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Peruvian

Ocopa Arequipeña (Peruvian Black Mint Potato Salad)

Arequipa-style potatoes with a creamy huacatay, ají amarillo, peanut, cheese, and cracker sauce.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Ocopa Arequipeña (Peruvian Black Mint Potato Salad)

40 mintotal

35 min hands-on5 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
Medium
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes cooling time before plating the potatoes.

Method

  1. Boil the potato slices in water with 0.5 tsp salt for 12–15 minutes until tender but still holding shape. Drain and cool for 5 minutes.

    12–15 min5 min

  2. Blend huacatay paste, ají amarillo paste, queso fresco, evaporated milk, peanuts, saltine crackers, neutral oil, remaining salt, and ground black pepper until smooth.

  3. Place lettuce leaves on a plate and arrange the cooled potato slices over them.

  4. Spoon the ocopa sauce generously over the potatoes.

  5. Top with hard-boiled egg and black olives. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.

How to tell it's done

The sauce should be thick, smooth, and greenish, coating the potato slices without running off.

Getting it right

Tip

Blend until the peanuts and crackers fully disappear into the sauce; ocopa should be creamy, not gritty.

What to serve it with

Serve as a starter or side dish with other Peruvian mains.

Common mistakes

The ocopa sauce is thin and runs off the potatoes.
The crackers are the thickener, not a garnish. If the sauce still pours freely, blend in another cracker at a time until it coats the back of a spoon.
The potatoes break apart on the plate.
Boil them in slices rather than whole, stop while they still hold when pressed, and let them cool for a few minutes before you arrange them. Hot potato slices tear under the weight of the sauce.

Substitutions

  • Huacatay Paste — Huacatay gives ocopa its signature flavor; if unavailable, use a little mint and coriander, but the result will not be fully traditional.
  • Queso Fresco — Use a mild fresh cheese if queso fresco is unavailable.

Storing and reheating

The sauce keeps three days in the fridge and thickens as it sits; loosen it with a spoon of evaporated milk. Boiled potatoes keep two days. Assemble the plate only when you serve it, since the potatoes go grey under the sauce.