Cactus (aka nopal) is a vegetable that too few people appreciate (outside of the few cultures that consume it regularly, of course). If you are one of those people who have never tried it, you are missing out on a unique and versatile addition to your kitchen. It has a refreshing, lightly citrusy flavor and holds up well under nearly any cooking method. It can be used in soups, sautes, salsas, and chili – but perhaps the most common use for it is as a taco filling.
This recipe is our own take on the classic “napolitos” – a dish traditionally made from diced cactus, onion, peppers, and tomatoes. Since I am not much of a tomato fan (and Chele is sensitive to them) they don’t make an appearance in our version. For an extra twist on the formula, we’ve topped ours with yet another ingredient that you probably aren’t familiar with: guajes. These are the seeds from a type of Acacia tree, and aren’t seen often outside of Mexican cuisine. They look a bit like shelled pumpkin seeds, but they are tender and pack a serious garlic-flavored punch. They aren’t truly necessary to enjoy this recipe, but well worth trying if you have access to them.
Aside from trying out some new ingredients, this recipe really shines for how quick it is. This one is perfect for nights where you need to make dinner in a hurry. Or you can invite friends and family over and impress them by serving them something “exotic” (you don’t even need to tell them how easy it was to make.)
If you have access to a store that sells pre-cleaned and/or pre-cut napoles, you can drastically cut down the prep time and be in and out of the kitchen with these in 15 minutes or less. But if all you can find is whole cactus paddles – complete with spines – there is no need to fret. Cleaning them is rather simple and goes quickly once you get the hang of it. (See recipe notes for instructions).
This should easily make a dozen tacos or more. This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly. See recipe notes for tips on adjusting this to dairy-free, nightshade-free, and/or vegan.
Cactus Tacos with Guajes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs oil
- 4 cloves garlic ,minced
- 1 medium onion ,diced
- 1 lb fresh cactus (nopales) ,diced
- 1 poblano pepper ,diced
- 1 Tbs cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbs fresh cilantro ,minced
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce (we use Cholula with Lime)
- 2 Tbs water
- juice of 1 lime
- 12 soft corn tortillas
Toppings
- fresh guajes seeds
- crumbled queso fresco
- sour cream
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cactus and poblano. Continue cooking until softened and the cactus changes color from bright green to olive-colored, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in cumin, salt, hot sauce, cilantro, and 2 Tbsp water. Reduce heat to low simmer for 5 minutes or until water has evaporated (the mixture should seem slightly sticky at this point due to the cactus sap). Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice.
- Warm the tortillas on a hot, dry skillet or comal. Fill tortillas with cactus filling and top with queso fresco, sour cream, hot sauce, and guajes.
Notes
- Fresh cactus (aka. nopales) are readily available at Hispanic markets as well as most mainstream supermarkets that stock Hispanic produce (look for them near the chile peppers). Some stores even offer bags of cleaned, pre-cut cactus that are ready use – just pour it straight into the pan. (Here in the Chicago area, Meijer and Tony’s Fresh Market regularly carry cut cactus).
- To clean whole cactus pads, first lay the paddle flat on a cutting board and trim off the entire perimeter to remove the spines along the edges. Then, pick it up by the stem end and simply slice of all off the nodules where the spines protrude from the flat side (a sharp knife will help this go faster. Wear gloves!). Once you get the hang of it, the process goes quickly, and you should only need 2 or 3 paddles for this recipe.
- Guajes (also spelled huajes) aren’t very well known outside of Mexican cuisine. The pods resemble extremely long, flat snow peas, and are typically sold in bundles. Look for them in Hispanic markets and specialty grocers (again, if you are in the Chicago area, Tony’s often has them). Peeling the seeds out of the pods can seem like a chore at first, but it is quite easy to do once you get the hang of it. The fastest method we have found is to cut off both ends of the pod, and then slice off the outer ribs on the top and bottom. The walls of the pod should be easy to peel apart at that point, and the seeds will be easy to brush out. You will probably want about ¼ cup of seeds for this recipe.
- For a heartier meal, try adding some refried beans to the tacos.
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The cactus mixture is also stellar with eggs. Use your leftovers for scrambles or omelets for breakfast the next morning, or scramble a few eggs into the mix from the get-go to turn these into breakfast tacos. Or add crumbled tortilla chips to the mix to turn them into “migas”.
- For a nightshade-free version: omit the poblano. If you have access to them, try substituting diced xoconostles (sour prickly pears) for the peppers.
- For dairy-free and vegan: simply skip the sour cream and cheese toppings, or use your favorite non-dairy substitutes.
