My talented friend chef Douglas Rodriguez gave me the inspiration for this salsa at a fantastic party he threw. Queso blanco, a staple of Latin cuisine, is uniquely textured, simply yet assertively flavored and quite pleasant to nibble. In this recipe, the cheese balances the acidity of the orange and mango. A no-brainer with chips, queso blanco salsa is a great accompaniment to grilled chicken breasts as well. You can prepare the dressing up to a day before you assemble the salsa. And the salsa is also good a day after — assuming there is any left over.

Ingredients

For the Salsa:

• 1 cup well-rinsed, canned black beans
• 1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions, white and light green parts only
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 3/4 cup crumbled queso blanco
• 3/4 cup diced mango
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped orange sections
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Spanish sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 cup diced ripe avocado

For the Dressing:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallot
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions