A delicious simple Mexican Nopales salad that is packed with so much flavor, simple to make, and ready in under 20 minutes.
Nopales, also known as prickly pear, are a centuries-old staple in Mexican cuisines. Once you de-spin them, nopales makes a great addition to many different recipes such as salads, vegan meat substitutes, tacos, soups, and more.
Growing up, my mom had a cactus tree in our backyard and she would make nopales and other tasty Mexican cuisines with it. This salad was one of my favorite side dishes and something I remember eating all summer long. Ah, brings back so many memories.
If you’ve never had cactus before, you’re in for a real treat. Not only is it incredibly easy to make, but it’s also packed with so many vitamins, nutrients, high antioxidant, vitamin, and mineral content. Nopal cactus can also help with lowering blood sugar, healing wounds, and reducing cholesterol.
Where to find nopal cactus?
If you live in Cali, you can find it pretty much everywhere, but in other areas, any Mexican market will carry them.
How to prep them?
What’s amazing now, they carry them already pre-trimmed and pre-cut which cuts the prep down in half. If you can only find them whole, you’ll want to wear gloves or use a kitchen towel to protect yourself from the thorny spines and use a small sharp knife. Lay the cactus flat, and use the knife to scrape off the pricks. Then, cut the perimeter of the cactus to trim the outer edges.
Next, give them a rinse and diced them up. You always want to boil them in hot water for about 8-10 minutes or until they turn dark green. Simple right?!
Ingredients
- Cactus
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Optional add-ins: jalapeño, garlic, Mexican cotija cheese
To Serve
Mix the cooked cactus with all the reminding ingredients, mix, and serve. That it! Simple and delicious! If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by commenting below.
Other Related Recipes
- Mexican Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Zucchini Enchilada Con Carne
- Shredded Chicken Tostadas
- Cleaned-Up Double Decker Tacos
XO,
Natalie
Mexican Nopales Salad
Mexican Nopales Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cactus Nopales, cubed or whole
- 2 to matoes diced
- 3/4 red onion diced
- 3/4 cup cilantro rough chopped
- 2 lemons juiced
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you bought the cactus already cleaned and pre-chopped, skip this next step.
- For the whole cactus, using gloves and a sharp knife, carefully scrape the thorns off the cactus. Then rinse under cold water and dice.
- Add the nopales into a saucepan of boiling water and boil for about 8 minutes or until the nopales turns dark green. Drain and set aside.
- In a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, mix, and adjust seasoning to your liking.
- Serve and enjoy immediately or refrigerate for a couple hours until ready to serve.