Like okra, there’s a bit of a slime factor when you cook them, but that can be easily rinsed away. The prickly pear cactus grows all over the southwestern United States and the mediterranean and the young, tender paddles are a staple in Mexican cooking. You can either buy the young paddles whole, and then prep them by wearing thick gloves and gently scraping off the sharp spines, or you can do what most of us do which is to buy them already de-prickled and chopped. You can even buy them already canned. Find fresh chopped nopalitos already prepped and bagged at any Mexican market. Like green beans and okra, nopalitos love being paired with tomatoes and onions. This classic Mexican salad is sort of like a hefty pico de gallo mixed in with nopalitos. Serve the salad as a side to steak or any Mexican dish, or delight your vegan friends by using this salad as a filling for tacos! Health Benefits of Nopales from Organic Facts Cactus and Corn Salsa here on Simply Recipes Nopalitos with Tomatoes and Onions here on Simply Recipes How to Cook Cactus Paddles from Mexico in my Kitchen
