Ensalada de Nopales, Cactus Salad

User Reviews

5.0

18 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    1 hr

  • Total Time

    1 hr

  • Servings

    4 people

  • Calories

    184 kcal

  • Course

    Salad

  • Cuisine

    Mexican

Ensalada de Nopales, Cactus Salad

This is an easy, healthy salad that hinges on the young paddles of the prickly pear cactus. If you don't gather them yourself, you can buy them already de-spined, and sometimes already diced, in Latin Markets. One note on this salad: Eat it straight away. It will get a bit slimy if you leave it for a day or two.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 4 nopales paddles, despined
  • fine grain salt
  • 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 white onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (regular oregano is fine)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese
  • 1 avocado, diced (optional)
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Instructions

  1. Dice the nopales and toss with salt. You want all the cut sides of the nopales to have salt on them. Put them in a colander in the sink and let this drain for 1 hour. When the time has elapsed, rinse the nopales under cold water until they are no longer slimy, which should take maybe 3 to 5 minutes. Pat dry with a kitchen towel put into a large bowl.
  2. While the nopales are sitting in the colander, mix the diced onion with a little salt and the lime juice and let them pickle a bit. This takes the harsh edge off the raw onion. If you want, you can add the minced chiles to the lime juice, too.
  3. When you're ready, mix all the ingredients together and serve.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 184kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 15g (23%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Cholesterol 17mg (6%) Sodium 218mg (9%) Potassium 449mg (13%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 765IU (15%) Vitamin C 21mg (23%) Calcium 116mg (12%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 184 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 184kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 218mg 9%
Potassium 449mg 10%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 765IU 15%
Vitamin C 21mg 23%
Calcium 116mg 12%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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5.0

18 reviews
Excellent

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