Tender Cactus Salad

Name: Tender Cactus Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican,
Ingredients: 7 medium fresh cactus paddles cleaned; 5 plum tomatoes diced; 8 oz queso panela crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups); 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1 1/2 tsps McCormick® Oregano, Whole Mexican; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp McCormick® Black Pepper, Ground; 6 tbsps fresh lime juice

Cactus salad, a popular dish in Mexico, uses the fleshly leaves (also known as paddles) of the prickly pear or nopal cactus. Its flavor is somewhat similar to green beans or asparagus. Fresh cactus paddles can be found in Latin American markets or specialty product markets.

20m

PREP TIME

25m

COOK TIME

71

CALORIES

9

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 8 (1 cup)

Ingredients

7 medium fresh cactus paddles, cleaned
5 plum tomatoes, diced
8 ounces queso panela, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups) Substitutions available
- queso fresco or queso blanco, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Oregano, Whole Mexican
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Ground Black Pepper
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

KEY PRODUCTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Cut cactus paddles into 3/4-inch pieces. Rinse 2 or 3 times under running water. Place cactus and water to cover in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain. Cool slightly.
2 Place cactus in large bowl. Add tomatoes, cheese, onion, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper; toss lightly. Add lime juice; toss to coat evenly. Cover.
3 Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.