes all start with or include the cajun holy trinity. If the dish includes meat, the meat is usually seared first, then removed from the pan. Next the trinity it sautéd in the same pan. This allows the moisture from the vegetables to “deglaze” the pan by loosening up any browned bits (fond) that have formed. These bits have intense flavor and eventually melt back into the dish. 

Some of these dishes are more Cajun, while some can be considered Creole recipes. They are often a little blend of both as the two cultures overlap. 

1. Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
2. Jambalaya
3. Red Beans and Rice
4. Crawfish Etouffée
5. Shrimp Creole
6. Andouille Sausage Gravy
7. Smothered Chicken
8. Dirty Rice
9. Rice and Gravy
10. Andouille Sausage Pasta

How to Use the Holy Trinity in Your Own Cooking

Now it’s time to experiment! Start with one of these classic cajun dishes like Red Beans and Rice, or come up with your own creation. 

Try replacing mirepoix or sofrito in your recipe with the holy trinity and see how it changes the flavor. The trinity is especially useful for starting dishes that are cooked low and slow like soups, stews, and braised meats. 

A note to home cooks: if you have someone in your family that claims they don’t like onions (gasp, I know), I’m almost certain they won’t be able to notice the onions in the final dish. The vegetables in the holy trinity will melt down and become a part of the flavor rather than big noticeable hunks of vegetables. 

Frequently Asked Questions

More Cajun Recipes

Sources for this post include All About Mirepoix from Serious Eats, and The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine by Chef John Folse.