Aji Verde (spicy Sauce)
If chimichurri and jalapeño dressing had a spicy, herby love child—it would be this sauce. Aji Verde is the “put-it-on-everything” condiment you didn’t know you needed but now can’t live without. It’s bright, bold, and just cocky enough to steal the show from the main dish. Warning: you will consider drinking it with a spoon. No judgment here. Plus it packed with protein. win. win.
Servings: 10 (about 1 oz or 2 tbsps)
½ cup Siggis Greek non fat plain yogurt (at 19gms per serving)
2 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro, mostly leaves but small stems are ok (from 1 big bunch of cilantro or 1 ½ medium)
2 medium jalapeños, seeds and membranes removed but reserved, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
⅓ cup (1 ounce) grated Cotija or Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tbsp Olive Oil (save this for later in the recipe)
In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients, except the Olive Oil. Blend until the cilantro has broken into very tiny pieces and the sauce is green and mostly smooth (no matter how long you blend it, it will still have some texture to it).
Taste, and adjust if necessary. This sauce is intentionally bold and spicy and I usually think it’s just right as written. However, if the flavor is too overwhelming, blend in 1 tablespoon of olive oil while running the food processor. If it’s not spicy enough, add some of the reserved jalapeño seeds and blend again. If it doesn’t have enough zip, add another tablespoon of lime juice and/or a pinch of salt.
Aji verde keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week. Add to eggs, potatoes, steak or chicken or to a stunning taco salad or rice bowl.
Nutritional Facts, per serving: 34 Calories. Protein 3 grams. Carbohydrates 1 grams. Fat 2 grams