Nopale has been a versatile staple of Mexican cuisine for centuries. It's right at home in soups, stews, tortilla fillings, egg dishes, salsas, and more. It's also surprisingly nutritious: Nopale cactus is a good source of vitamins A and C, it's high in fiber, and it's low carb, too.
In addition to the nopale pads that are eaten as a vegetable, the same plant also produces a fruit called the prickly pear. Almost all the nopale for sale commercially is farm-raised in Mexico and the US, so there's no environmental concern about over harvesting of wild stocks.
Prepared nopale cactus already cut into long strips (called nopalitos) can be found in jars in Latino markets and in the International or Mexican foods section of many supermarkets. It need only be cut to the desired length for your dish. Be sure to rinse the strips before use, as nopale is somewhat mucilaginous.
If you find fresh nopale in the market, choose firm, fresh-looking pads (not wrinkled or dried out) with a healthy green color and a minimum of blemishes. Fresh nopale pads are easy to prepare: scrape the pads with the edge of a knife to remove the 'eyes' (spine stems) and any tiny spines that remain (wear gloves for this part); rinse well. Trim away the top, bottom, and any dark spots (some people trim the edges all the way around also), then simmer in lightly salted water 10-15 minutes until crisp-tender. You can also grill nopale pads for added flavor.
Once cooked, fresh nopale pads can be cut into strips or small pieces and used in any recipe where you would use green bell peppers. Or just toss the strips (boiled or grilled) while still warm with a little salt, fresh lime juice, and fruity olive oil for a tasty surprise.