Recipe courtesy of Mary Sue Milliken
and
Susan Feniger
Cactus Salad
- Level: Easy
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 804
- Total Fat
- 80
- Saturated Fat
- 14
- Carbohydrates
- 18
- Dietary Fiber
- 10
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 8
- Cholesterol
- 17
- Sodium
- 1035
- Total: 3 hr 10 min
- Prep: 3 hr
- Cook: 10 min
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh or prepared cactus paddles or nopales, needles removed
3/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 Italian Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 to 2 medium serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
2 bunches cilantro, leaves only, chopped
1/2 cup finely grated Cotija or Anejo cheese
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 lettuce leaves
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced for garnish
1/4 cup cracked black pepper garnish, recipe follows
CRACKED BLACK PEPPER GARNISH
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Preheat grill or broiler. Place cactus paddles in a bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Grill or broil the paddles until grill marks appear on each side, or they turn dark green with black patches, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover and chill 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Cut cactus into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine the cactus, tomatoes, onions, chiles, cilantro and cheese with the remaining 1/2 cup oil, the vinegar, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Toss well. Serve on plates lined with lettuce leaves, and garnish with avocado slices sprinkled with cracked pepper garnish.
CRACKED BLACK PEPPER GARNISH
- In a small bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Spoon over vegetables or drizzle lightly over dressed salads as a garnish.