About this recipe
Nopales con huevos, cactus paddles with eggs, is a traditional Mexican-style breakfast dish that combines scrambled eggs with the unique flavor and texture of nopal (edible cactus). To make this breakfast even easier, I use store-bought nopales in brine (cactus paddles).
This vegan version of Nopales con Huevo is perfect for anyone looking to enjoy the flavors of a traditional Mexican-style breakfast using eggs or a vegan egg substitute (JustEgg) to replicate the same texture and taste as the original.
What are nopales?
The nopal cactus is an edible cactus that grows in Mexico and parts of the southern United States. Nopales are the edible pads or leaves of the prickly pear cactus, scientifically known as Opuntia. They are a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine and eaten in other Latin American countries.
Nopales have a slightly tart flavor and a crunchy texture and are often used in salads, soups, stews, tacos, and other dishes. They are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals and are low in calories.
Ingredients
- Nopales. It’s faster to use nopales in a jar, and I can always have them on hand.
- Onion, use red or white onion.
- Egg, if you don’t like to use vegan egg substitutes (just egg), use tofu. In the recipe for green beans with egg, I tell you how to use it.
How to cook nopales?
If you are using fresh nopales, this is how to clean and cook them. Before cooking the nopales, it is necessary to clean and cook them to soften their texture and eliminate excess slime. To do this, follow these steps:
- Wash the nopales with cold water to remove any dirt.
- Cut and discard the edges and spines of each nopal with a sharp knife.
- Cut the nopales into strips or small pieces, as you prefer.
- Place the nopales in a pot with enough water to cover them, and add a pinch of salt.
- Boil the nopales over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until soft and tender.
- Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to remove excess slime.
How to make nopales con huevos?
To prepare storebought nopales (cooked nopales), you have to open the jar, drain it, and remove spices or other vegetables (onion and chiles). Add the vegetable oil and onion in a frying pan, preferably non-stick. Leave for one minute, add the nopales, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the eggs into the nopales and season with salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
How to serve the egg with nopales?
To make tacos, you can serve this classic Mexican breakfast with freshly made corn tortillas or avocado oil flour tortillas. This recipe is also excellent to use for stuffing corn gorditas or sopes.
Serve Mexican salsa such as salsa verde, salsa Tlaquepaque or salsa de tomate y chile serrano. Serve with refried beans or frijoles de olla.
NOPALES con huevo
Equipment
- 1 nonstick frying pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup sliced onion
- 1 16 oz container vegan egg or 8 eggs
- 1 30 oz jar nopales drained and rinsed
Instructions
- To prepare the storebought nopales, you have to open the jar, drain it and remove spices or other vegetables from it (onion and chiles).
- To prepare heat up some vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet and toss in the chopped onions. After a minute, add the nopales and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Then, add the vegan eggsubstitute and sprinkle some salt for seasoning. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the egg is fully cooked as per your preference.If you are preparing this with regular eggs, whisk the eggs first and then pour into the pan.
Notes
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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