Mexican Cactus Salad (Lime-Dressed Nopal Cactus Pad)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 32 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Nopales, flat cactus pads from Mexico, release a slippery juice like okra when boiled, yet keep a pleasantly chewy, crisp bite once cooked.
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Sharp lime juice and grassy cilantro play against the cactus's mild green flavor, with tomato and onion tossed through. Prep starts with gloves and a knife, scraping the tiny spines off both faces and the edges. In Mexico it goes alongside tacos, grilled meat or beans.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Wear gloves and scrape the surface and edges of 250 g nopales cactus pads with a knife or peeler.
Check closely for fine glochids, then rinse under running water so no small spines remain.
- 2
Cut the cleaned cactus into 1 cm pieces.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a little salt, lower to medium heat, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the pieces look darker and tender.
- 3
When the mucilage has released into the water and the cactus is tender but still slightly firm, drain it in a sieve.
Rinse with cold water to stop cooking and shake off excess water well.
- 4
If the texture still feels too slimy, rinse once more in ice water.
Let the nopales cool and drain for at least 10 minutes so the dressing will not become watery when mixed.
- 5
Dice 120 g tomato and 70 g white onion into 1 cm pieces, keeping the tomato pieces intact rather than crushed.
Roughly chop 15 g cilantro, using the leaves and tender stems for a fresher texture.
- 6
Put the cooled nopales, tomato, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl.
Add 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 0.5 tsp salt, then toss gently until evenly coated without breaking the tomato.
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