Chilean ensalada de mote is a fresh salad of cooked hulled wheat (mote) mixed with diced tomato, onion, green chili, cilantro, olive oil, cumin, and merkén, chilled for a couple of hours, and finished with avocado, lemon, and orange juice. It takes 30 minutes of preparation plus 30 minutes of cooking and serves 2 people.
Mote, boiled and hulled wheat, is a very traditional Chilean ingredient that is easy to find ready to cook.
How to Make Chilean Mote Salad?
Mote is the backbone of this colorful salad, combined with fresh avocado, onion, chili, cilantro, and a touch of merkén, and brightened with citrus juice.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of mote salad contains approximately 230 kcal, 33 g of carbohydrates, 10 g of fat, 4 g of protein, 6 g of fiber, 4 g of sugars, 0 mg of cholesterol, and 150 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.
Homemade Chilean Ensalada de Mote Recipe
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked wheat mote
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- Fresh cilantro
- Cumin
- Merkén
- Olive oil
- Fine salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the mote according to the package instructions, let cool, and set aside. Wash the tomatoes, peel them if you like, cut into quarters, remove the seeds, and dice.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked mote, tomato, and onion, and season with cilantro, green chili, olive oil, a little cumin and merkén, salt, and pepper. Toss gently.
- Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Add the avocado and the lemon and orange juice, and adjust the seasoning. Serve at room temperature, on a bed of lettuce if you like.
Additional Tips
Add avocado last
Add the avocado just before serving so it does not brown.
Let it rest
Chilling the salad lets the mote absorb the dressing.
Balance the citrus
Orange juice softens the acidity of the lemon and adds a fruity note.
| Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avocado | Cucumber or zucchini | 1:1 | Lighter, cheaper |
| Wheat mote | Farro or bulgur | 1:1 | Similar texture |
| Merkén | Smoked paprika | To taste | Less heat |
| Green chili | Omit | Milder |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What can I use instead of avocado?
Cucumber, zucchini, green beans, or marinated firm tofu keep it fresh.
2. How long does it keep?
Up to 2 days in an airtight container; add the avocado just before serving.
3. What does it go with?
Grilled fish, carne al jugo, oven empanadas, or on its own as a vegetarian main.
4. What is mote?
In Chile, mote is wheat that has been boiled and hulled, used in salads, stews, and the drink mote con huesillo.
What Is Ensalada de Mote?
Ensalada de mote is a Chilean grain salad of hulled wheat with fresh vegetables, herbs, and citrus, a healthy, colorful side or light main.
Benefits of Mote
Mote provides fiber, complex carbohydrates, and B vitamins that support the nervous system.
Did You Know?
Mote has long been used in rural and Mapuche cooking, and it is best known in Chile for mote con huesillo, the summer drink with dried peaches.
