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About this recipe

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Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Cool crisp chayote, smoky corn, creamy avocado and salty queso fresco come together under a sharp lime-serrano dressing — fresh, crunchy and unmistakably Mexican. 🌽🥑

Ingredients

• Chayote 🥒
• 🥒 600 g chayote, peeled and cut into thin wedges (1.3 lb)
• 💧 Water for cooking
• 🧂 1 tsp fine sea salt
• Charred corn 🌽
• 🌽 300 g corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen (about 2 cups / 10.6 oz)
• 🫒 10 ml olive oil (2 tsp)
• 🧂 ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 🌶️ ¼ tsp chile powder
• Salad 🥗
• 🌶️ 150 g radishes, thinly sliced (5.3 oz)
• 🥑 180 g ripe avocado, diced (6.3 oz)
• 🧀 120 g queso fresco, crumbled (4.2 oz)
• 🌿 25 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (about 1 cup loosely packed)
• 🧅 80 g red onion, very thinly sliced (½ medium / 2.8 oz)
• 🎃 40 g pepitas, toasted (¼ cup / 1.4 oz)
• Serrano-lime dressing 🍋
• 🍋 60 ml fresh lime juice (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🫒 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🌶️ 1 serrano chile, finely minced
• 🍯 10 ml agave syrup or honey (2 tsp)
• 🌿 ½ tsp Mexican oregano
• 🌿 ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 🧂 ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ⚫ ¼ tsp black pepper
• To finish 🌿
• 🌶️ Tajín or chile-lime seasoning, optional
• 🍋 Lime wedges
• 🌿 Extra cilantro
• 🧀 Extra queso fresco

Preparation

• 1 Prepare the chayote 🥒 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the chayote wedges and cook for 5–7 minutes until just tender but still slightly crisp.
• 2 Chill immediately ❄️ Drain the chayote and transfer it to a bowl of very cold water for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly and pat dry.
• 3 Char the corn 🌽 Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add olive oil and corn and cook without stirring for about 2 minutes so the kernels begin to blister.
• 4 Finish the corn 🔥 Toss the corn with salt and chile powder. Continue cooking for another 3–4 minutes until several kernels are dark and smoky. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• 5 Make the dressing 🍋 Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, serrano, agave, oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust the lime or salt if necessary.
• 6 Prepare the fresh ingredients 🥗 Thinly slice the radishes and red onion. Dice the avocado and roughly chop the cilantro.
• 7 Build the salad 🥒 Place the cooled chayote in a large bowl. Add the charred corn, radishes, onion and cilantro.
• 8 Dress gently 🍋 Pour about three-quarters of the serrano-lime dressing over the salad. Toss gently until everything is lightly coated.
• 9 Add the avocado 🥑 Fold in the avocado carefully so the pieces remain intact rather than turning creamy throughout the salad.
• 10 Add queso and pepitas 🧀 Scatter crumbled queso fresco and toasted pepitas over the salad. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.
• 11 Finish and serve 🌶️ Finish with extra cilantro, lime wedges and optional Tajín. Serve slightly chilled or at cool room temperature.

Timing details

Nutrition

Estimated values per serving.

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