The first purslane recipe I actually tried was a suggestion by Carolyn Niethammer: purslane tacos. I adapted things to my preferences and what I had on hand, but since I don’t eat grain, it wound up more like sautéed fajita vegetables. In any case, it was very good, and I ended up eating exactly the same thing for 3 different meals on 3 consecutive days. (Since I’m the only one at my house who eats the way I do, I get the leftovers too.) The recipe below serves about 4.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cooking fat (I used coconut oil)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped (I used 3 mini peppers)
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 bunch purslane, large stems removed, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 1 small tomato, chopped
  • salt and other seasonings to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
  • salsa
  • sour cream

Directions

  1. Melt fat in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sautéing until onion becomes transparent.

  2. Add pepper and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently.

    Frying onions, garlic and peppers

  3. Add purslane and sauté for another 2 minutes, continuing to stir.

    Adding the purslane

  4. Add tomatoes and seasonings (I used a chipotle seasoning blend I had), and stir for 1 final minute, removing from heat afterward.

    Adding the tomatoes

  5. Add cilantro and toss lightly to mix.

  6. Divide into 4 servings on individual plates. Top with shredded cheese, and garnish with salsa and sour cream. Serve warm with sliced sirloin steak or chicken meat.

You could also just stuff corn or flour tortillas with the warm mix, making the titular tacos, or burritos for that matter.

There are other ingredients that could just as easily be used in this recipe, including:

  • Sweet corn kernels
  • Summer squash (zucchini, yellow, or Mexican gray)
  • Nopal cactus
  • Diced chili peppers

This mix really does lend itself to any number of variations, so let your creativity run wild. The real point is to try something new and eat some purslane.