Recipe: Purslane Salad

I picked up a bag of organic purslanes for €0.78 at the farmers market and decided to turn them into a salad.

Purslane is a succulent that’s loaded with nutrients, such as vitamin A, B & C, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. It also contains the highest level of alpha-linolenic  (omega 3 fatty acid) compared to any leafy green vegetable.

When eating in raw, Purslane has a slight salty and tangy taste. Here is how I cook it:

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Purslane (about 1/2 kilo)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red chili pepper, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of black rice vinegar such as Zhenjiang/Chinkiang (or substitute)
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed or olive oil

Instructions:

1. Bring a pot of salt water to a boil.
2. Submerge the purslane into boiling water for 2-3 minutes, but no longer than 5 minutes or it will become slimy, then plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
3. Squeeze out the excess liquid and chop into small pieces.
4. Place the blanched pruslane into a serving bowl.
5. Season with salt, soy sauce and vinegar, mix well.
6. Put minced garlic and diced chili pepper on top.
7. Warm up grapeseed/olive oil on the stove, once the oil starts to smoke, stop the cooking and dump it on top of the garlic and chili pepper mix. It will sizzle and bring out the aroma of the two ingredients.
8. Mix well and serve.

This salad is especially good to combat the summer heat, when the rising temperture reduces the appetite. Feel free to add tomatoes or cucumbers.

Happy Eating!

Coming up next: Lisbon Legends