Solterito Corn and Lima Bean Salad Recipe

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Updated on 06/6/22
Solterito salad

The Spruce / Marian Blazes

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
354 Calories
20g Fat
35g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 354
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 218mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 6g 23%
Protein 11g
Calcium 134mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Solterito is one of the specialty dishes of Arequipa, a beautiful city surrounded by dramatic volcanos in southern Peru. Solterito is a vegetable salad, traditionally prepared with the lima beans and large kernel choclo corn that grow so well in Peru.

The word soltero means "single", and solterito (the diminutive form) translates to something like "little single man." Chunks of salty queso fresco cheese (a firm white salty cheese), spicy rocoto chile pepper, tomatoes, olives, and red onion make this salad burst with flavor and color. This is a great summer picnic salad, but it can be prepared with frozen vegetables in the winter as well.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen lima beans
  • 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
  • 1 cup of diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup black or green olives (sliced crosswise)
  • 1 tomato (seeded and diced)
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 1/2 cups diced queso fresco cheese (farmer's cheese or mozzarella mixed with a small amount of feta cheese works well as a substitute)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons finely diced red chile pepper (to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
  • Vinaigrette dressing (6 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste)

Steps to Make It

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the corn kernels until they are just tender. Remove the corn to a bowl of ice water to cool.

  2. Cook the carrots and the lima beans together (in the same pot of boiling salted water) until they are crisp-tender.  Drain them and place them in the ice water with the corn for at least 5 minutes.

  3. Drain the chilled vegetables well and toss them with remaining ingredients. Let the salad marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator if possible before serving.