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Ensalada chilena
Ensalada chilena: tomato and feather-cut onion salad with coriander
Every Chilean barbecue, every plate of empanadas on 18 September and most weekday lunches come with this salad: ripe peeled tomatoes and white onion cut into fine 'feathers' (corte pluma), dressed with oil, salt and coriander, sometimes with a little green chilli. It is cool, juicy and sharp, the perfect counterweight to grilled meat or a bean stew. The mistake that ruins it is using raw onion straight from the board: it overpowers everything. Soak the slices in cold salted water first and they turn sweet and crunchy. Chef's tip: peel the tomatoes, as Chileans do, so they drink up the dressing.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 white onionlarge
- 1 tsp saltfor soaking
- 4 ripe tomatoeslarge
- 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 green chilli (optional)finely chopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Halve 1 white onion and slice it lengthways as thinly as you can, so you get fine feathers. Put in a bowl of cold water with 1 tsp salt, rub the slices between your fingers, and leave to soak.
10 minStep 2: Meanwhile, score a cross in the base of 4 ripe tomatoes, cover with boiling water for 30 seconds, then slip into cold water and peel off the skins. Cut into thin wedges.
3 minStep 3: Drain the onion, rinse, and squeeze it dry in a tea towel. Taste a piece: it should be crisp and mild.
Step 4: Put the tomato and onion in a serving dish, add 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil, ½ tsp salt, 3 tbsp fresh coriander and 1 green chilli, if using, and toss gently. Serve within 15 minutes, before the tomatoes go watery.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ensalada chilena take?
- About 20 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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