Hogao (Colombian Creole Sauce)
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: November 8, 2024
Hogao is a delicious Colombian recipe made from tomatoes and spring (green) onions. A healthy and flavourful condiment or base for soups and stews. It’s a staple on any Colombian table, and super-easy to make at home too.
Colombia cuisine is a vibrant fusion of Spanish, South American and African cuisines. Known for it's hearty stews with rice, beans, corn, plantains and a variety of meats. Many dishes feature delicious condiments to accompany and infuse unique and delicious flavours, such as ají picante, guacamole, chimichurri, suero costeño, pebre and this delicious hogao sauce.
I first ate hogao sauce at a Colombian restaurant in the US alongside a stew called "Ajiaco" - chicken or pork, I forget, with a whole festival of potatoes (a win win for me). The stew was chunky and the tangy Hogao was the perfect side together with fried plantain and beans. I remember being so full I could barely move.
What's Ahead?
What is Hogao?
Hogao (pronounced 'oh-gow') is a simple 'soffrito' style sauce, a blend of tomatoes and green onions (spring onions/scallions) with garlic and a little cumin. It creates a rustic sauce that can be used alongside dishes as a side or on top of the omni-present Arepas (cooked corn flatbreads). It's also a great starter base for soups and stews.
Hogao or hogado is sometimes called criollo or creole sauce because of its association with comida criolla, which refers to a type of cuisine that emerged from a fusion of indigenous, African, and Spanish influences in Latin America.
Why it works?
It's versatile - it's essentially a simple soffrito sauce that can be used on its own or as a base to another dish. I'll typically make a panful and use half as a condiment over a few days with grilled meats, fish and vegetables etc and then whatever is left I'll use as the base to a slow cooked stew mostly with chicken, beef or pork.
Stuff You'll Need
Hogao isn't going to cause you any stress in finding ingredients. Most home cooks will typically have everything in their store cupboards already. Here's what you'll need to make the magic happen.
- Tomatoes - the main flavour, use whatever type you like. I like to use a ripe tomato for the best, fullest flavour.
- Green onions - Spring onions, scallion, salad onions - they go by so many names aroound the world. The long thin onions! You can use regular brown or white onions too, but green onions are traditional.
- Garlic - brings a little backbone and fragrance
- Cumin - adds a little earthy depth to the sauce
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
Step by Step
Making hogao isn't a chore. It's super easy to pull together.
- Step 1 - Roughly pulse blend the tomatoes and set aside.
- Step 2 - Using the oil, gently sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until soft.
- Step 3 - Add the cumin and stir for a minute
- Step 4 - Add the tomato and stir well, season generously with salt and pepper and then simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Leave to cool completely and then serve.
Serving
- Serving hogao is up to you. It's a very versatile flavour combo that works well alongside many traditional Colombian dishes or indeed many other nationalities too. If you're grilling (BBQing) meats and fish then a bowl of hogao is going to work splendidly alongside.
- I'll also stir a few spoonfuls into scrambled eggs to make 'Huevos Pericos' or dollop a little over steaming cooked rice or vegetables (especially potatoes).
Storage & uses
- Fridge - Hogao will keep in the fridge (in an airtight container) for a week or more. After a week, I'll use mine as the base to another dish, like a soup or stew - it'll work in this way for many Mediterranean atews and even Indian curries.
- Freezer - You can freeze for 3+ months in an airtight container too.
Ready to get cooking?
Hogao is a staple in many Colombian homes and it's easy to see why this simple and versatile sauce is so loved. Having a bowlful in the fridge is a lifesaver when you can't be fussed making a sauce or when you want to kick-start a stew with flavour in a hurry. Be sure to give this simple recipe a try at home. I hope you enjoy!
More sauce and condiment recipes
If you liked this recipe for hogao, I'm sure you'll love some more of my condiment recipes from around the world.
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 green onions (spring onions/scallions) - thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 tsp cumin (ground)
- 4 tomatoes (finely chopped or pulse blended)
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Roughly pulse blend the tomatoes and set aside.
- Using the oil, gently sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until soft.
- Add the cumin and stir for a minute
- Add the tomato and stir well, season generously with salt and pepper and then simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Leave to cool completely and then serve or refrigerate or freeze until you need.
Notes
- I like to use my hogao as a condiment at room temperature. The flavour is better than straight out the fridge. Leave it for 30-40 minutes before using.
- Hogao is great with grilled meats, chicken, fish and vegetables. I also like to stir through scrambled eggs.
- Hogao makes for a great base to other dishes. If I have some that's been in the fridge for a while, I'll use it to jump-start a soup, stew or curry. It'll save you time sauteeing onions - just add meat, poultry and whatever other ingredients you like and you'll save yourself a tonne of effort!
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