Spicy Chopped Salad

This was inspired by the flavours of Mexico.  If you can get it, queso blanco would be lovely to include in this salad.  It's difficult to find in the UK so I've used deliciously salty feta.

Although this salad doesn't have a dressing, there is a lovely sweetness which comes out of the peppers and corn and the spice coming from the pickled jalapenos, surprisingly a dressing isn't needed.

This salad is easily made into a vegan joy by substituting the cheese for cubed, fresh avocado.


Spicy chopped salad - Serves 1

Ingredients

A large handful of baby leaf spinach
1 pepper (red, orange or yellow)
1 mini (or half) corn on the cob, I used a frozen defrosted cob
3 tomatoes
8 slices of jalapeno
1 tbsp drained tinned pinto or borlotti beans
50g, 1.5oz queso blanco (or feta) substitute for avocado to make the salad vegan
Coriander (cilantro) to serve

Method

Grill the pepper under a hot grill, turning often until blackened in patches.  Put in a bowl and cover.

While the skin is loosening on the pepper, grill the sweetcorn (you could do this on a barbecue if liked).

Put the spinach on a plate, top with the chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, beans and cubed cheese.  When the skin is loosened, take off the thin outer skin off the pepper and chop, when the sweetcorn is ready, chop off the toasted kernels.  Top the salad with the pepper, corn and coriander and serve.