Oaxacan · Salad

Ensalada de Nopalitos con Chile Guajillo

Name: Ensalada de Nopalitos con Chile Guajillo
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Oaxacan
Ingredients: 440 g nopales, dethorned and cut into 2.5 cm strips (about 4 cups); 3 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole; 25 g white onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup); 2 tsp sea salt, for the second boil; 110 g nopales, dethorned and cut into 2.5 cm strips (about 1 cup); 1½ tbsp sea salt, for curing; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp garlic, minced; 1 guajillo chile, stem and seeds removed, cut into thin strips; 1 chile de arbol, stem and seeds removed; 1½ tsp dried oregano; 1 pinch freshly ground cumin, a dash; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; sea salt, plus more to taste, to taste; 1 tsp white vinegar

A cactus salad built two ways: boiled nopales tossed in a garlicky guajillo and oregano sauté, then finished with a handful of salt-cured raw ones for colour and snap. Tangy, meaty and made for anything wrapped in a tortilla.

YieldServes 4
Hands-on35 min
Total1 h
Difficulty

Ingredients

Boiled nopales

440 gnopales, dethorned and cut into 2.5 cm strips (about 4 cups)
3 clovesgarlic, peeled, left whole
25 gwhite onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 tspsea salt, for the second boil

Cured nopales

110 gnopales, dethorned and cut into 2.5 cm strips (about 1 cup)
1½ tbspsea salt, for curing

Sauté

1 tbspolive oil
1 tspgarlic, minced
1guajillo chile, stem and seeds removed, cut into thin strips
1chile de arbol, stem and seeds removed
1½ tspdried oregano
1 pinchfreshly ground cumin, a dash
to tastefreshly ground black pepper
to tastesea salt, plus more to taste
1 tspwhite vinegar

Diet

Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
Vegan

Contains

Olive
Prickly pear (cactus fruit)
Nightshades (any)
Chili peppers
Onion family (any)
Onion
Garlic
Oregano
Black and white pepper
Cumin
Chili heat (capsaicin)

Taste

Heat
Sour / bright
Salty
Bitter
Richness / fat
Herbal / fresh
Aromatic spice

Texture

Chewy

Equipment

Stovetop

Season

Any season

Occasion

Weeknight

Effort

20–45 min active
30–60 min total
Difficulty 2
Make-ahead friendly

Nutrition

Calories: low
Protein: low
Carbs: low
Fat: low
Fiber: moderate
Sodium: high

Budget

Budget: low

What it costs to shop for

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Method

The method is for members

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