Colombian Aji Sauce

One of my longest relationships was with a half Colombian boy who I met in college. He was genuinely a really nice guy. But we were young and had a lot of learning and exploring that we needed to do on our own. We were together for 6 years and we cohabitated for about half that time.

While the relationship did not last, I became familiar with a lot of Colombian dishes. I had the best homemade tamales, hearty steak dishes, and delicious soups. Even though it has been awhile, I distinctly remember the Colombian Aji sauce that was often served with empanadas and steak. I used to smother it over every Colombian dish I ate. Like chimichurri, Colombian Aji sauce is packed with herbs, but it has a thinner consistency. It tastes really good with steak and crispy potatoes! And if you don’t eat steak or meat, try it with roasted vegetables, rice, eggs, or fish. The sauce tastes great with everything! I could go on and on.

Below is the recipe for my version of the Colombian Aji sauce. If you’d like to learn how to make the perfect pan-seared steak to pair with it, you can also check out my previous Pan-Seared Steak recipe.

Colombian Aji Sauce (about 3-4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 6 scallions, thinly sliced

• ½ cup of finely chopped cilantro

• ½ jalapeno, deseeded and finely diced (or more if you like spicy)

• 1 medium sized tomato, diced

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1 lime, juiced

• 2 tsp white vinegar

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp sugar

• ¼ cup of filtered water

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together and let it sit for about 15-30 minutes before serving. It may look too thick at first, but don’t worry. The herbs will soften and melt into the liquid as the ingredients settle and meld together. Taste and adjust as necessary with additional vinegar or jalapeno.