So, for the better part of two weeks now we have been gushing non-stop about tamales. It is time we discussed a healthy dish (guilty conscience much?) Yes, we do have healthy dishes in our rich Mexican cuisine, don’t look so surprised! Meet our Very Healthy Nopalitos Salad!
“What on earth”, you ask “are Nopalitos“? Glad you asked. It is a Cactus plant (scientific name Opuntia cacti). You probably know it as Prickly Pear, certainly not a pear but very prickly indeed! Nopales grow wild in desert regions in the USA and the rest of similar ecosystems in the continent. Farmers cultivate it in Mexico on a large scale for food and for other uses.
This Nopal Cactus boasts many health benefits. Now that the daily dietary fiber intake is all the buzz, why not give this Very Healthy Nopalitos Salad a go? You can read more about their other health benefits here.
You can eat Nopales also in main dishes or as an ingredient in healthy smoothies. Its soft flavor is actually a plus as you can add it to virtually everything, from soups to eggs.
Cooked nopales, ICYWW, have 3g of dietary fiber per each cup. They are a good natural aide to help treat hypertension and diabetes.
There is a reason why Japan imports massive quantities from Mexico. And China, never passing on good business opportunities, is moving to patent the Nopal Cactus.
Nopalitos Salad is the quintessential Mexican dish. A Nopal plant is the landing pad where the Eagle devouring the Serpent landed in the Mexican flag. It is also emblematic in that the flag colors are all over the salad.
All that aside, this Very Healthy Nopalitos Salad is delicious and refreshing, and its high fiber content makes it extremely satisfying. You can make it in a jiffy and shake it ready in a jar to boot. Eat this salad as a side dish, taco filling or with tortilla chips.
I can occasionally find the fresh Prickly Pear here. However, when I don’t I just buy a bottle of ready to use Nopales. Dona Maria sells them in the USA just look for them in the Hispanic aisle in your favorite Grocery Store. You may also buy them online.
I will share other recipes with Nopales so you can reap all the health benefits while you enjoy its flavor. After all, food as prevention is the best medicine!
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 clean (washed and thorns/spines removed) julienned Nopal paddles (or one large grocery-store bought bottle, such as Dona Maria Nopalitos, juice discarded)
- 2 peeled garlic cloves
- 3 whole all spice berries
- 1/4 peeled onion in chunks
- 2 ripe, large Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small buch of cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP white or cane vinegar (apple cider vinegar works too)
- 1 pinch crushed oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup shredded Queso Fresco, Cotija or Mozzarella cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Place julienned Nopalitos, garlic cloves, all spice berries and onion chunks in a pot. Do not add water; people may be put off by the nopal “slober” which is, by the way, totally safe to eat and not only that but even a must-eat, loaded with nutrients. One way to get rid of the problem and, at the same time, not waste such nutrients is to boil the nopal strips in their own juice. Boil over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once there are no more nopal juices in the pot and the nopal strips are tender, discard onion chunks, garlic cloves and all spice berries. Place the nopal strips in a bowl or a Mason jar.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and enjoy (or place everything in a Mason jar and shake until fully blended).
…………………………..me recordaste a mi jefa………………………………………los hacia seguido…………………………..
🙁 Celebra su vida no solamente recordando su legado, sino tambien preparando los platillos que recuerdes.
Atesora la memoria de los buenos momentos que tuvieron relacionados con esa comida.