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Solterito
Arequipa's broad bean, corn and fresh cheese salad with rocoto and olives
Solterito, the 'little bachelor', is a cold salad from Arequipa in southern Peru, so called because it was simple enough for a single man to make. Broad beans, sweet corn, fresh cheese, tomato and red onion are tossed with black olives, parsley and a little rocoto chilli in an oil and vinegar dressing. It is eaten with the spicy dishes of Arequipa's picanterías, or on its own as a light lunch. Rocoto is a fat, fiery red chilli; a red pepper with a little habanero gives a similar crunch and heat. Use queso fresco made with vegetarian rennet. Chef's tip: peel the broad beans after blanching; the pale skins are tough and the bright green beans inside make the salad sweet and tender.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dressing
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drop the 9 oz broad beans into boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes, until bright green and tender. Drain and plunge into iced water so they keep their colour.
3 minStep 2: Pinch a slit in each bean skin with your nails and squeeze out the bright green bean. Discard the skins.
Step 3: Put ½ red onion in a sieve and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds; it softens the raw bite so it doesn't overpower the cheese.
Step 4: Whisk 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper together in a large bowl.
Step 5: Add the beans, 7 oz sweetcorn kernels, 2 tomatoes, the onion, ½ rocoto, 1 ¾ oz black olives and 3 tbsp fresh parsley and toss. Taste: add a little more rocoto if you like heat. Wash your hands after handling rocoto.
Step 6: Fold in 5 ½ oz queso fresco last, gently so it doesn't crumble, and serve cool. It keeps for a few hours in the fridge, but add the tomato just before serving if making ahead.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does solterito take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 12 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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