A spicy sauce from the Huancayo region of Peru traditionally made with fresh cheese. This vegan version relies on nutritional yeast instead.
Yield: about 2 cups
Time: 20 minutes
Tools
- large saucepan
- medium bowl
- whisk
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 4 t peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1½ c vegetable broth
- 3 T chickpea flour
- 2 T ají amarillo paste*
- ½ t salt
- ¾ c cashew cream
- ⅔ c nutritional yeast
- 2 T lemon juice
- ¼ c plain cracker crumbs
Directions
Heat the oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic, and sauté about 4 minutes, until soft.
Meanwhile, whisk together the broth, flour, paste, and salt, then add to the onions. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Turn off heat and blend until creamy and smooth. Taste and add more salt and/or lemon, as needed.
Serve hot over cooked potatoes or mixed vegetables.
Notes
* Ají amarillo is a hot, yellow or orange Peruvian chile and is the key to this sauce. You can try substituting another kind of pepper, but what you end up with won’t be salsa a la huancaína. (Full disclosure: I don’t like spicy food, so I used roasted yellow bell pepper paste, and my sauce was definitely lacking in taste – and color.)
Adapted from the recipe in Viva Vegan! (read my review).
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