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Lunch recipe · from the recipe book

Seared Queso Fresco Kale Bowls with Salsa

Golden, crisp-edged slabs of warm queso fresco sit on lime-massaged kale and spinach with smoky charred corn, cumin black-eyed peas, crunchy pepitas and a bright, juicy fresh tomato salsa.

Seared Queso Fresco Kale Bowls with Salsa

Ingredients

  • 3¼ cups crumbled400 gQueso frescocut into 1/2-inch-thick slabs and patted dry
  • 9½ cups chopped200 gKalestems removed, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups loosely packed120 gBaby spinach
  • 3 medium370 gTomatoesfinely diced
  • ½ medium60 gRed onionfinely diced
  • 1 whole14 gJalapeñoseeded and minced
  • 1 cup chopped16 gFresh cilantrochopped
  • 1 lime, juiced44 gLime juicedivided
  • 2 tbsp30 gOlive oildivided
  • 2 cups272 gCorn kernels, frozenthawed and patted dry
  • 2 cups342 gBlack-eyed peas, canned, drained and rinsed
  • 1½ tsp3 gGround cumin
  • ¼ tsp2 gSaltdivided
  • ½ tsp1 gBlack pepper
  • ¼ cup30 gPumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Steps

  1. Make the salsa first so it can rest: in a bowl, stir together the tomato, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, two-thirds of the lime juice and half of the salt. Set aside.
  2. Prepare the greens: in a large bowl, drizzle the kale with one-third of the olive oil and the remaining one-third of the lime juice, then massage with your hands for 2 minutes until it softens and darkens. Toss in the spinach and divide the greens among 4 bowls.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the pumpkin seeds, dry, for 2 to 3 minutes until they puff and pop, then transfer to a plate.
  4. Add another one-third of the olive oil to the skillet. Add the thawed frozen corn kernels and cook without stirring for 3 minutes until charred in spots.
  5. Stir the black-eyed peas, cumin, black pepper and the remaining half of the salt into the corn kernels and cook 3 minutes until hot. Spoon the corn and black-eyed peas over the greens.
  6. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining one-third of the olive oil and heat over medium-high. Sear the queso fresco slabs for 2 minutes per side, without moving them, until deep golden; turn gently with a thin spatula.
  7. Top each bowl with the seared queso fresco, spoon the tomato salsa over everything and sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve right away while the cheese is warm.

Contains: Milk.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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