Ensalada de Nopales, also known as cactus salad or simply nopalitos, is a nutritious Mexican side dish full of Mexican flavor. It combines fresh nopales (cactus paddles) with tomatoes and onion to create a versatile dish bursting with flavor and nutrition.

My mother’s nopales salad can be enjoyed as a side dish, on a tostada, stuffed into a cheese quesadilla or taco, or mixed into omelets.

WHAT ARE NOPALES?

Nopales are the flat, oval-shaped pads or paddles of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia genus). They are a common ingredient in Mexican and southwestern cuisine where they are cooked or blended into agua fresca and jugos. A few more fun facts about nopales:

Flavor: Their flavor is often described as tangy and slightly citrusy
Texture: Nopales are known for their unique texture, similar to green beans, and release a slimy liquid, we call “baba,” when cooked
Nutrients: They are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, including vitamin C, magnesium, and calcium

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CACTUS PADDLES?

Dishes with nopales can be found on restaurant menus throughout Mexico and nopal recipes are growing in popularity in the U.S. One reason may be due to their health benefits. Cactus paddles are believed to:

Aid in digestion
Help regulate blood sugar levels (glucose and insulin) and cholesterol
Have anti-inflammatory properties, among other health-related benefits

INGREDIENTS FOR ENSALADA DE NOPALES

Fresh nopales: these are typically sold as whole paddles or chopped in a one-pound plastic bag
Oil: I like to use olive oil in this recipe
Cebolla: white, green, or yellow onion work
Garlic: a few cloves add a lot of flavor
Tomato: any variety works well, I typically use Roma though
Salt: this is really the only seasoning you need for this recipe, although some people like to add powdered chicken bouillon
Cold water: add this at the very end to finish the cooking process

WHERE TO BUY NOPALES

Find these in Latin or Mexican markets, some grocery stores (in the fresh produce section), or harvested from prickly pear cactus plants. They are usually sold as whole paddles, which require cleaning, or cleaned and chopped in small bags.

TOOLS, SUPPLIES, AND EQUIPMENT

Cutting board
Knife
Bowl
Large skillet or pan
Wooden spatula

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Step 1

First, prepare ingredients: Peel nopales. If working with whole cactus paddles is new to you, check out my step-by-step guide on How to Clean Nopales. If using chopped nopales, make sure they’re about the same size as the onion and tomate (roughly 1 cm x 1 cm). Mince garlic.

Step 2:

Then, cook the nopales and onion: Prepare the pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add nopales and onion. The nopales will begin to release a gelatinous (slimy) liquid. Continue to cook and move frequently with a wooden spatula until gelatinous liquid has been absorbed and nopales and onions are soft, then add garlic and mix well.

The cooked nopales will transform from a bright green to more of an olive green color and onions will become translucent.

Step 3

Next, add tomato, season, and simmer: Add tomato, salt and water, then mix well once again. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt (a tu gusto) if necessary.

Step 4

Finally, enjoy: Serve ensalada de nopales warm as a main dish alongside frijoles de la olla or refried beans and warm corn tortillas, as a side dish with eggs, or as a topping for sopes and tostadas.

TIPS, TRICKS AND VARIATIONS

Consider serving cactus salad on a warm corn tortilla and tossing in some queso fresco or queso panela and salsa
For an extra burst of freshness, toss cooked nopales with chopped cilantro, diced avocados, and a sprinkle of jugo de limón (lime juice) in a large bowl
For extra spice in your ensalada de nopal, mix in a chopped jalapeño pepper or chile serrano while cooking

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