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Nopales Salad

Name: Nopales Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 jar nopales (drained); 1 cup tomato, chopped; 1 cup onion, chopped; 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped; 2 lemons, juiced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; salt and pepper, to taste

Prep 15 min
Total 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients 7
Servings 5

I grew up in East Los Angeles. Growing up surrounded by Mexican heritage, I loved the block I lived on for many reasons. One such reason is the señoras, or older women, of my neighborhood that would go from house to house to swap dishes or share recipes. It was a great way to get social (and nosy) with everyone on the street, and also to sample different cooking. During the cold months it was all about trading and talking about different soups. “What did so-and-so’s soup taste like?” or “Try this recipe if you’re not feeling well.” During the blistering hot summer months, easy, fast and fresh recipes were passed around. The señoras were huge on nopal salads. I have to say that in my formative years, I was not into these salads at all. I guess it was the consistency that turned me off. It wasn’t until I was well into my 20s that I made a complete 180 for these very traditional, edible cactus paddles. A huge point of contingency for me now is how nourishing they are. I’ve tried a few variations of this salad and I think that this particular recipe is my favorite. Try it out this summer and be refreshed with this classic, Mexican comfort food.

Ingredients

1 jar nopales (drained)
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix together.
2

Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and place in the fridge for an hour or overnight. Enjoy!

Once served, sprinkle additional lemon juice or the dressing of your choice over the top for extra flavor.

No nutrition information available for this recipe

I grew up in East Los Angeles. Growing up surrounded by Mexican heritage, I loved the block I lived on for many reasons. One such reason is the señoras, or older women, of my neighborhood that would go from house to house to swap dishes or share recipes. It was a great way to get social (and nosy) with everyone on the street, and also to sample different cooking. During the cold months it was all about trading and talking about different soups. “What did so-and-so’s soup taste like?” or “Try this recipe if you’re not feeling well.” During the blistering hot summer months, easy, fast and fresh recipes were passed around. The señoras were huge on nopal salads. I have to say that in my formative years, I was not into these salads at all. I guess it was the consistency that turned me off. It wasn’t until I was well into my 20s that I made a complete 180 for these very traditional, edible cactus paddles. A huge point of contingency for me now is how nourishing they are. I’ve tried a few variations of this salad and I think that this particular recipe is my favorite. Try it out this summer and be refreshed with this classic, Mexican comfort food.