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Nopal and Banana Smoothie
Nopal and Banana Smoothie is a modern American recipe (from Arizona) for a classic smoothie made from prickly pear figs and frozen bananas with orange juice. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic American version of: Nopal and Banana Smoothie.
prep time
10 minutes
cook time
10 minutes
Total Time:
20 minutes
Serves:
1
Rating: 
Tags : Wild FoodVegetarian RecipesUSA Recipes
This is a recipe originally from Arizona in the USA. Nopal (from the Nahuatl word
nohpalli for the pads of the plant) is a common name in Spanish for Opuntia cacti (commonly referred to in English as prickly pear), as well as for its pads.
Opuntia species also produce edible fruit (sometimes known as cactus figs). Four Opuntia species were introduced to South Africa in the 18th century
O. ficus-indica (prickly pear),
O. imbricata,
O. aurantiaca and
O. stricta. They were intended to be living hedges protecting property borders. However, in the Western Cape and Karoo they became a menace. We have two
O. imbricata plants in the garden. They have to be handled carefully, as they have tiny spines (glochids) that easily break off and become irritants when embedded in the skin. So, handle with gloves. The fruit and large pads are edible however, and can be substituted for prickly pear in any recipe. Prickly pear is grown commercially on a small scale in South Africa and you will, for a few weeks, see prickly pear fruit in supermarkets. The seeds of prickly pear fruit are edible, but they are large and bothersome, so one of the best ways to use the fruit is in smoothies.
Ingredients:
2 nopal/prickly pear fruit (washed, outer skin removed and flesh (with seeds) cubed)
1 frozen banana, sliced
60-120ml (1/4-1/2 cup) orange juice
Method:
Simply combine all the ingredients in the blender and process until smooth.
Pour into a glass and enjoy!
