I am a big fan of cilantro/coriander so I am always in for any kind of ‘green sauce’ made with it, such as this aji verde, a Peruvian style sauce! The main ingredient in this sauce is one bunch of cilantro, along with a chili pepper, garlic, lime juice and salt. The base of sauce is mayonnaise which makes this a creamy sauce which is the perfect combo with the fresh cilantro and lime! Some optional ingredients include: cheese, cotija if you can find it, or parmesan, and mint, both of which are amazing additions! Aji verde is amazing for dipping crackers, chips, and/or veggies into, it’s great on grilled chicken, steak, etc., and it makes for a tasty salad dressing!
Note: The chili that is normally used is an aji amarillo, but it’s not so easy to find around here… You can find jarred aji amarillo paste in stores or online and you can also simply use a jalapeno pepper. The aji amarillo adds their own unique flavour, but this sauce is super tasty with or without it!
Note: The mint that sometimes used in this is usually huacatay (Peruvian black mint) which is also difficult to get around here. You can find jarred huacatay paste in stores or online or you can simply use mint. The huacatay has it’s own unique flavour but mint is great in this as well!
Feel free to add parmesan (or cotija) and mint (huacatay paste)!
Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
A fresh and tasty green sauce with plenty of cilantro!
ingredients
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon mint (or 1 teaspoon huacatay paste) (optional)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or sour cream or plain yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons parmigiano reggiano (parmesan) (or cotija) cheese, grated (optional)
- 1/2 jalapeno (or 1 aji amarillo or 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste)2 cloves garlic
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- salt to taste
directions
- Puree everything well in a food processor or a blender
Note: You can control the spicy heat with the amount of jalapeno (or aji amarillo); use more for a spicier sauce and less for a milder sauce.
One word. YUM.