Muy Bueno: Fiestas 
Licuado de Nopal (Cactus Smoothie)
This refreshing Cactus Smoothie known as Licuado de Nopal is a perfect way to keep all of your healthy new year resolutions. Drink this high-fiber, antioxidant-rich, and tasty green smoothie for your breakfast and reap all of the nutritious benefits! And if you’re not on the resolution train, this tasty breakfast smoothie is also an excellent cure for a hangover.
About 10 years ago at Christmas I met a new friend, Ania and we started talking about our shared love of nopales. She introduced me to this tasty licuado de nopal that she drinks every morning. Her skin is radiant and she is super thin even after having had twins, so of course I have incorporated this new beverage into my New Year, New Me routine every year since!
About This Recipe
While I’m not much of a diet person – hello, queso! – I have been drinking this juice every morning since the beginning of the year. While I have not lost any weight, I do feel less bloated (sorry, TMI??). I also feel more energized, and my skin is looking fabulous, if I do say so myself.
None of this should come as a shock – this tasty cactus smoothie is made with fresh nopales, tons of water, fresh cucumber, and bright lime. Licuado de nopal is super refreshing and does an unbelievable job of rehydrating me in the midst of this super dry winter air.
The nopal cactus is a plant native to the mountains of Mexico. It has been used since ancient times as both a food and for its medicinal and health benefits. This smoothie is also great for overeating and hangovers too!
Aside from prepping the nopales paddles, this recipe takes literally just two minutes to throw together. I’m already not much of a morning person, and when it is dark until 7am, I’m even less so. The fact that this simple breakfast smoothie comes together with so little fuss makes it easy to incorporate into my morning routine.
I also love how customizable this licuado de nopal is. If I need a little extra sweetness, I can add pineapple or mango chunks. If I’m out of lime, I can trade in lemon. It is simply delicious, every single time!
How to Make Licuado de Nopal Cactus Smoothies
This simple recipe takes just a few minutes to throw together. First, you’ll need to prepare your nopales paddles. I like to keep them in a zip-top bag in the freezer so I don’t have to do anything difficult (read: with a knife) when I’m still bleary eyed with sleep.
Then, all you have to do is add the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. So simple!
Serving Suggestions
Drink this smoothie every morning before you eat anything else. The juice is rich in fiber, helps speed up your metabolism, and helps eliminate grease and toxins. This cactus smoothie is also choc-full of antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and B, cleanses the liver and colon and provides an über-rich source of fiber and hydration. For best results, drink this juice for seven days straight.
Since this is a smoothie, there are plenty of ways to customize it to your liking. I love licuado de nopal as the recipe is written, but feel free to zhuzh it up to your own standards. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Swap in coconut water for added potassium.
- Add in frozen pineapple, mango, bananas, or berries for a boost of sweetness.
Did you come up with a winning combination I should know about? Let me know in the comments below or tag me in your Instagram post so I can cheer you on!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Just add a bit more liquid and continue blending until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Nopales (prickly pear cactus paddles) are super healthy, and their juice offers a multitude of health benefits including strengthening the immune system, improving skin health, offering anti-inflammatory benefits, and reducing LDL cholesterol.
Check any Mexican grocer in your area – they will almost certainly carry them in stock.
More Healthy Recipes
If you tried my recipe for Licuado de Nopal Cactus Smoothies, please be sure to rate and review it below! Super delicioso, jaja mentiras! Cheers to a healthy year! Salud!
Licuado de Nopal (Cactus Smoothie)
Ingredients
- ½ cup nopal, cactus pads cleaned, spines removed, sliced
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cup water
- Crushed ice, optional
Instructions
- Store julienned nopal in snack bags in the freezer. To make one smoothie use only half the bag of nopal.
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend.
Notes
- If you want it to be less chunky then blend longer and or add more water.
- Swap in coconut water for added potassium.
- Add in frozen pineapple, mango, bananas, or berries for a boost of sweetness.
Photography by Jeanine Thurston & Jenna Sparks
Originally published: January 2011.
95 Comments on “Licuado de Nopal (Cactus Smoothie)”
Adorei ,sua sugestão.
Tenho na minha casa.
Vou fazer todos os dias.
While I agree with the assertion that drinking nopales smoothies is likely to decrease absorption of nutrients, the continual consumption of it would seem to have the potential to how to share with absorption of nutrients that the body really needs. I’m a little confused by the author’s location in Colorado, which seems to contrast with the warmer locations where the most authentic Mexican nopales are grown.
I’ve also noticed that eating the police seems to cause some stomach rotation and or indigestion related to the way it interferes with absorption in the upper small intestine.
I support the use of nopales in moderation. It is interesting to consider the degree to which some people’s ancestors may have consumed nopales more than others’… and how we can discuss optimal matching between foods and genotype while still remaining politically correct. Thank you for posting.
This was very tasty. Will probably add a chunk of pineapple to sweeten it up just a tad. Hope this helps reduce my spouse’s high cholesterol.
Liquado de Nopales, YUM. plan on trying it. Loved your posting on the Mango, Jicama etc Salad. Very refreshing. Thx’s for sharing, Cuz.
Juana
Can you use a juicer instead of a blender
Do you use raw nopal for the smoothy?
Ca
Please make sure to add that nopales have to be cleaned by peeling them and trimming the edges
Meaning all the black spots containing torns have to go and washed before putting in blendee for this smoothie.
Hello – Did you and your husband continue drinking this licuado?
I have a question about the smoothie recipe. Do I drink this smoothie everyday ,for how long do I drink it? Other than this question the smoothie seem to have a good taste. Thank you and God Bless Eulalia Jensen
Where I live in have one of the plants outside my door..Am I able to use those and how do I pick the best ones.
Absolutely! They don’t get more organic than that. Pick firm cactus paddles and be sure to wear gloves and with a knife scrape off all those pesky needles. Good luck!