Salsa Ocopa

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Machu Picchu

📍 Where this dish comes from: Cusco region · Machu Picchu
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Salsa Ocopa, plated and ready to serve

Arequipa’s nutty, herb-flecked sauce built on toasted nuts, aji amarillo, and huacatay, as good over roasted vegetables as it is over boiled eggs.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Salsa Ocopa

Salsa Ocopa

Arequipa's nutty, herb-flecked sauce built on toasted nuts, aji amarillo, and huacatay, as good over roasted vegetables as it is over boiled eggs.
Print Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Peruvian
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 110kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
  • 2 aji amarillo peppers seeded (sub: 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste)
  • 1/4 cup fresh huacatay or substitute basil and mint
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup queso fresco crumbled
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt to taste

Instructions

  • Toast the nuts in a dry skillet 2–3 minutes, until fragrant.
  • Combine the toasted nuts, aji amarillo, huacatay, cream, queso fresco, garlic, and olive oil in a blender.
  • Blend until smooth, adding a little extra cream if too thick.
  • Season with salt to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 110kcal | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 1g
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Cooking Salsa Ocopa in the kitchen

Health Benefits

  • Nuts and cream provide the sauce’s traditional richness without relying on starchy thickeners.
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