The typical Chilean get-together features an asado, a cook-out with a variety of grilled meats and sausages and a table full of salads. Chileans masterfully combine native-grown vegetables and herbs with flavorings, such as lemon juice, for delicious results. Below are four recipes for uncommonly good salads.
Beet Salad (Ensalada de Betarraga)
Ingredients (serves 6 as side salad)
- 4 medium-sized beets, cooked and peeled (vacuum-packed cooked beets can be found in the produce section at large supermarkets)
- 1/2 small white or yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup firmly packed flat-leaf or curly-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt, to taste
Preparation
- Chop beets into bite-size cubes. Finely chop parsley.
- Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix. Salt to taste, and serve.
Variation: This is also excellent with chopped, steamed kale. In place of beets, substitute 6 cups washed, roughly chopped kale. Over medium heat, saute with a small amount of water in a deep frying pan until kale is tender but not mushy. Let cool. Eliminating parsley, prepare as directed above.
Celery with Avocado (Apio con Palta)
Ingredients (serves 6 as side salad)
- 4 large stalks celery
- 1 large, ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- salt, to taste
Preparation
- Wash and lightly peel outer, rough skin of celery. Cut into match sticks, about 1 inch long.
- Cut avocado in half, discard pit, and peel the skin from each half. Chop avocado into bite-size chunks.
- In small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss. Serve.
Lima Bean Salad (Ensalada de Habas)
Habas (broad beans) are more common in South America than in the U.S. but are similar in look and consistency to lima beans. Use them when available, but, if not, lima beans will work just fine in this recipe.
Ingredients (serves 6 as side salad)
- 1 (16 oz) package frozen lima beans
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup loosely packed flat- or curly-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- salt, to taste
Preparation
- Cook lima beans according to package directions. Let cool completely.
- Finely chop parsley and place in bowl with beans and onions.
- In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Salt to taste. Pour over lima beans and gently toss to combine. Serve.
Ensalada Chilena
This is known in Chile simply as Chilean Salad, because it is the most common type served nearly everywhere in the country. Chileans prefer to peel their tomatoes when using them in this salad, but it is just as tasty with unpeeled ones.
Ingredients (serves 6 as a side salad)
- 3-4 medium, ripe tomatoes
- 1 large vidalia onion (or similar mild onion)
- 1 green chili, seeded and finely chopped, optional
- 1/4 cup firmly packed cilantro
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt, or more to taste
Preparation
- Cut each tomato in half, remove seeds and vertically slice. Peel and cut onion in half. Finely slice into half-rings.
- Combine tomato and onion in bowl and stir in green chillies. Pour olive oil and sprinkle salt over the salad. Toss gently to combine.
- Sprinkle cilantro on top, and serve.
Kate Rodriguez - Kate became a freelance travel writer after years of drafting boring economic reports as a government trade analyst and business ...
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