Solterito
Solterito comes from Arequipa, in Peru's southern highlands, where legend ties its name to solteros, the bachelors and field hands said to have built lunch from whatever fava and corn harvest was at hand, no stove required. The traditional dressing leans on huacatay, a pungent Andean herb related to marigold that almost never turns up in US markets; mint stands in here for its own sharp, cooling edge, though the two are not really alike. What lets the salad skip both oil and salt is timing: blanching the fava beans just long enough to loosen their tough skins leaves the tender centers ready to soak up the lime and aji amarillo dressing while they are still warm, and that same acid works on the raw onion, turning its sting sweet instead of sharp.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Fava beans, frozen, thawed (or fresh, shelled)
- 1 1/4 cups Frozen corn
- 2 pieces Fresh tomatoes, ripe, seeded and diced small
- 1/3 cup Red onions, finely diced
- 1 1/2 Limes, juiced (about 3 tbsp / 45 ml)
- 1 tsp Red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Aji amarillo paste, or more to taste
- 1/4 cup Mint, torn
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the fava beans and boil 2 minutes, then lift them into a bowl of ice water with a slotted spoon, keeping the pot boiling for the corn. Once the beans are cool enough to handle, pinch each one between two fingers and slip off the thick outer skin: this single step turns a chalky bean into the bright green, buttery one that makes solterito worth making.
- Add the corn to the same boiling water and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until just tender. Drain and spread it on a plate to cool quickly so it stays sweet and snappy instead of turning starchy and dull.
- While the vegetables cool, stir the lime juice, red wine vinegar, aji amarillo paste, and red onion together in a large bowl. Let the onion sit in the acid for at least 10 minutes: it softens the same sharp bite salt would, without any salt.
- Add the peeled fava beans and the corn to the bowl while they are still a little warm, and toss well. Warm vegetables pull dressing into themselves the way cold ones never do, so most of the seasoning happens right here.
- Fold in the tomato, mint, and black pepper. Taste and add more lime juice if the salad needs brightness, then let it sit 10 minutes at room temperature so the flavors settle, or chill up to a day before serving.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 150 calories, 7 g protein, 6 g fiber, 20 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
