Exotic flavours from the Andes: Vegan Peruvian Huancaína Sauce – this creamy, spicy sauce brings the delicious flavours of the Andes straight to your plate! Although traditionally made with dairy, huancaína sauce can easily be transformed into a vegan version without losing its authenticity or rich taste!
The Story of Huancaína Sauce
Huancaína sauce originates from the Huancayo region in Peru, where it was initially prepared as a meal for railway workers. The combination of yellow aji peppers, fresh cheese, milk, and bread quickly spread throughout the country and became an essential part of Peruvian cuisine. Today, it’s commonly found in various Peruvian dishes, appreciated for its creamy texture and spicy kick.
Vegan Version of the Sauce
To maintain the traditional taste of huancaína sauce while accommodating a vegan diet, you only need two simple substitutions: replace the cream cheese with tofu, and swap the milk for a plant-based alternative! One of the most important ingredients is aji amarillo sauce, which is made from Peruvian yellow-orange chilli peppers and is fairly easy to find in various latin markets. The sauces vary in spiciness, so when purchasing, pay attention to the level of spiciness to match your preferences!
Recipe
Vegan huancaina sauce
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes
- 200 ml plant-based milk
- 70 g bread at least a day old
- 120 g tofu
- 45 g aji amarillo sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and put them in the cold water. Heat up the water and let it boil until potatoes soften.
- Separately cook the spaghetti.
- In a blender put chopped bread, plant-based milk, tofu, aji amarillo sauce, garlic powder and salt.
- Blend until completely smooth.
- Put cooked spaghetti on the plate, add potato sliced into half and pour the sauce on top.
