Aji Verde

Aji Verde is the delicious green sauce that accompanies Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken. It offers a huge burst of flavor and is one of the most delicious sauces I have ever tasted. I made this Aji Verde for a Peruvian Chicken Salad Crostini that I have been experimenting with. I will eventually have all of the elements of that recipe posted here, but the Aji comes first! Aji is the word for “chile pepper” in Peru. There are many different types of Aji and it is one of the most important ingredients in Peruvian cuisine. The food culture in Lima, Peru keeps getting more and more attention because of how incredible Peruvian food is. If you have a Peruvian restaurant nearby, I really suggest you try it out. My favorite dishes are Ceviche with a “leche de tigre”, Lomo Saltado, and Aji de Gallina. Also, the way Peruvian cuisine adores potatoes just makes me so happy.

I remember standing in a grocery store in Santiago, Chile right after a huge shipment of Peruvian potatoes came in and you would think you were standing in a giant garden. There were barrels of about 10 different potatoes in all different colors. Definitely try this Aji Verde as a dip for french fries, chips, or add some to a baked potato.

This sauce can be used with any meat, added to a sandwich in place of mayo, used as a dip, really anything you want. It is pretty easy to make since you just throw all of the ingredients into a food processor and let the machine do the work. There are a few ways to make Aji verde, but every traditional recipe uses a spicy yellow sauce called “Aji Amarillo”. This sauce on it’s own is pretty spicy, but you only use 1 tbsp of it in this whole dip. Aji Amarillo (Yellow Pepper Sauce) is becoming increasingly easy to find in the United States. I found mine at Wegmans, but any Latin Grocery store will also have it. If you live near a Peruvian neighborhood, I would check there.

What is Aji Verde made from?

Besides the Aji Amarillo, there is mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, onions, queso fresco(salty white cheese), and lime juice.

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 bundle Cilantro bottom half of stems removed. Just take the whole bundle in your hand, and either cut or rip off the bottom half of the stems. 
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 5 oz Queso Fresco
• 1 Large Lime (or two small limes) Juiced
• 2 Green Onions
• 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Aji Amarillo Paste (sauce) you can substitute 1 large jalapeno, but note that the flavor will be different. Remove the seeds before using.
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil optional
• 2 tsp Huacatay Sauce optional

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until super creamy.

NOTES

This recipe makes enough to fill a Mason Jar. You can store it in the fridge, but it will firm up after being refrigerated for a while. You can put some in a bowl and let it come to room temperature if you will be serving it as a side to chicken.