Skip to main content

Purslane and Avocado Tacos with Pico de Gallo

5.0

(2)

Image may contain Sandwich Food Burger Taco Dish and Meal
Purslane and Avocado Tacos with Pico de GalloSharon Radisch

Purslane has long been considered a weed, but it is increasingly showing up for sale in bunches at farmers markets. Meanwhile, Mexicans have known about its healthful properties for hundreds of years and they eat it both raw and cooked. In Mexico it's called verdolagas. Cooking mellows its tang and shrinks it, which means you can eat more of it! Paired with avocado and a tomato relish, this is a super-healthy vegetarian snack or main dish.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 8 tacos (4 servings)

Ingredients

For Pico de Gallo:

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 tablespoon lime juice, or to taste
2 teaspoons minced fresh Serrano chile, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

For Tacos:

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb purslane, including tender upper stems, chopped (about 6 cups)
8 fresh corn tortillas
2 avocados
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese (about 3 ounces), or to taste
cilantro sprigs and lime wedges for serving

Preparation

  1. Make Pico de Gallo:

    Step 1

    Combine tomatoes, onion, lime juice, chile, and cilantro in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let it stand while assembling the tacos.

  2. Step 2

    Cook garlic in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add purslane with salt to taste and cook, stirring, until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a sieve set over a bowl and let it drain.

    Step 3

    Have a folded kitchen towel ready for the tortillas. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, then heat a tortilla, keeping the others covered, flipping it occasionally with tongs, until it puffs slightly and gets brown in spots, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer tortilla, as toasted, to towel, enclosing it, and repeat with remaining tortillas. Keep them warm in towel.

    Step 4

    Quarter avocados lengthwise and remove pit, then peel. Cut each section into thin slices (lengthwise or crosswise, it doesn't matter) and season with salt.

    Step 5

    Assemble tacos by spooning some purslane into a folded taco and topping it with avocado slices, cotija cheese, cilantro sprigs, and pico de gallo. Serve with lime wedges.

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
Easy lemon icebox pie recipe with a graham cracker crust and whipped cream topping.
Crunchy and crowd-pleasing, this salad can be prepared in advance and customized to your heart’s content.
This fast stir-fry dish pairs minced pork and fragrant basil with hot Thai chiles and a crispy fried egg.
Juicy steak, crisp lettuce, and a blender dressing come together for a breezy summer dinner.
Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.