Authentic Mexican Cactus Salad
Remove from grill and let cool until safe to handle.
Authentic mexican cactus salad. Prickly pear cactus salad ensalada de nopal is eaten throughout mexico. Pour over vegetables and toss. This recipe is for 4 persons. It is also great wrapped in a warm corn tortilla drizzled with your favorite salsa.
Ensalada de nopales just may be the perfect salad. Mix in queso fresco if using right before serving. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. One common use of the cactuss pads is this classic nopalitos salad dish.
It is typically served as a side dish or eaten in tacos as a light meal. Directions place cactus tomatoes onion and cilantro in glass or plastic bowl. This salad is not spicy however if you want it spicy add 1 minced serrano pepper. Add the dressing to the cactus mixture.
Slice nopales into 12 inch strips. Mix the tomato onion jalapeno cilantro and cactus in a large bowl. Approximately in 30 minutes the salad will be ready. Its aromatic and delicious very nutritious and easy to make.
To assemble the salad. Its great paired with carne asada. Nopal is the mexican name for a variety of species of opuntia cactus that is native to mexico and have been used there as food since time immemorial. Authentic mexican cactus leaves salad ensalada de nopales for the ones who never saw cactus leaves before and do not know how to eat them nopales are generally sold fresh in mexico cleaned of spines and sliced to the customers desire on the spot.
Brush both sides of nopales with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Shake remaining ingredients in tightly covered jar. In this recipe the cactus paddles are cooked and the mexican tradition of cooking them in a copper saucepan can be followed in this way they wont lose their color. Place on the hot grill and cook turning halfway through until tender 7 to 9 minutes.