Peruvian Green Sauce (AJI Verde)
- 15m Prep Time
- 0sCook Time
- 15m Ready In
There’s a magical moment when someone tries this sauce at a restaurant for the first time. It’s tangy, a little spicy, herby, and creamy—it will surely become one of your go-to sauces, and you’ll find yourself dipping just about anything in it. My favorite pairings are chicken and my Crispy Oven-Baked Patacones (this page). You can make it with Cashew Crema (this page), or you can use mayonnaise made with olive oil if you prefer. Makes 1 ½ cups
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Plain Cashew Crema or real mayonnaise made with olive oil
- 2 cup cilantro leaves, no stems
- 4 clove garlic peeled
- 1 serrano chile pepper stemmed, seeds removed
- 1 tbsp aji amarillo paste
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 limes juiced
- apple cider vinegar splash
- 0.5 avocado peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 medium young unripe papaya (green) peeled, seeded, quartered, and sliced thin
- 1 English cucumber unpeeled, sliced thin
- 2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pink Himalayan salt
- 1 Thai chile pepper halved
- 1 clove garlic peeled, smashed
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 11 of 17 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 1349 mg
- Iron: 25.3 mg
- Magnesium: 286 mg
- Phosphorus: 1281 mg
- Potassium: 4521 mg
- Zinc: 15.3 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 1 1/2 cup Plain Cashew Crema or real mayonnaise made with olive oil
- 2 cup cilantro leaves, no stems
- 1 tbsp aji amarillo paste
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pink Himalayan salt
Prepare
- Peel 4 clove garlic
- 1 serrano chile pepper, stemmed, seeds removed
- Juice 2 limes
- apple cider vinegar, splash
- 0.5 avocado, peeled and roughly chopped
- sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 medium young unripe papaya (green), peeled, seeded, quartered, and sliced thin
- 1 English cucumber, unpeeled, sliced thin
- Halve 1 Thai chile pepper
- 1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Combine ¼ cup Plain Cashew Crema or olive oil mayonnaise, 2 cups cilantro leaves (no stems), 4 peeled garlic cloves, 1 stemmed and seeded serrano chile pepper, 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, juice of 2 limes, a splash of apple cider vinegar, ½ peeled and roughly chopped avocado, and 2 tablespoons avocado oil in a high-powered blender.
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Step 2.
Blend until the herbs are almost completely broken down and the sauce is bright green and creamy, with a bit of texture remaining. Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to your liking. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
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Step 3.
Place the sliced green papaya and English cucumber in a mixing bowl. Add 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt, 1 halved Thai chile pepper, and 1 smashed peeled garlic clove. Stir to mix well.
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Step 4.
Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours before using. This pickled mixture will last up to two weeks, refrigerated.