Rinse and dry the nopalitos from the jar, and you’re ready to cook or add them to a salad.
Steps to Make It
- Gather the ingredients. The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg
- Pour canned or jarred nopales into a strainer to drain. Rinse under running water until jar liquid is washed off. Leave nopales in long strips or chop into pieces about the same size as the tomato and onions. The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg
- In a large glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl, toss together tomato, onion, nopales, and cilantro. The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg
- Place olive oil, lime juice, oregano, and salt into a small jar with lid on. Shake vigorously until mixture comes together. Pour dressing over salad and toss again, gently but thoroughly. The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg
- Cover bowl and refrigerate salad for at least an hour and up to 24 hours for flavors to meld. To serve, garnish with cheese, onion, and avocado. The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg
- Not crazy about cilantro, or cheese, or some other ingredient? Just leave it out; make a salad that you love.
- If you’d prefer a milder onion flavor, briefly rinse the chopped onions under running water before adding them to the salad.
- Give your cactus some heat. Drain a few canned or homemade pickled jalapeño pepper slices (or pickled carrots), then dice them. Toss with the other ingredients before adding the dressing. Add a small number of cooked garbanzo beans, corn kernels, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, or some other interesting ingredient to the mix.
- Can’t get nopales at all, fresh or jarred? Make this same recipe with cooked, chopped green beans; it wont be the same as the original dish, but you will achieve a similar type of salad.
Rick Bayless How to Prepare Nopal Cactus
FAQ
Can you eat nopal raw?
How do you eat canned cactus?
How do you eat slicing nopales in a crock pot?
Dicing is great for quick veggie side dishes, and slicing is great for eating in tacos and salads. Step 3: Cook in boiling water until tender. Add the fresh cut nopales to a medium pot and fill it with enough water to cover them. Add in a little salt and bring it to a boil over high heat.
How do you eat raw nopales?
When you eat raw nopales, you will want to toss them in fine sea salt for about 10 minutes first. Maybe a tablespoon or two per large paddle. Dice or slice the nopales how you plan to eat them in a salad, then put them in a bowl and toss with the salt.
How to cook nopales & get rid of sliminess?
Here are some common ways to cook nopales and get rid of their sliminess. The first way to cook nopales is to boil them like other vegetables. Boil them in salted water for 10 minutes until they become nice and tender. Once cooked, remove them from the water and rinse them until all the mucus is gone.
How do you eat Ensalada de nopales?
Maybe a tablespoon or two per large paddle. Dice or slice the nopales how you plan to eat them in a salad, then put them in a bowl and toss with the salt. Move to a colander for 10 to 20 minutes to drain, then rinse under cold water, vigorously rubbing the nopales to remove all the slime. You’re good to go for your ensalada de nopales.