Cactus and Pinto Bean Salad
Cactus and pinto bean salad is an iconic meal. You’ll never go wrong pairing these two ancient and iconic ingredients: nopalitos and pinto beans. The pairing is as natural as you can get.
The Caddo people, known as the Hasinai kingdom, grew beans and traded them with other Texas Indigenous groups. A Spanish priest who lived among the Caddo people, Fray Francisco Casañas de Jesús María, reports in 1691 that the Caddo farmers planted at least five varieties of beans.
Cactus has been integral to our culture for more than 9,000 years. Evidence of cactus is found in Hinds Cave, a unique and important archaeological site, near Del Rio, Texas. Our Texas ancestors not only ate the nutritious cactus paddles and the prickly pear fruit but also used the dried pads as pouches for carrying stuff. Hinds Cave has flooring mats that are made of dried cactus paddles dated to 6400 BC. The floor mats were used to cover the dusty floor. The spines, of course, were removed.
From The Texas Mexican Plant-Based Cookbook by Adán Medrano
Ingredients (serves 6)
1/4 lb. (1/2 cup) dried pinto beans
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
1 lb nopalitos, small dice
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 cup tomato, small dice
1/2 cup red onion, small dice
1 Tbs green chile serrano, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 tsp raw agave nectar
1 tsp fresh Mexican oregano, minced
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
Method
1. In a saucepan, add 2 cups of water, beans, garlic, salt, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover, and boil for about 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until the beans are soft. Watch the beans regularly and add water as needed. Allow the beans to cool, then drain. Save the water to make bean soup or for enfrijoladas. (I’ll share those recipes in upcoming posts).
2. In a saucepan, add the diced nopalitos, 1 cup of water, and 1 tsp. salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Set aside and allow the nopalitos to cool.
–To make the vinaigrette
Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, agave nectar, salt, and minced oregano until it emulsifies. Alternately, place in a jar and shake vigorously.
–To make the salad
Mix together the drained beans, drained nopalitos, tomatoes, onion, and chile serrano. Add the vinaigrette and mix thoroughly. Adjust the salt as desired.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.