Peruvian Green Sauce Aji Verde (Print version)

A vibrant, creamy Peruvian sauce featuring fresh cilantro, chili peppers, and lime. Perfect for drizzling over meats or dipping vegetables.

# What you'll need:

→ Fresh Produce

01 - 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
02 - 2 green onions, roughly chopped
03 - 1 to 2 fresh jalapeño or aji amarillo peppers, seeded and chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, peeled
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

→ Dairy and Pantry Staples

06 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
07 - 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
08 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon white vinegar
11 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Method:

01 - Add the cilantro leaves, green onions, chili peppers, and garlic cloves to a blender or food processor.
02 - Pour in the lime juice, mayonnaise, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), Parmesan cheese, olive oil, white vinegar, kosher salt, and black pepper.
03 - Process on high speed until the mixture reaches a smooth, creamy consistency, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
04 - Sample the sauce and fine-tune the salt, pepper, or chili heat level to suit your preference.
05 - Transfer the finished sauce to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop fully.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • This sauce turns literally anything on your plate into something you cannot stop eating, especially bland leftover rice or cold roasted vegetables.
  • It takes exactly ten minutes and almost zero skill, yet people will assume you spent all afternoon perfecting it.
  • The creaminess balanced with that sharp lime and herb hit is the kind of flavor that makes you close your eyes on the first bite.
02 -
  • If you blend the sauce too long it can actually heat up from the friction and dull the fresh herb flavor, so stop once it looks smooth.
  • The heat level increases as the sauce sits overnight, so what tastes mild on day one might surprise you on day two.
03 -
  • Use a Microplane to grate the Parmesan as finely as possible so it dissolves completely into the sauce instead of leaving grainy bits.
  • If your blender struggles with small quantities, double the recipe because it stores well and blending a larger volume always works better.

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