Ensalada de Nopales with Avocado and Radish Recipe
This salad with cactus, avocado and crunchy radish is the Mexican answer to our spring salad with cucumber and radish. In Mexico it often appears at Sunday lunch as a light, tangy-refreshing complement to heavier meat dishes. Thanks to the avocado it’s filling, yet still very fresh.
Ensalada de nopales is one of those Mexican dishes that show how creatively you can use local ingredients – here the main role is played by delicately tangy, slightly slippery cactus. Combining nopales with creamy avocado, crunchy radish and a lime dressing creates a salad that both refreshes and pleasantly satisfies, a bit like our spring slaw but with a distinctly Latin character.
Chef's tips
Cook the nopales only until tender – if you overdo the cooking time, they’ll become too slippery and lose their structure; after cooking always rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process. Make the dressing clearly tangy, because the avocado and cactus will soften its flavor, and after a few minutes of “resting” the salad will become milder anyway. Add the avocado at the very end and mix very gently, preferably with a silicone spatula, so you don’t turn it into a paste.
How to serve
This salad works perfectly as a light, tangy contrast to heavier grilled meats like pork neck or ribs, especially during a summer bonfire or balcony BBQ. Serve it chilled, with an extra lime wedge and fresh coriander; to drink, water with lime slices, a light margarita or non-alcoholic agua de jamaica are great matches. You can also serve it in small bowls as a stand-alone light dinner with a slice of crunchy wholegrain bread.
Ingredients
- nopales cactus strips, fresh or from brine, well rinsed - 250 g
- avocado ripe but firm - 1 piece
- radish cut into thin slices - 6 pieces
- tomato medium, diced - 1 piece
- red onion cut into very thin slices - 0.5 pieces
- fresh coriander chopped leaves, can be replaced with parsley - 2 tablespoons
- lime juice for the dressing - 1 piece
- vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed or grapeseed oil - 2 tablespoons
- dried oregano preferably Mexican, but regular is fine - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- If using fresh nopales, cut them into thin strips. Put them in a pot with salted water, bring to a boil and cook for 8–10 minutes, until they soften and turn a darker color. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain very well. If using cactus from brine, just rinse and drain it.
- Cover the onion with cold water for a moment, set aside for 5 minutes, then drain – this will make its flavor milder.
- In a small bowl mix the lime juice, oil, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt or lime if needed – the dressing should be distinctly tangy.
- In a large bowl place the nopales, drained onion, tomato, radish slices and chopped coriander. Pour over the dressing and gently mix.
- Halve the avocado, remove the pit, peel or scoop out the flesh with a spoon and cut into cubes. Add to the salad at the end and mix very gently so the pieces don’t fall apart.
- Let the salad sit for 5–10 minutes at room temperature so the flavors meld, then serve.
Storage
Store leftover salad (without avocado or with very little of it) covered in the fridge for up to 1 day. If there is avocado in it, drizzle the surface with a little extra lime juice to slow browning and cover tightly. Stir gently before serving and, if you like, add some fresh avocado on top to refresh the texture.
