Arequipa Solterito: Authentic Peruvian Avocado & Cheese Salad

This salad takes me back to our time in Arequipa. Years ago I lived in Lima, Peru, and nearly every vacation involved traveling around the country—by car, plane, boat or train. One memorable trip was the train ride from Puno to Arequipa, a stunning journey through the Andes. Arequipa itself is a captivating city with striking architecture: many buildings are constructed from a white volcanic stone, giving the city a unique, luminous appearance.

Known as “The White City,” Arequipa earned that nickname not only from its pale buildings but also from its colonial history and Creole heritage. On that same trip we flew over the Nazca lines in a tiny plane — an unforgettable experience, even if the flight itself was nerve-wracking.

Tasty And Fresh

Solterito Arequipeño, or Arequipa avocado salad, is bright, fresh, and simple. I recently used Peruvian choclo I found at Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati, which made the salad feel especially authentic. When we traveled in Peru, I loved stopping at roadside stands for choclo and other local treats.

My mother brought back a few paintings from Arequipa that depict the white buildings, and we have them hanging in our dining room. Those images always bring me right back to the city and its light.

Arequipa avocado salad always conjures memories for me, much like papa a la Huancaína does.

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Solterito Arequipeño (Arequipa Avocado Salad)

A refreshing Peruvian salad

Course
Side

Cuisine
Peruvian-inspired

Keyword
avocado, salad

Prep Time
15 minutes

Cook Time
30 minutes

Total Time
45 minutes

Servings
6

Calories
266kcal

Author
Mike

Equipment

Stock pot
Mixing bowl

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
1 large carrot, peeled and cubed
8 ounces queso blanco (or substitute feta)
1 can lima beans, drained
1 red onion, chopped
2 ears frozen choclo corn or sweet corn-on-the-cob
1 red chili pepper, finely chopped
6 ounces black olives, sliced and drained
1 teaspoon olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the corn for 10 minutes.
Add the cubed carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.
Stir in the lima beans and boil for 5 more minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and drain the vegetables.
Once the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cobs.
In a medium bowl, combine the corn kernels, carrots, beans, chopped onion, cheese, and olives.
In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to combine.
Chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Serve the salad topped with slices of ripe avocado.

Notes

Best served immediately, while the avocado is fresh.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.