Solterito with Habas: An Andean Cooked Salad at a Sacred Valley Table

By Florian Rolke. Sources checked October 21, 2026.

Solterito, with cooked habas. Carrots, fresh cheese and a little cochayuyo. Illustrated Andean hotel serving concept. — An illustrated serving concept for an Andean hotel table.

Solterito con cochayuyo, listed on Chuncho's 2026 Spanish menu, is a cooked salad of habas (fava beans), carrots, Andean lagoon algae and fresh cheese. Habas are fava beans: fresh ones are shelled, blanched briefly and peeled before finishing, while dried beans need a different schedule. Order it by asking about the dressing, the oil and whether any fried base appears in the kitchen's version.

Chuncho's menu lists Solterito con cochayuyo with cooked habas, carrots, Andean-lagoon algae and fresh cheese. Habas are fava beans; their form and preparation affect the texture, so asking whether they are fresh or dried and how the skins are handled is useful. The algae makes this version distinctive, while its exact identity and preparation remain unspecified. The component list gives you a starting point for ordering a Sacred Valley salad and for composing a separate savory home version.

The Dish on the Published Menu

Chuncho's published Spanish-language menu, captured online on October 21, 2026, lists Solterito con cochayuyo with cooked habas, carrots, Andean-lagoon algae and fresh cheese. Chuncho is in Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. The PDF is undated, although its URL contains 2026/07. These four named components make a useful starting point for ordering; ask the restaurant whether the dish is available and how it is prepared today.

The PDF at Chuncho's 2024/03 URL spells the algae word cochallullo; the PDF at its 2026/07 URL uses cochayuyo. Keep each document's spelling when quoting it. Both menu descriptions are separate from the home version below, and neither supplies dressing or portion details. The older capture is useful for this spelling comparison, while the newer capture provides this guide's component list.

chuncho.pe · chuncho.pe

Habas, the broad bean. Cooked beans for a substantial salad. Illustrated Andean hotel serving concept. — The ingredient and its prepared form, shown as an illustration.

Habas Are Fava Beans, and the Form Decides the Cooking

Habas are fava beans, the same legume English calls broad beans; a hospital patient leaflet on G6PD deficiency even lists haba beans among that bean's many names. Before any cooking decision, establish the form. Fresh favas are shelled from their pods, blanched briefly, cooled, and then slipped out of an inner skin, the sequence Oregon State Extension describes. Dried habas are a different ingredient with a longer, separate cooking schedule, and advice for one does not transfer to the other.

For a home salad, slipping off the inner skins of fresh favas is one way to control their texture. At the restaurant, ask whether the habas are fresh or dried and how their skins are handled. Tenderness alone does not tell you exactly how the kitchen prepared them, and the menu does not answer that question.

Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · kch.nhs.uk · chuncho.pe

Blanch, Peel and Cool: Handling the Beans Well

For fresh favas, shell the beans, blanch briefly, cool them, then slip off the inner skins. Oregon State describes a minute or two for its blanching step; use that as a reference and check whether the skins release easily where you cook. Cooling stops the blanching stage and helps manage the texture before you finish the beans for the dish. It does not establish a cooking schedule for dried habas.

Cooling also protects texture and flavor, and if you are holding the beans before serving, refrigerate them separately from their cooking liquid and combine later. Judge the finished beans by tenderness and taste rather than by color alone, since color change by itself is not a complete test of quality.

Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

A Cooked, Composed Salad, Not Raw Leaves

The menu calls solterito a cooked salad and names carrots alongside habas, algae and fresh cheese. It does not describe the carrot cut, its cooking method or when the components are combined. For a home version, cook diced carrots to the bite you prefer and combine them with the prepared beans. Boiling and steaming are two unfried ways to prepare those vegetables.

Two practical rules follow. Season the food itself, especially when steaming, because salt in the water does not travel up with the steam; flavor the vegetables directly or finish with a squeeze of citrus or a fresh herb after cooking. And check the thickest pieces first, since a mixed batch finishes unevenly; stagger ingredients that cook at different rates rather than assuming one timetable fits everything.

chuncho.pe · Cooking with Leafy Greens | University of Maryland Extension · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

The Algae: Read the Menu Words Exactly

The menu names Andean-lagoon algae, and that is all it establishes. It does not prove the kitchen uses marine cochayuyo from the Chilean coast, a named species, or any particular preserved form. Resist translating the word into certainties the document does not carry, including iodine content or a wild-foraging story.

Practically, ask the server what arrives: is the algae brined, dried and rehydrated, chopped fine or left in ribbons, and how salty is it already? That answer tells you how the cheese and any dressing should be balanced far better than the menu name does.

chuncho.pe

A small solterito beside roast duck. Cooked habas, carrots and fresh cheese. Illustrated Andean hotel serving concept. — A second illustrated serving idea with the same ingredients.

Fresh Cheese Balances the Plate

Fresh cheese is the fourth named component. Ask which cheese is used, how salty it is and whether it is mixed into the salad or added separately. Those details matter alongside the algae, whose preserved form and saltiness are also unspecified. For a home adaptation, cheese can be added in pieces after the vegetables are cooked, but that is a serving choice rather than a description of Chuncho's plate.

Milk is among the major allergens the FDA names, so it is not a detail to overlook if allergies matter at your table. Ask which cheese the kitchen uses and whether it can be served on the side; that request is about your own plate, not a claim about what the restaurant offers.

chuncho.pe · fda.gov

Dressing, Oil and Herbs: Ask Before You Order

The menu entry does not describe a dressing, an oil, or whether any component passes through a fried base, so those are questions, not assumptions.

At home, a simple herb dressing suits a cooked salad: fresh herbs rinsed under running water, dried, chopped, then mixed with oil and a squeeze of citrus, shaken or whisked just before serving. Dried herbs work with restraint, roughly one part dried to three parts fresh, hydrated first; robust herbs like oregano infuse early, while delicate leaves like basil go on close to serving.

What dressing comes on the solterito?
Which oil is used, and how much?
Is any component fried or sautéed first?
Are the habas fresh or dried, and are they peeled?
What form does the algae arrive in?

chuncho.pe · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · fda.gov · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

An Editorial Adaptation for Your Own Kitchen

Separate from the restaurant, an editorial version is easy to compose: peel and cook fresh habas, cook diced carrot to a firm-tender bite, add a verified food-grade algae you can actually source, and finish with optional fresh cheese and a simple herb dressing. An unsweetened plain yogurt base with garlic and herbs is an alternative dressing style when dairy suits you, in the way a state recipe collection independently shows. No exact quantities are given here; judge doneness by tasting.

Quinoa makes a natural accompaniment. Bob's Red Mill's label directions for its organic quinoa call for rinsing, then simmering one cup of grain covered in two cups of water or stock until absorbed, about twelve minutes, followed by a covered rest; the producer describes the grain as mildly nutty and fluffy, with white quinoa the most delicate. Treat those numbers as a product reference rather than a validated high-altitude schedule, and taste for doneness where you cook.

Shell, blanch, cool and peel fresh habas
Cook diced carrots to a firm-tender bite
Add a verified food-grade algae you have sourced
Finish with optional fresh cheese and a simple herb dressing
Serve beside plain cooked quinoa

Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · bobsredmill.com · bobsredmill.com · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · healthvermont.gov · chuncho.pe

One Health Note That Outweighs Any Preparation

People with G6PD deficiency should not eat this dish. King's College Hospital guidance is unambiguous: fava and broad beans, including habas, are the one food that commonly triggers red-cell destruction in G6PD deficiency, and even small amounts can cause problems. Cooking is not a workaround, and a small portion is not a safe portion. Order a different plate; the rest of any menu is outside this article's evidence.

kch.nhs.uk

Questions about the ingredient and the meal

These questions come from published reader discussions and food-publisher FAQs. Some concern the featured ingredient; others concern the grains, vegetables or meat served with it.

Tenderizing fava bean skin without overcooking inside

For the soaked dried favas in this question, a community cook suggests removing the skins after soaking, so the skins do not have to soften at the expense of the interior. Use a complete cooking method for the dried product and check the beans themselves for tenderness. Fresh favas are a separate case: Oregon State describes shelling, briefly blanching, cooling and slipping off the inner skins. That fresh-bean method does not supply a dried-bean timetable.

Question by amphibient on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

Do fava beans need to cook longer than other kinds of beans?

Fresh and dried favas need different preparation. For soaked dried beans, follow a complete dried-bean recipe and check that the centers are tender; the brief fresh-bean blanching method does not supply that schedule. It also cannot establish a fixed cooking-time ranking against other dried beans. Keep the form of the beans clear before comparing methods.

Question by amphibient on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 3.0) · License · Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

How to prevent/slow down fava beans from turning to darker color?

Cool the beans promptly. A widely used approach is to blanch quickly, then shock the beans in ice water so the heat stops releasing pigment; the same step protects texture and flavor. Oregon State supports blanching and cooling before slipping off the skins. Keep in mind that color alone is not a complete test of quality or safety.

Question by Ahmad Hani on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

So we grew all these broad beans but not really sure how to use them in cooking?

Fresh broad beans, the same favas sold as habas, can be shelled, blanched briefly, peeled and then folded into grains or mashed with herbs for a savory side. Decide first whether your beans are fresh or dried, since dried beans need their own full cooking method. Anyone with G6PD deficiency should avoid fava and broad beans entirely.

Public community question: Reddit · Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · kch.nhs.uk

Are fava beans supposed to be crunchy?

The question concerns canned favas that are already cooked, rather than fresh beans awaiting blanching. Check whether the firm texture is in the outer skins or throughout the beans, and follow the product's heating directions. A fresh-bean blanching method will not diagnose a canned product. If the texture does not suit this salad, choose a different properly cooked fava product rather than trying to match a fresh-bean timetable.

Public community question: Reddit · Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service

What can I do with fava bean?

Favas are versatile once you know their form. Fresh ones can be shelled, briefly blanched, peeled and tossed with grains or mashed with herbs; the peeling step is what makes them pleasant to eat. Choose the method only after confirming whether your beans are fresh or dried. People with G6PD deficiency should not eat fava or broad beans at all, in any preparation.

Public community question: Reddit · Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · kch.nhs.uk

What can I substitute for fava beans if I can’t find them?

The observed question concerned substituting favas in a celtuce braise, not an Andean solterito. In general, a different already-cooked bean can replace favas editorially, but expect the flavor and texture to change, and label the substitution honestly. Do not call lima beans habas; they are a different bean with a different name.

Published question: honestcooking.com · Fava & Broad Bean Seeds | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds · Winter vegetable production on small farms and gardens west of the Cascades | OSU Extension Service · honestcooking.com

How to wash dirty herbs in bulk

At home, separate the herb leaves, rinse them under running water to remove visible dirt, and drain or dry them before chopping. FDA guidance supports rinsing produce under running water and drying with a clean towel. The commercial method described in the thread, an air-agitated vat followed by an unheated spinner, suits farm volumes and is unnecessary in a home kitchen.

Question by Michael Altfield on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · Cooking with Leafy Greens | University of Maryland Extension · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · fda.gov

How to measure out fresh herbs when the recipe calls for 'a tablespoon of chopped herb'?

A tablespoon of chopped herbs means the prepared, chopped herb, not a fixed count of leaves. If you want repeatable results, weigh your own chopped amount once, note it, and use that figure next time. There is no universal grams-per-tablespoon rule across herb species, so your own measurement is more reliable than any borrowed conversion.

Question by Tinkeringbell on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · chuncho.pe

Do fresh herbs have properties that dried herbs do not?

In culinary terms, yes. Drying changes the aromatic compounds and concentrates the leaf, so dried and fresh herbs are not interchangeable by volume. Start with roughly a third of the fresh quantity when using dried, hydrate it, and taste. Some herbs, like sage and oregano, hold flavor when dried; delicate ones like basil and cilantro are best used fresh.

Question by James Wilson on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · chuncho.pe

Herbs in Dressing - Fresh vs Dried

They give different results in a dressing. Dried herbs are more concentrated, so use less at first, about one part dried to three parts fresh, and let the dried herb hydrate before adjusting. Add delicate fresh herbs close to serving so their aroma survives. There is no exact universal ratio for every herb species, so taste as you go.

Question by CookingNewbie on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · chuncho.pe

Should you add specific garden-fresh herbs to a stew at the beginning or the end?

It depends on the herb, not on a fixed rule. Robust herbs such as thyme, rosemary and oregano can infuse during long cooking and be removed before serving. Delicate leafy herbs like basil lose their aroma quickly and are better added raw at the end or at the table. Match the timing to the actual herb you are using.

Question by kingledion on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · chuncho.pe

How to Store Fresh Herbs

Keep fresh herbs refrigerated at 40°F or below, and do not store the leaves wet or crushed; FDA guidance groups herbs with other perishable produce. A paper towel inside the bag helps manage surface moisture, and washing is best done just before preparing them. No specific shelf-life promise is reliable, so check the herbs before use.

Question by Zaphoid on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 2.5) · License · Cooking with Leafy Greens | University of Maryland Extension · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · fda.gov

Rescuing an emulsion dressing?

For a simple lemon-and-oil dressing that has separated, whisking or shaking just before serving is usually enough. A deliberately creamy emulsion that has failed needs a new emulsion base and a proper emulsifier to come back together. The cooked-salad adaptation in this article does not require a raw-egg, mayonnaise-style sauce at all, so you can skip that rescue entirely.

Question by Trish on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · chuncho.pe

How to thicken salad dressing

A dressing for a cooked salad does not need to be thick to work. Use a modest amount and toss the vegetables well so the seasoning coats them. The community thread mentions a small amount of xanthan gum as an optional thickener, but a simple herb and oil dressing for this kind of salad requires no additive at all.

Question by paparazzo on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 3.0) · License · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion · chuncho.pe

Making salad dressing without acid or high fat or capsaicin

For this cooked-salad adaptation, you can leave the vegetables undressed and add chopped herbs and seasoning directly. Plain yogurt is a different savory dressing option, but it is acidic and does not meet an acid-free request. If avoiding acid is a strict requirement, check every proposed dressing ingredient; the supplied yogurt recipe does not establish an acid-free formulation.

Question by Stan Shunpike on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · healthvermont.gov · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

Difference between boiling and steaming vegetables?

Boiling immerses the vegetables in water; steaming holds them above it. Both methods can cook vegetables without frying. Salt added to water below a steamer does not evaporate with the water, so season the food directly. Aromatic compounds can behave differently, but an herb or citrus finish on the vegetables gives you direct control over the final seasoning.

Question by KMC on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 3.0) · License · Cooking with Leafy Greens | University of Maryland Extension · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

Cooking time for steaming vegetables "Al Dente'?

There is no single al dente time. The right bite depends on the vegetable, the size of the pieces and your preference. Start checking the thickest pieces early, and stagger or split ingredients that cook at different rates rather than adding them all at once. Never transfer a timing from peas or broccoli to an unfamiliar vegetable.

Question by DavidPostill on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 3.0) · License · Cooking with Leafy Greens | University of Maryland Extension · extension.sdstate.edu · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

Imparting flavor to steamed vegetables

Put the flavor on the vegetables themselves rather than relying on the water. Salt, herbs or a citrus finish applied after steaming seasons the food directly; flavoring the water alone does not guarantee the same strength in the vegetable. A fresh herb finish at the end keeps the plate savory without needing any fried aromatic base.

Question by Chefchab on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 4.0) · License · Cooking with Leafy Greens | University of Maryland Extension · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

Should I add salt when boiling vegetable? Why?

Salt in boiling water can season vegetables cooked that way, but it is optional and should match your taste and any dietary needs; the decision is practical, not mandatory. When steaming, salt the food itself, since salt does not travel with the steam. Season the actual vegetable and taste before adding more.

Question by Hoa Nguyen on Seasoned Advice / Stack Exchange (CC BY-SA 3.0) · License · Cooking with Leafy Greens | University of Maryland Extension · Seasoned Advice cooking discussion

Leave time for the Sacred Valley

A solterito lets you recognize habas, vegetables and cheese together in one Andean dish. If you are extending your Sacred Valley stay around Machu Picchu, consider The SoulSearching Experience: five full days with Florian Rolke, in a group of 8–15 participants. Discuss dining arrangements separately.

Prepare your dining preferences

Ask Florian about the retreat

Sources and reading notes

The menu and ingredient sources support the distinctions described above. The serving illustrations are concepts. Restaurant menus can change; confirm the dish and preparation directly when booking.