South American Easter Salad

Most south Americans are Catholic, and many of their food specialties are associated with the celebration of Catholic holidays.

This salad is usually served on Good Friday, when the faithful fast.

It combines ingredients that were basic to the diet of the Andean Indians with an essentially southern European dressing.

Editor’s note: You can substitute other beans more common to your locale.

Vinaigrette
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons minced shallots

Salad
1 ½ pounds new red or Yukon Gold potatoes
Salt
1 cup shelled fava beans, blanched and peeled
1 cup cooked corn kernels (preferably white), drained
½ cup lupine beans, peeled
½ cup fresh or frozen peas, cooked in water to cover until tender and drained
Freshly ground black pepper

Garnishes
1 medium-size Vidalia onion, halved, thinly sliced into half-moons, rinsed in hot water, drained, and mixed with the juice of 1 lime
12 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ripe but firm Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 8 wedges

1. To make the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a jar with a screw-type cover and shake until the mixture thickens. Set aside.

2. To make the salad, place the potatoes and water to cover by 1 inch in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds. Cut the rounds into halves or quarters, depending on the size.

3. In a large glass bowl, mix together the potatoes, fava beans, corn, lupine beans, and peas. Shake the dressing again, pour over the salad, and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed, up to six hours.

4. To serve, bring the salad to room temperature. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and garnish with the onion, tomatoes, and avocado.

Read more: All recipes, Soups & Salads, Spirit

Adapted from The South American Table, by Maria Baez Kijac (The Harvard Common Press, 2003).
Adapted from The South American Table, by Maria Baez Kijac (The Harvard Common Press, 2003).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

LMj S.

11:02PM PST on Feb 28, 2013

Sounds good, thank you.

February 28
send a green star

11:01PM PST on Feb 28, 2013

10:58PM PST on Feb 28, 2013

10:53PM PST on Feb 28, 2013

Heidi A.

1:25AM PDT on Oct 3, 2012

This looks really tasty. I never thought much about the to do about Yukon Gold potatoes, but I am a changed person. They really are the perfect all purpose potato. They hold their shape when I make hash, whereas the Russet turns to a mushy mess. They have a richer flavor than the Russet as well.