Solterito – Peruvian Cheese Salad

This Peruvian Salad is a versatile, nutritious and easy-to-make recipe. It’s a cold salad that is usually served as an appetizer or lunch. Solterito de queso uses Tropical Queso Peruano to keep the authenticity of flavors. “Solterito” means single.  Legend has it that it was so named as a reference to the single men and women that ate this in family gatherings to stay in shape. The most common ingredients used in this dish are fava beans, tomatoes, onion, cheese cubes, olives, corn, and rocoto, a spicy red pepper popular in Peru.

Ingredientes

Salad:

• 1 cup of canned broad or fava beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• 1 cup of tomato, seeded, diced
• 1 cup of Tropical Queso Peruano, crumbled
• 1 can of sweet yellow corn (or white corn)
• ¼ cup of black olives, sliced
• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
• ¼ rocoto (Peruvian spicy red pepper), diced. Can be substituted for red bell pepper.

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. In a salad bowl, mix the beans, corn, tomato, onion, olives, and rocoto or red pepper. Then add the Queso Peruano cheese and mix again.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste, the vinegar and the olive oil. Mix to merge flavors.
3. Top with parsley to serve.