Serves 3
Originally from Arequipa, a beautiful region in the Andes, this refreshing salad is easy and cheap to make, and this is why we love having it as often as possible. There are as many versions of solterito as there are cooks in kitchens, and in our case, we love adding quinoa to the recipe for extra texture and a nutritional boost.
1 cup frozen baby fava beans
½ cup red onion, diced
1 cup tomato, seeded and diced
1 cup giant kernel corn, boiled
1 cup queso fresco, diced
½ rocoto (fresh, frozen, or jarred), and diced (see tip box)
3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
¼ cup Botija or Alfonso olives, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
6 lettuce leaves (optional)
1. Cook the fava beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain.
2. Combine the fava beans, onion, tomato, corn, queso fresco, and rocoto in a bowl.
3. Season with vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Add the parsley and black olives.
5. Serve over lettuce leaves (optional).
Rocoto has the appearance of a sweet and innocent red bell pepper, but beware! It is extremely hot and could make you shed a tear or two. To tame this powerful veggie when it’s fresh, you need to remove the seeds and ribs, and rub the inside with sugar. Another effective method is to boil it three times in water with a tablespoon of sugar and vinegar each time, changing the water every time it boils. Substitute with red bell pepper if you cannot tolerate the heat.