Quick and easy Purslane recipe to enjoy all the benefits it has to offer. The Purslane plant is considered a weed in some many places, and since it grows almost everywhere, you can see it rising through the pavement cracks in the parking lots and sidewalks, or small grass patched next to the footpaths.
Purslane Recipe so easy!
Purslane is considered a succulent, its believed to arrive at the Mediterranean from Asia. It appears in the cuisines of Spain, Greece, and Italy.
Many people don’t realize that the Purslane plant is contemplated as a superfood due to the number of vitamins and minerals it offers. It is used as antibacterial, depurative and as a diuretic, not to mention other uses given in different cultures.
Purslane has teardrop shape leaves similar to those of succulents with a red stem, and small yellow flowers, the leaves are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which help those with cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
In Mexico, it is sold at the Municipal markets and in some large chain style grocery stores, but mostly at the municipal or ambulant markets. However, it is common for people to forager them from their local surroundings.
Purslane also appears in the cuisines of the Mediterranean like Greece, Italy, and Spain. Although, Purslane is also consumed in the Middle East & Asia.
In case you want to know what other benefits you can obtain from consuming Purslane, here are some of them: It is an excellent source of vitamin A, Calcium, zinc, manganese, copper, Potassium, iron, and phosphorous. Purslane is an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid. Alpha-linolenic is an omega-3 fatty acid which plays an essential role in human growth and development and in preventing diseases. Purslane has been shown to contain five times higher omega-3 fatty acids than spinach
Other names for Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), is little hogweed, pusley, fatweed, and pigweed. In Spanish is know as “Verdolagas” And they taste a little bit tart, you can use eat them raw in salads before their small yellow flowers appear, after that, you can use them in stews or like in this easy recipe for Steamed Purslane.
How to make Steamed Purslane Recipe
JUMP TO SEE INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS
DIRECTIONS:
- Fill a small saucepan or wide skillet with 1 cup of water, and add the garlic clove. Turn the heat to medium-high.
- Bring the water to a boil, add the Purslane, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the saucepan or skillet and keep cooking for 6 minutes. The cooking time will also depend on the tenderness of the Purslane, is it has long, and woody stems it will take more time to cook compared to tender small leaves and steams.
- Remove it from the heat and drain. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. To serve dust with the Cotija cheese or if you don’t find it, Parmesan cheese is a good substitute. Just remember that these two kinds of cheese are salty, no need to add too much salt to the purslane.
Other ways to use Purslane in cooking is to add to stews almost at the end of the cooking time, salads as mentioned above, with scrambled eggs or frittatas, and stir-fry meals.
Purslane Recipe
- If you want to reduce the number of calories, you can skip the addition of the cheese.
- Tender and young leaves have a higher amount of nutrients.
Provecho!
Mely,
Also, check the recipe Pork with purslane and Chayote Salad recipe.
If you want to know more about Purslane and his benefits, nutrition value and research, visit the "The national center of Biotechnology" website.
I really hope you consider eating this beneficial weed. Purslane.
📖 Recipe
Steamed Purslane
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Purslane
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Cotija cheese or Parmesan
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a small saucepan or wide skillet with 1 cup of water, and add the garlic clove. Turn the heat to medium-high.
- Bring the water to a boil, add the Purslane, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the saucepan or skillet and keep cooking for 6 minutes. The cooking time will also depend on the tenderness of the Purslane, is it has long, and woody stems it will take more time to cook compared to tender small leaves and steams.
- Remove it from the heat and drain. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. To serve dust with the Cotija cheese or if you don’t find it, Parmesan cheese is a good substitute. Just remember that these two kinds of cheese are salty, no need to add too much salt to the purslane.
Notes
- If you want to reduce the number of calories, you can skip the addition of the cheese.
- Tender and young leaves have a higher amount of nutrients.
Ruth Werchola
Can you freeze purslane leaves?
Mely Martínez
Hello Ruth,
Purslane becomes very fragile when you freeze it. I tried once and it didn't work for me.
Margaret
Thank you for the recipe, delicious ! After my morning swim I eat a handful of fresh purslane, then I pick some for my omelet and a big bunch for evening salad. I'm so glad I found it before I whacked it all as a weed. I no longer purchase alpha lipoid acid capsules at the health food store as my anti oxidant, since purslane contains this among other health benefits. It truly is a superfood !
Thank you once again for posting all the recipes.
Beth
Would love a recipe for the pickled purselane!
Tommy Merancio
I was raised eating them with beans. As an adult I find them growing freely in my garden. Beans can be replaced with any type of protein. I love them with tomato, onion, garlic, steak and a little bullion. Beef bullion with beef and chicken bullion with chicken. Healthy and is know to many as a super food.
Lorie
For a weed that is taking over my garden, I must say Purslane is not so bad! I tried your recipe of steaming with garlic and seasoning with lime juice. It tasted like spinach (not much flavor, but nourishing) with overtones of okra (slippery). I would gladly eat it in a famine, or put it in stews. I'll try stir-frying sometime. It seems to be a great addition to another recipe, but not a main veggie for me.
Lisa
I just made it. Boiled it with garlic in a little water in a skillet. Added park cheese and it was really good. I loved the texture and the cheese and garlic were a perfect compliment
Suzan
Thank you for this tasty and easy to prepare recipe! We have tons of purslane sprawling along the edges of our organic vegetable garden. I decided not to pull it up as a weed, because I remembered that a Greek man once told me that it is considered a delicacy. As we had so much of this free herb, I started researching on line to find out if there are health benefits. Wow! Yes there are many! So I decided to look for ways to prepare it. Tried purslane for the very first time in this recipe, and I love it! I will be enjoying this gift from the gods in this and many new recipes. Verdolagas! A much prettier name for this amazing plant.
Mely Martínez
Hello Suzan,
I hope you try the other recipes in the blog that include purslane.
costas pat
Here in Greece in our tradition when one speaks too much and very fast we say that he ate purslane."glistrida efages?"😀
Mely Martínez
Hi Costas,
Thank you for sharing about this tradition.
BATUHAN
Hello thanks for helping my homework greatings from turkey
Evelyn
Do you have a repose book for purslane? If so how c an I get one?
Evelynmae
Looking for repice book for purslane.
Mely Martínez
Hello Evelynmae,
Not sure if this is a question?
Mely Martínez
Hello Evelyn,
No, I don't have one.
Rose
can you eat the whole thing?
Mely Martínez
Hello Rose,
Yes, the steam and leaves are edible.
Lisa dawn
I just made it. Boiled it with garlic in a little water in a skillet. Added park cheese and it was really good. I loved the texture and the cheese and garlic were a perfect compliment
m.e.
Thank you for your recipe - I'm going to try it with a purslane plant I found on my rock driveway. I hope that I identified the plant correctly, since I heard there is a form with a red dot on the leaves that is poisonous. Mine has no red dot.
mmartinez
Hello m.e.
I didn't know about the one with a red dot on the leaves. Thank you for sharing that tip.
Alyce
The "lookalike" is literally not. Spurge has completely flat leaves and more branches. It lays completely flat on the ground. I don't think it looks enough like purslane to be confusing, really. Hope this helps. Wish I could share pictures. I have one of each.
Mely Martínez
Hello Alyce,
Not sure what are you referring to.
Shirley
I have this growing wildly throughout my garden i est it daily. ❤
Rene
Thankyou so much for writing about purslane and its role in Mexican food. I saw this in a market on my last trip to Jalisco. I will buy it next time and prepare it with confidence.
Cynthia
Hi there! I love verdolagas and grew up eating them with my family. We would find them fresh and if not, we always had some canned or new a family member that did. My favorite way to have them is with beans. You sauté minced garlic, chopped onion and tomato, then add chopped purslane. Once it’s wilted, you add any type of cooked beans such as pinto, mayocaba or black. Let it simmer for a few minutes and serve. So delicious! I’ve never had verdolagas alone, so tonight I’m going to try s recipe. Thank you!
mmartinez
Hello Cynthia,
Enjoy!
Leslie
I love them. I am excited about trying them w beans. I use these fresh and uncooked w cous cous or frekka, tomatoes olive oil and lemon and cucumber for a great middle eastern salad that goes well with
Grilled meats or veggies.
Teri
Mely, this recipe brings memories of my grandparents who were.from Mexico. Everytime we cleared the weeds in the patio, my abuelita would.bring a bowl to collect the verdolagas to cook and eat with cena.
mmartinez
Hola Tari,
Such lovely memories, I can't help myself to think of my mom everything I'm cutting the Verdolagas. Some foods are really full of memories. Thank you for visiting. Thank you for sharing yours!
Margaret Martinez
I blanched my verdolagas in salt water,,and shocked them in ice water,,,the next day the water that I left sitting on the stove was black,,,
Mely Martínez
Interesting! never hear about it, we always throw the water right away.