Colombian Tomato & Spring Onion Salsa (Hogao)
This traditional salsa from Colombia captures the essence of fresh tomatoes and spring onions, perfect for dipping bread, crackers or as an exotic guest star on a cheeseboard.
‘Hogao’ is a traditional salsa in Colombia which combines tomatoes and spring onions. Not only is it enjoyed as a dip for traditional breads like arepas, but it forms the foundation or ‘sofrito’ of many Colombian stew dishes and also acts as a sort of relish for the table. Many Colombians will enjoy their morning eggs scrambled with hogao for a richer, brighter breakfast dish. Despite its versatility, this salsa is actually surprisingly easy to make and uses very basic ingredients: tomatoes, spring onions and garlic, flavoured modestly with cumin seeds. How long you cook is open to preference. Some Colombians like hogao to be cooked long and far, making a smoother, richer salsa, whereas some prefer the tomatoes and spring onions to keep their fresh integrity: chunky and just slightly wilted. Either way, enjoy this salsa as an exotic guest on cheeseboards, with crackers, with scrambled eggs or try it with traditional Colombian cheese arepas. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (makes 250ml)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tsps cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes - optional
2x cloves garlic, diced
3x medium tomatoes, large-diced
4x spring onions/green onions, sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
WALKTHROUGH
First, let’s fry the spices. Place a saucepan onto medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil followed by the 2 tsps of cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper and 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, if using. Fry the seeds and pepper gently until they are fragrant and the seeds beginning to pop.
Add the 2x cloves of sliced garlic, 3x diced tomatoes and 4x sliced spring onions. Stir the mixture until coated in the spiced oil and bring the mixture up to a heat. Add the 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp of sugar and mix to combine.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture until the tomatoes just begin to break down, about 15-20 minutes. The salsa should have a chunky texture, but you can use a potato masher to crush it finer if you prefer. In this case, you may need increase the heat to reduce the extra juices from the tomatoes.
Turn off the heat and taste the salsa for seasoning. It should have a sweet-sour quality to it. You can adjust the seasoning to your taste using salt, sugar and lemon juice if needed.
Serve the salsa with your favourite cheeses, crackers, fresh bread or with traditional Colombian arepas. It will store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
