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Ali Verde: Peruvian Green Sauce

Ali verde is the deliciously spicy green sauce you'll want to put on everything.

Course Condiment, sauce
Cuisine Peruvian
Keyword aji verde, Peruvian Green Sauce
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Author Jean | Lemons + Anchovies

Ingredients

  • 3 - 4 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
  • 2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh cilantro with stems, packed
  • 3 green onions
  • 2 jalapeños (1 deseeded for milder heat)
  • 1 lime (juice)
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup plain yogurt (or mayo) (See Note)
  • 3-4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (or cotija cheese)(See Note)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon huacatay paste (black mint paste)(See Note)
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar (See Note)

Instructions

  1. Process the ingredients from the aji amarillo paste to the olive oil (all except the salt and pepper). Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If using vinegar, taste the sauce first to decide if you want to add it. You can also add more Parmesan cheese to suit your taste. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. The flavors become more pronounced as the sauce sits.

Recipe Notes

Yogurt: Aioli (or mayo) is the traditional cream base. I like to use plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt. You can also sub the yogurt with half mayo and half sour cream. (Cottage cheese might work here, too, but I haven't tried it.)

Parmesan Cheese: Cotija cheese is the traditional salty component but feta might work, too, though I tested this recipe using it. 

Huacatay: I have made aji verde with huacatay but it's also wonderful without it and for how hard it may be to source, it's okay to omit. 

Vinegar: I like to use vinegar only to balance the creaminess of the sauce. If you use mayo or full fat yogurt you can add a little vinegar to balance the flavors. Otherwise, you can omit.