Vegan Huancaína Sauce with Roasted Potatoes (Peru)
Savor the enchanting flavors of Peru in this vibrant traditional and vegan papa al horno a la huancaína. This includes a thick, warmly-spiced, tangy sauce made of ají amarillo peppers and tangy queso fresco. The sauce is paired with rustic roasted baby potatoes spiced with cumin and oregano. Enjoy these mouthwatering potatoes and sauce on a bed of crisp lettuce, accompanied by olives and rich avocado slices.
Ingredients
For the roasted baby potatoes:
- 2 pounds (900 g) baby potatoes, unpeeled
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon finely-chopped fresh oregano, or 1½ teaspoons dried
For the vegan Huancaína sauce:
- ¾ cup (100 g) raw cashews
- ⅓ cup (50 g) blanched almonds
- 1½ tablespoons coconut cream
- 1½ tablespoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, adjusted to taste
- 4 large (24 g) garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 1-3 tablespoons ají amarillo paste, fresh or frozen ají amarillo peppers, or 1 small habanero pepper, membranes and seeds removed and chopped
- ½ cup (125 ml) water, adjusting if needed
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as sunflower
For serving:
- 1 head romaine or other fresh lettuce leaves, adjust quantity to taste
- 1 bowl black olives, adjust quantity to taste
- 1 bowl avocado slices, adjust quantity to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (coriander), roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
Prepare the cashews and almonds (optional):
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, you can soak the nuts in boiling water for 10 minutes and then drain them before adding them to the blender.
Roast the potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Add the potatoes to a large bowl with the 1 tablespoon of oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of freshly-ground pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Reserve the bowl for after roasting.
- Add the potatoes to the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast until the potatoes are golden, crisp on the outside, and fork-tender, about 25-30 minutes.
- Add the potatoes back to the bowl along with the cumin and fresh oregano. Toss until thoroughly combined.
Blend the Huancaína sauce:
- Add the following ingredients to the blender: cashews and almonds, coconut cream, white vinegar, salt, garlic, lime juice, ají amarillo paste (or habanero), water, and oil.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust with water if needed for a thick and pourable texture.
- Taste the sauce and adjust. If desired, add more ají amarillo paste, lime juice, and/or salt.
Assemble and serve:
- Add the lettuce leaves to a serving platter or to individual plates.
- Place the roasted potatoes on the arranged lettuce.
- Add the Huancaína sauce to a serving bowl to pass around, spoon over the potatoes, or add it alongside the potatoes.
- Add sliced avocados and olives to serving bowls or alongside or atop the potatoes and sauce. Feel free to serve this dish as you like!
- Garnish the serving platter or plates with the cilantro (coriander) and parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have a can of coconut cream, you can collect it as the solid layer at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. The sauce won’t have a detectable taste of coconut.
- If you’re not sure of your (or your guests’) spice tolerance, you can start with 1 tablespoon of the ají amarillo paste and add more from there. If you only use a small amount, and you’d like to have your sauce be a brighter yellow, you can add ½ teaspoon of turmeric. This isn't a traditional addition, as the sauce is typically served with a moderate amount of spice from the paste. But it'll brighten the yellow color of your sauce.
- You can make this sauce 3-5 days ahead and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. It will be thicker after chilling, so you can stir in a small amount of water before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!