Mexican · Lunch · Dinner · Snack
Mexican Cactus Paddle Salad
Ensalada de nopales
Tender diced cactus paddles tossed with juicy tomato, crisp onion, cilantro and a little chile in a bright lime and oregano dressing, finished with a light crumble of queso fresco. It is fresh, tangy and pleasantly crunchy, and works as a side or a light lunch.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 33% · Fat 50% · Protein 17%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 4 medium paddles500 gFresh nopales (cactus paddles), spines removed
- 8 cups2,000 gWater, for boiling
- 3 medium300 gRoma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 medium70 gWhite onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup8 gFresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small6 gSerrano chile, seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup (about 2 limes)60 gLime juice
- 1 tbsp14 gOlive oil
- 1 tspDried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tspSalt, for the dressing
- 1/2 cup60 gQueso fresco, crumbled
- 1/2 medium70 gAvocado, diced (optional)
Steps
- 1
Wearing gloves or holding the paddles with tongs, scrape off any remaining spines and nubs with a knife, and trim away the thick outer edge.
- 2
Rinse the paddles well and cut them into 1 cm (1/2 inch) pieces.
- 3
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot; there is no need to salt it, as the dressing seasons the salad.
- 4
Add the diced nopales and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until they turn olive green and tender and the sticky liquid has mostly cooked off.
- 5
Drain the nopales in a colander and rinse under cold running water until the slippery coating is gone; drain well.
- 6
In a large bowl, combine the cooled nopales with the tomatoes, onion, cilantro and serrano chile.
- 7
In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, olive oil, oregano (crushed between your fingers) and 1/2 tsp salt.
- 8
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- 9
Top with the crumbled queso fresco, and the diced avocado if using, just before serving.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a vegan version, leave out the queso fresco and add extra avocado or a sprinkle of toasted pepitas instead.
- For a dairy-free version, skip the queso fresco or use a dairy-free crumbly cheese labelled that way.
- To save prep time, use jarred or pre-cleaned fresh nopales, rinsing jarred ones well to remove the brine.
- For a milder salad, swap the serrano for a seeded jalapeño or leave the chile out.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 1 to 2 days, as the tomatoes and avocado soften and the salad is best fresh. Do not freeze.
Make ahead
Clean, boil and rinse the nopales up to 3 days ahead and keep them chilled in a covered container. The dressing can also be mixed a day ahead, then toss everything together and add the cheese and avocado just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Milk
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (755 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 121 kcal | 16 kcal |
| Protein | 5.4 g | 0.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 10.8 g | 1.4 g |
| of which sugars | 4.8 g | 0.6 g |
| Fiber | 4.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 7.3 g | 1 g |
| of which saturated | 2.5 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 436 mg | 58 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
