• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mexico In My Kitchen
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
×

You are here: Home » Recipes » Vegetarian

Steamed Purslane Recipe

Published: Aug 24, 2018 · Updated: Jan 13, 2019 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

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 steamed

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 recipe - 2 Purslane benefits, how to cook and nutrition.

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.

Purslane recipe - 3 Purslane benefits, how to cook and nutrition.

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:

Purslane recipe - 4 Purslane benefits, how to cook and nutrition.
  • 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 -5 Purslane benefits, how to cook and nutrition.

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

Purslane recipe

Steamed Purslane

Mely Martínez
Quick and Easy Purslane Recipe. Purslane has been shown to contain five times higher omega-3 fatty acids than spinach
4.83 from 17 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course Side dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 2
Calories 124 kcal

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. 

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 235mgPotassium: 494mgVitamin A: 2270IUVitamin C: 29.4mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 4.6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Vegetarian

  • Guava Jam Recipe
    Guava Jam Recipe
  • Mexican squash with cheese and tomato sauce
    Mexican Squash with Cheese
  • Creamy corn soup - 1
    Cream of corn soup Recipe
  • stuffed squash blossoms
    Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply & Rating Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Ruth Werchola

    March 18, 2023 at 1:15 pm

    Can you freeze purslane leaves?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      March 19, 2023 at 3:03 pm

      Hello Ruth,
      Purslane becomes very fragile when you freeze it. I tried once and it didn't work for me.

      Reply
  2. Margaret

    September 09, 2021 at 9:10 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  3. Beth

    July 25, 2021 at 4:47 pm

    Would love a recipe for the pickled purselane!

    Reply
  4. Tommy Merancio

    July 20, 2021 at 1:45 am

    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.

    Reply
  5. Lorie

    August 08, 2020 at 10:22 am

    3 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      June 30, 2022 at 12:24 pm

      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

      Reply
  6. Suzan

    August 01, 2020 at 8:46 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      August 03, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      Hello Suzan,
      I hope you try the other recipes in the blog that include purslane.

      Reply
      • costas pat

        August 21, 2020 at 6:34 am

        5 stars
        Here in Greece in our tradition when one speaks too much and very fast we say that he ate purslane."glistrida efages?"😀

      • Mely Martínez

        August 21, 2020 at 2:32 pm

        Hi Costas,
        Thank you for sharing about this tradition.

      • BATUHAN

        May 06, 2021 at 6:41 pm

        Hello thanks for helping my homework greatings from turkey

  7. Evelyn

    July 23, 2020 at 6:22 am

    Do you have a repose book for purslane? If so how c an I get one?

    Reply
    • Evelynmae

      July 23, 2020 at 6:27 am

      Looking for repice book for purslane.

      Reply
      • Mely Martínez

        July 23, 2020 at 12:13 pm

        Hello Evelynmae,
        Not sure if this is a question?

    • Mely Martínez

      July 23, 2020 at 12:14 pm

      Hello Evelyn,
      No, I don't have one.

      Reply
    • Rose

      January 28, 2022 at 10:17 pm

      can you eat the whole thing?

      Reply
      • Mely Martínez

        January 29, 2022 at 11:29 am

        Hello Rose,
        Yes, the steam and leaves are edible.

      • Lisa dawn

        June 30, 2022 at 12:24 pm

        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

  8. m.e.

    June 10, 2019 at 11:07 am

    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.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      June 12, 2019 at 12:51 pm

      Hello m.e.
      I didn't know about the one with a red dot on the leaves. Thank you for sharing that tip.

      Reply
      • Alyce

        June 21, 2020 at 8:41 am

        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

        June 30, 2020 at 5:53 pm

        Hello Alyce,
        Not sure what are you referring to.

      • Shirley

        August 05, 2021 at 10:00 am

        I have this growing wildly throughout my garden i est it daily. ❤

    • Rene

      July 12, 2019 at 9:59 pm

      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.

      Reply
  9. Cynthia

    May 29, 2019 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      June 03, 2019 at 4:11 pm

      Hello Cynthia,
      Enjoy!

      Reply
    • Leslie

      June 10, 2021 at 8:25 am

      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.

      Reply
  10. Teri

    August 30, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      August 31, 2018 at 7:50 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Margaret Martinez

        August 25, 2020 at 6:14 pm

        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

        August 25, 2020 at 6:18 pm

        Interesting! never hear about it, we always throw the water right away.

Primary Sidebar

About me

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.
Read more...

Order your copy now!

Mexican Cookbook
The Mexican Home Kitchen Cookbook

Soup Recipes

  • Pasta soup with spinach
    Mexican Pasta Soup with Spinach
  • Bread Soup Recipe
    Bread Soup from Chiapas
  • squash vines & shoots soup
    Squash Vine and Shoots Soup
  • Potato soup recipe
    Mexican Potato Soup

Recipes for tamales

  • Vegan Tamales
  • Beef Tamales recipe
    Homemade Beef Tamales Recipe
  • Chocolate Tamal recipe - 1
    Chocolate Tamales
  • Savory Sweet Corn Tamales -1
    Sweet Corn Tamales With Pork

As featured in:

Footer

About

ABOUT
PRIVACY POLICY
USER SERVICE AGREEMENT
ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Newsletter

SIGN UP FOR EMAILS AND UPDATES!

Follow / Contact

FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
PINTEREST
CONTACT

COPYRIGHT © 2023 · MEXICO IN MY KITCHEN