Nopales salad: ingredients and preparation

What this nopales salad is and when to make it

A nopales salad turns fresh cactus paddles into a bright, tangy side. The paddles are cleaned of their spines, cut into small pieces and cooked with onion until their liquid cooks away. Once cool, they are tossed with tomato, fresh chile and cilantro, seasoned with lime, salt and oil, and finished with cheese. The method here follows Rick Bayless's nopal cactus salad.

The recipe suits cooks who want to work ahead. The cactus can be cooked, cooled and refrigerated in advance, with the fresh vegetables and dressing added shortly before serving.

Ingredients

1 pound small cactus paddles (nopales)
A couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, divided
Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon for cooking, plus more to season)
1 small white onion, sliced
6 ounces tomato, diced
1 to 2 serrano chiles, or 1 jalapeño, to taste
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
A few tablespoons of cheese for garnish (optional)

Equipment

Tongs, for holding the paddles while you clean them
A sharp knife and cutting board
A skillet with a lid
A tray or baking sheet for spreading the cooked cactus to cool
A mixing bowl for assembly
A grill, only if you use the grilled variation

Step 1: Clean the paddles

Cactus paddles carry small spiny nodes, so do not hold them bare-handed. Grip each paddle with tongs. Trim away the thin outer edge all the way around, then cut off the thick base where the paddle was attached. With the knife, scrape across both faces to remove the spiny nodes. Before moving on, run the knife over the surface again and check that no nodes remain.

Step 2: Cut to size

Cut the cleaned paddles into 1/2-inch squares or 1/4-inch strips. Keep the pieces a consistent size within a batch so they cook evenly.

Step 3: Cook the cactus with onion

Put the cut cactus and sliced onion in the skillet with 1 tablespoon oil and about 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The cactus will release liquid.
Uncover and keep cooking, stirring, for about 5 minutes more.
Stop when the liquid has evaporated and the pan begins to sizzle.
Spread the mixture out on a tray to cool.

Change course based on the pan, not the clock. If liquid is still pooling after the second 5 minutes, keep cooking uncovered until it is gone and you hear sizzling.

Grilled variation

Bayless also offers a grilled version. Clean the paddles but leave them whole. Brush them with oil, sprinkle with salt and grill until browned and limp. Let them cool, then cut into squares or strips and continue with assembly.

Step 4: Assemble and season

In a bowl, combine the cooled cactus and onion with the diced tomato, chile and cilantro. Season with lime juice, salt and a little more oil. Taste and adjust. If it tastes flat, add lime or salt. Use the higher end of the chile range for more heat. Sprinkle the cheese over the top just before serving.

How to judge each stage

Stage	What to look or listen for
Cleaning	Edge and base trimmed; no spiny nodes left on either face
Covered cooking	Cactus has released its liquid into the pan
Uncovered cooking	Liquid evaporated and the pan has started to sizzle
Grilling (variation)	Paddles browned and limp
Assembly	Balanced tang, salt and heat after tasting

Choosing the chile

The recipe accepts either 1 to 2 serranos or a single jalapeño. Choose based on how much heat you want, and adjust the amount to taste.

Making it ahead

For advance preparation, Bayless advises cooling the cooked nopales quickly and completely before refrigerating them. Spreading them out in a thin layer helps them cool faster. Assemble the salad shortly before serving.