Ensalada de Nopales

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Never tried cactus? This fresh Ensalada de Nopales comes together in 35 minutes and brings a vibrant Mexican superfood to your table.

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Ingredients

Shared Ingredients

1½ tsp kosher salt, divided (plus more to taste)
½ bunch cilantro, divided (¼ for cooking, roughly chopped; ¼ for salad, finely chopped)

Cook Nopales

3 lbs nopales (cactus paddles), spineless, cleaned, medium diced
¼ white onion, wedges
5 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup water

Veggies & Queso

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded, medium diced
½ red onion, medium diced
2 jalapeños, seeded, medium diced
10 oz queso panela, medium cubed

Vinaigrette

3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 lime zest
3 tbsp lime juice, fresh
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
To taste black pepper, ground

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the diced nopales in a large, deep pot. Add the white onion, garlic, water, ¼ bunch roughly chopped cilantro, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Stir to combine.
Set over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. The nopales are ready when they turn from a bright green to a pale green color and are tender.
Drain the nopales, then rinse under cold water to cool and remove excess viscosity. Let them drain well. Discard the onion.
Transfer the cooled nopales to a large nonreactive bowl. Add the tomatoes, red onion, jalapeños, ¼ bunch finely chopped cilantro, and queso panela. Toss gently to combine.
In a separate nonreactive bowl, whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients with the remaining ½ tsp kosher salt until well combined.
Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve as a fresh side dish, with tacos or chips.

Equipment

Notes

Food chopper: Makes dicing nopales quick and easy. Simply cut them into pieces that fit the chopper.

Always rinse spineless nopales thoroughly and check for any remaining spines before cooking, even if they are store-bought and appear clean.

Diced ingredients should be similar in size to the nopales.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 9gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 804mgPotassium: 591mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1366IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 498mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and intended as an approximation only.

Course: Salad, Sides

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Cactus Salad, Ensalada de Nopales, Healthy Mexican Food, Mexican Food, Mexican Superfood