Roasted Nopal Bell Pepper Salad Recipe

I had grilled nopal first time in Guadalajara and I loved it. Ever since, I wanted to cook nopal at home. Couple of days ago I go slot bough fresh nopal.  Here is my very first cactus recipe – roasted nopal bell pepper salad for you to try.

I’m currently on a mission to introduce new local and not so local food to my high school girlfriend from Ukraine who is going back to Ukraine soon. “Are you going to make me eat cactus? Do you even know how to cook it? Have you ever cooked it? “ she asked when she saw cactus leaves on the kitchen counter. “Yes, no and no. But I’ll figure out abs it will taste great! I responded. It did came out great and I will definitely cook it again. So, here is my very new roasted nopal recipe that I came up with couple of days ago. 

Roasted Nopal Bell Pepper Salad Recipe

What is nopal?

Nopal cactus, also known as the prickly pear cactus, is found natively in the southwestern regions of the United States and in Mexico. Both leaves and fruits are edible and both taste great.

Where to buy fresh nopal leaves?

Here, in San Diego , you can find it virtually everywhere, almost all grocery stores cell fresh nopal. You can find it in Mexican grocery stores or even order it online from Amazon fresh.

How to make Roasted Nopal Bell Pepper Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of sliced nopal cactus leaves
• 1 large red pepper sliced
• 1 large sweet onion chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 
• 2 tb spoon brown sugar 
• 2 tb spoon avocado oil (vegetable oil will work too)

Dressing :

• 1 tb spoon olive oil 
• 1/3 lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon tajine

Instructions :

1. Heat 1 tb spoon of vegetable oil on high, add nopal. Cook nopal leaves for 5 minutes, add minced garlic and cook for another 7-10 minutes constantly steering. The nopal will become less and less slimy and eventually all the slime disappears. You can add a pinch of salt when cooking the cactus if you want. Put cooked cactus on a plate and let cool down completely.
2. Make caramelized onion.  In a medium size pan heat one tbs spoon of vegetable oil on high for couple of minutes, add onion and cook it on high for 5 -7 minutes until golden. Switch to medium, add brown sugar, continue cooking until the sugar dissolves completely. Turn off the heat and let the onion cool down.
3. In a separate bowl mix together all dressing ingredients. You can put all the ingredients in a mason jar, close the lid and shake it well. 
4. Put cooked cactus, red pepper, caramelized onion snd cilantro in a large salad bowl, mix, add dressing, mix again and enjoy

Here, you have it, my very own cactus bell pepper recipe. Try it and let me know how it came out.