Cooking with Nopales

Nopales (pronounced no-PAHL-ace) are vegetables made from stem segments of the prickly pear cactus plant. Although they are a very common culinary ingredient in Mexico, they remain somewhat uncommon in American cuisine. Featuring a delightfully exotic flavor, nopales may be a welcome addition to the vegetable selection of any American kitchen.

Nopales taste somewhat like green beans and are often seasoned or pickled to taste spicy, tangy, or salty. Canned, dried, or seasoned nopales are often labeled as nopalitos, and can be an ideal addition to recipes, sparing the cook the labor of seasoning and chopping the raw, whole cactus stems.

One of the most common uses of nopales is its addition to eggs, as a breakfast item or side-dish. This mix adds a zesty flavor and personality to traditional scrambled eggs or omelets. Fresh, diced tomatoes and onions can also be added to this dish for extra flavor and body.

Nopales are also sometimes added to meat stews to create an authentic Mexican flavor. Often prepared with pork, chicken, or beef, carne con nopales is an excellent, rich addition to any family's menu. Some families may enjoy serving it instead of their own standard chili, although others (including my own) enjoy adding nopales to a pre-existing chili recipe.

In tacos, enchiladas, and burritos, nopales also provide a tasty and authentic flavor experience. Spiced nopalitos can be added to a mixture of spices or vegetables, and added to meat or beans as a filler and seasoning. Tacos made with finely diced nopalitos are especially enjoyable.

Another common, healthful use of this exciting vegetable is its addition to salads. Salads made with nopalitos and other vegetables are rich and flavorful, even though nopalitos have almost no fat or carbohydrates. Seasoned nopalitos are commonly served with onions as a salad, creating a flavorful side-dish to complement almost any meal.

Offering a number of flavors not found in any other vegetable, nopales are a useful and versatile addition to any kitchen's vegetable selection. Cooking with nopales is easy to master, and provides variety and flavor to many common dishes.