Roasted Hatch Pepper Salad with Corn, Chickpeas and Lime Crema
By Heidi Allison
This healthy, balanced dish is a nod to Mediterranean “one-bowl salad meals” that don’t take long to put together and are economical, too. Even better, the next day, after the smoky flavors have had time to fully develop, this versatile recipe can be served chilled, at room temperature or warm. To transform this side into a hearty main, add a few hard-boiled eggs to up the protein content in the finished dish.
How the corn is initially cooked makes a big difference in the taste and texture of the finished product. I poached the corn in hot water for 15 minutes, which kept the corn tender. To do so, bring a large pot of unsalted water to a hard boil (add a few tablespoons of sugar if corn was picked more than two days ago); add shucked corn, then immediately turn off the heat and cover the pot for at least 15 minutes after water returns to a boil. Do not boil the corn—the prolonged high heat tightens its proteins while leeching corn flavor. The poached corn kernels and rinsed chickpeas are then gently sautéed on medium-low heat in an olive oil and butter mixture flavored with diced shallots, roasted Hatch peppers, smoked paprika and earthy ground cumin—creating something between a southwestern succotash or Mexican Street Corn style dish.
Two additional culinary tricks that ensure success: Be sure to reserve at least a half-cup of the corn cooking water, which is repurposed to create this recipe’s sauce/glaze during the final sauté. Another tip is to make the lime crema dressing a few hours ahead of serving time, which allows the lime zest and garlic flavors to temper and mature. While I like to add a medium or hot Hatch pepper, a mild Hatch works just as well. If Hatch peppers are hard to source, sub in a Poblano for a mild, smoky taste with minimal heat, or use a red Fresno or jalapeño if you want both “heat” and a smoky flavor.
To serve, divide your salad plate in half. Ladle the corn/chickpea and cotija cheese mixture on one side, and the other half with salad greens—a mixture of arugula and chopped cilantro. Drizzle lime crema over both salads, serving extra lime crema dressing on the side.
Roasted Hatch Pepper Salad with Corn, Chickpeas and Lime Crema
Serves: 2 as a main; 4 as a side
Ingredients
For the Lime Crema:
¾ cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, peeled and micro-planed
¼ cup good-quality mayo (I recommend Best Foods or Hellman’s)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, about 1 large lime
Zest of 2 limes
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon kosher flake salt
1 teaspoon light honey (I recommend Acacia honey)
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to develop.
For the Roasted Hatch Pepper, Corn & Chickpea Salad:
2 ears fresh corn, shucked and silk removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
15 oz. Melissa’s steamed chickpeas (can sub with 15 0z. canned chickpeas, rinsed several times and drained)
1 mild, medium, or hot Hatch pepper, roasted, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon kosher flake salt
1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
3 cups arugula, rinsed and spun dry
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise (optional)
Preparation:
Put a large pot of water on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add corn and allow water to return to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and cover. Allow corn to cook in the hot water bath for at least 15 minutes. Remove corn from hot water and cut kernels off cobs with a sharp knife. Place corn in a bowl and set aside. You should have about 2 cups of corn kernels; throw out cobs, but reserve at least ½ cup.
Place a large skillet on medium heat and add oil and butter. Allow the butter to melt, then add shallots and a drizzle of salt and sauté for 2 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add diced Hatch peppers and stir to combine. Add corn and chickpeas and stir to film the veggie mixture. Sauté on medium-low heat for 5 minutes—adding 5 tablespoons of corn cooking water during this process and shaking pan in a back-and-forth motion to reduce sauce to a savory glaze. Remove chickpea, Hatch chile, shallot and corn mixture from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Serve salad by filling half of plate with arugula and chopped cilantro mixture, and the other half with the Hatch, chickpea, and corn mixture. Sprinkle crumbled Cotija cheese over chickpea mixture, then drizzle Lime Crema over the top of both the chickpea mixture and the arugula and cilantro salad. Top both salads with a final shaving of fresh lime zest. Optional: Add a halved, hard-boiled egg on the side to increase the protein.
How the corn is initially cooked makes a big difference in the taste and texture of the finished product. I poached the corn in hot water for 15 minutes, which kept the corn tender. To do so, bring a large pot of unsalted water to a hard boil (add a few tablespoons of sugar if corn was picked more than two days ago); add shucked corn, then immediately turn off the heat and cover the pot for at least 15 minutes after water returns to a boil. Do not boil the corn—the prolonged high heat tightens its proteins while leeching corn flavor. The poached corn kernels and rinsed chickpeas are then gently sautéed on medium-low heat in an olive oil and butter mixture flavored with diced shallots, roasted Hatch peppers, smoked paprika and earthy ground cumin—creating something between a southwestern succotash or Mexican Street Corn style dish.
Two additional culinary tricks that ensure success: Be sure to reserve at least a half-cup of the corn cooking water, which is repurposed to create this recipe’s sauce/glaze during the final sauté. Another tip is to make the lime crema dressing a few hours ahead of serving time, which allows the lime zest and garlic flavors to temper and mature. While I like to add a medium or hot Hatch pepper, a mild Hatch works just as well. If Hatch peppers are hard to source, sub in a Poblano for a mild, smoky taste with minimal heat, or use a red Fresno or jalapeño if you want both “heat” and a smoky flavor.
To serve, divide your salad plate in half. Ladle the corn/chickpea and cotija cheese mixture on one side, and the other half with salad greens—a mixture of arugula and chopped cilantro. Drizzle lime crema over both salads, serving extra lime crema dressing on the side.
Roasted Hatch Pepper Salad with Corn, Chickpeas and Lime Crema
Serves: 2 as a main; 4 as a side
For the Lime Crema:
¾ cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, peeled and micro-planed
¼ cup good-quality mayo (I recommend Best Foods or Hellman’s)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, about 1 large lime
Zest of 2 limes
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon kosher flake salt
1 teaspoon light honey (I recommend Acacia honey)
Preparation
For the Roasted Hatch Pepper, Corn & Chickpea Salad:
2 ears fresh corn, shucked and silk removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
15 oz. Melissa’s steamed chickpeas (can sub with 15 0z. canned chickpeas, rinsed several times and drained)
1 mild, medium, or hot Hatch pepper, roasted, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon kosher flake salt
1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
3 cups arugula, rinsed and spun dry
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise (optional)
Preparation:
Serve salad by filling half of plate with arugula and chopped cilantro mixture, and the other half with the Hatch, chickpea, and corn mixture. Sprinkle crumbled Cotija cheese over chickpea mixture, then drizzle Lime Crema over the top of both the chickpea mixture and the arugula and cilantro salad. Top both salads with a final shaving of fresh lime zest. Optional: Add a halved, hard-boiled egg on the side to increase the protein.
