Nopal Cactus Juice
The other green smoothie? Yes, this could be called the other green shake, juice or smoothie (except that it has been consumed for years way before the green smoothie craze started here in the states). This drink, made with Nopales and fruits like pineapple and orange juice, has been around for years in Mexico.
The Healthy and Medicinal benefits have been exalted by doctors and regular human beings like us that swear by the advantages your whole body will obtain just by drinking this refreshing drink every morning. Some people will drink it to treat their diabetes, others for gastrointestinal illnesses. I just drink it to add more fiber to my diet once in a while when fresh nopales are available at my local Latin Market.
I have posted recipes using Nopales before, and some of its history and benefits can be found in these links:
How to cook Nopales, Grilled Nopales, Nopales Salad and Nopales with Chorizo.
And here, the easy to make a recipe for the Nopal Smoothie:
Nopal Cactus Juice
Instructions:
- Chop the nopal in small pieces, making sure there aren’t any needles left on the skin. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Chop the pineapple slice into cubes
- Place all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth, and… voilà!
NOPAL CACTUS JUICE
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized fresh nopal pad needles removed
- 1 slice of fresh pineapple
- 1 cup of fresh orange juice or water
- A sprig of parsley and ice cubes optional
Instructions
- Chop the nopal into small pieces, making sure there aren’t any needles left on the skin.
- Chop the pineapple slice into cubes
- Place all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth, and… voilà!
See? I told you it was easy! Enjoy and make your own mixes and come back to let me know about them to try at home.
Provecho!
Mely Martinez,
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Gloria in CA
June 18, 2013 at 2:58 amOh my word Mely!! I started to read this and when I seen it said smoothie, I ran or hobbled as my knees allowed to with a knife and tongs and found my hubbers out there in the orchard watering. I said excitedly, "Eloy, Eloy, help me cut some nopales, my blogger friend Mely makes smoothies with them and I want to try it tomorrow." So we cut a few off and tomorrow I will try this. Thanks for the recipe, I'm looking forward to it. Raw nopales, right?
Mely
June 24, 2013 at 3:33 amGloria you have to come back and tell me if you tried the Nopal smoothie.
Saludos,
Mely
Nora
June 18, 2013 at 5:15 pmMely, yo pongo todo a congelar, también le pongo espicacas o alfalfa y apio (las espinacas frescas) jugo de naranja o de piña y agua. Queda bien helado y qué rico y saludable.
Besos
Prieta
June 20, 2013 at 4:27 amAy,ay,ay! A mi que me encantan los nopales pero no me ánimo a tomar liquados de nopal. Mi mamá los ha preparado toda la vida pero nunca me hizo probarlos, no salen babosos? Sorry, Mily, I don't know about this…
nataliiiiiia
June 22, 2013 at 7:58 pmMe encanta este licuado, yo lo hago un poco diferente. Espero poner la receta pronto : ) Muchas felicidades por tu blog!
Mely
June 24, 2013 at 3:24 amEso es lo padre de el nopal verdad, que se puede mezclar con muchas cosas y no demerita el sabor de los otros ingredientes.
Saludos,
Mely
Karen
June 24, 2013 at 7:26 pmI've never heard of this – it sure sounds good and really refreshing.
flanandapplepie
July 17, 2013 at 1:05 amYum! Mely, este licuado se ve riquísimo. The next time I see nopales at the store, I'm definitely going to give it a try. Two in one…flavor and health 🙂
flanandapplepie
July 17, 2013 at 1:05 amYum! Mely, este licuado se ve riquísimo. The next time I see nopales at the store, I'm definitely going to give it a try. Two in one…flavor and health 🙂
Anonymous
November 2, 2013 at 2:28 pmesto se be muy saludable y riquisimo gracias x el tip
Mely
November 3, 2013 at 11:06 pmQue lo disfrutes!
Marcela Rosas
February 24, 2014 at 9:28 pmHi Mely,
Does blending the nopal remove the gel (baba) consistency? I tried juicing nopales with a slow juicer and I just couldn't drink it. If you have any tips on removing the gel without cooking, please let me know! thanks!
Mely
February 26, 2014 at 7:08 pmHello Marcela,
It doesn't look too gel-like when making the smoothie in the blender. Add fruits and enjoy.
Happy Cooking!
duane davis
January 9, 2015 at 7:32 pmIf you add water it will thin the drink 🙂
Happy
Terry Alaniz
January 23, 2015 at 8:51 pmAdd cucumber to the nopal and pineapple
Mely Martinez
January 23, 2015 at 10:52 pmYes! Terry Alaniz, some people, not everybody, like to add cucumber.
Connie
July 19, 2015 at 2:23 pmTaste wonderful! Can you make in large batches and store in the fridge? Okay for a daily smoothie?
mmartinez
July 19, 2015 at 7:44 pmHello Connie,
Maybe, you can freeze it for a few days. Pineapple tends to ferment, even when you store it in the the freezer.
Saludos!
Paty
July 29, 2018 at 12:27 pmSe puede usar nopales que vienen en un frasco? Dónde vivo no puedo conseguir frescos?
Gracias
mmartinez
July 30, 2018 at 8:15 amHola Paty,
Se que se pueden usar para hacer guisado, pero me imagino que ya algunas personas lo han tratado con esos nopales en salmuera. Si los pruebas y sabe bueno, nos avisas.
Liz
December 30, 2018 at 1:14 pmThis jugo verde is crazy good! I always love the cleansing properties of this drink every year when I go to Mexico. It is SO easy to make because you don’t cook the nopales, use it raw. You can add fresh spinach to it or a chopped stalk of celery too, then blend. This is the best treat for my body I know. Thanks for posting it on your site. Salúd!
mmartinez
December 30, 2018 at 7:14 pmHello Liz,
Glad to know you like the Nopal Juice, and yes you can add other ingredients like spinach.