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Solterito Arequipeño

This chunky Arequipeño salad balances fava beans, choclo, potato, cheese, and olives with a bright oregano and red-wine-vinegar dressing.

Chunky Solterito Arequipeño with fava beans, choclo, potatoes, queso fresco, olives, and tomato on lettuce.

Solterito brings together tender beans, large-kernel corn, potato, tomato, olives, and fresh cheese in a salad with plenty of texture. Red onion softens briefly in vinegar before olive oil and oregano turn it into a lively dressing.

Serve it at room temperature as a side or a light lunch, keeping the pieces distinct with a gentle fold and a short rest.

Start with the onion

A brief soak in red-wine vinegar softens the sharp edge of the sliced onion while coloring it a little pink. The oil, oregano, and pepper join afterward, so the dressing keeps its fresh acidity and herbal aroma.

Cook each piece to its own texture

Potato cubes should be tender through the center but sturdy enough to keep their corners. Simmer the fava beans and choclo separately in the same water, drain them well, and let everything cool before tossing so the salad stays chunky.

Cooled fava beans, choclo, and potatoes wait beside red onion mellowing in vinegar dressing. — Mellowed red onion and cooled vegetables are ready to meet the oregano dressing.

Keep substitutions in their own branch

Lima beans can stand in for the favas, and ordinary sweet corn can replace choclo when the larger Andean kernels are unavailable. Queso paria is a useful alternative to queso fresco; choose one cheese and fold it through gently rather than combining both.

Toss for contrast

Tomato and parsley add freshness around the starchy potatoes and beans, while black olives bring a savory note. A little rocoto gives the salad a gentle chile warmth, and the vinegar dressing keeps every bite bright.

Close detail of queso fresco, choclo kernels, fava beans, olives, and intact potato cubes in dressing. — Queso fresco, rocoto, olives, and whole vegetable pieces show the salad's contrasting textures.

Rest, then serve

Let the salad rest at room temperature so the mellowed onion dressing can season the beans and potatoes. Serve it as a side or light lunch, with lettuce underneath if desired; avoid vigorous stirring so the cooked pieces remain distinct.

Solterito Arequipeño

4 side servings

51 minutes total

Ingredients

•
•
• 12 oz waxy potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium ripe tomato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 8 pitted black olives, halved
• 1/2 small rocoto chile, seeded and finely minced
•
• 4 large lettuce leaves, optional, washed and dried

Method

Mellow the onion
Slice the red onion into thin slivers and toss it in a large bowl with the red-wine vinegar and 1/4 tsp kosher salt; let it stand for 10 minutes while you cook the vegetables so its sharp edge softens.
Look for: The onion looks glossy and pink, with a less raw aroma.
Cook the potatoes
Cut the potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes, add them to a pot of boiling water seasoned with 1 tsp kosher salt, and simmer for 9-12 minutes until a knife slides in easily but the edges still hold their shape.
Look for: A cube is tender through the center and does not crumble when lifted.
Cook the fava beans
Bring the pot of water back to a boil and simmer the frozen fava beans for 4-6 minutes, until tender; if fava beans are unavailable, replace them with 12 oz frozen lima beans and simmer those until tender. Drain, cool briefly under cold water, and slip off the tough fava skins; remove lima-bean skins only if they feel tough.
Look for: The beans are tender inside but remain whole after draining.
Cook the corn
Return the water to a boil and cook the choclo for 3-5 minutes, until tender; if choclo is unavailable, replace it with 1 1/2 cups frozen ordinary sweet corn and cook until just tender. Drain well and cool the corn.
Look for: The corn kernels are plump and tender without splitting.
Finish the dressing
Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil, dried oregano, and black pepper into the softened onion and vinegar until the dressing looks lightly emulsified.
Look for: The oil is evenly dispersed and oregano is fragrant.
Toss the vegetables
When the potatoes, beans, and corn have cooled to room temperature, add them to the dressing with the tomato, parsley, black olives, rocoto, and remaining 1/4 tsp kosher salt; fold gently so the potato cubes stay intact.
Look for: The dressing coats the vegetables while the distinct cubes and beans remain visible.
Add the cheese
Scatter the queso fresco over the salad and fold it through once or twice; if queso fresco is unavailable, replace it with 4 oz queso paria, crumbled or cut into small cubes, and fold that in gently instead.
Look for: The cheese is distributed in small pieces without turning the salad creamy.
Rest and serve
Let the salad rest at room temperature for 10 minutes so the vinegar, oregano, and vegetables settle together; serve at room temperature, spooning it over the lettuce leaves if desired.
Look for: The salad tastes bright and savory, and its chunky pieces still hold their shape.