Purslane Salad Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Should purslane be cooked? ›

It can be eaten raw or cooked. When heated, purslane becomes moist and sticky. That makes it a good thickener for soups and stews.

It shows off the intense, irresistible vegetables, herbs and fruits of the season — but can also have rich components like cheese, eggs, toasted nuts and smoked fish or meat. With a loaf of (preferably grilled) bread, it is a meal in itself.

I eat purslane all through summer, cooked in dishes or raw in salads. The whole plant is edible: flowers, leaves, stalks and seeds. Young leaves and fresh stalks are best when eaten raw. The flavour is sometimes sour and sometimes salty, and the leaves and stems have a juicy texture.

The plant is nutritious and generally considered safe for human consumption. Due its content of oxalic acid, purslane should not be consumed by people with kidney disease or that have high uric acid (Gardner and McGuffin, 2012; Berdonces, 2009; Duke et al., 2009).

One note of caution, however: Because, like spinach or sorrel, purslane contains high amounts of oxalates, you should not eat too much at a time, and people who have kidney stones or other kidney problems should probably avoid it. (Check with your doctor or dietician if you are concerned.)

Can you eat too much purslane? Like with any food, you can overdo it, and that's certainly true with this herb. Researchers have found that it is relatively high in oxalic acid, an organic compound that has been linked to an increased risk of kidney stones and other health problems for some people.

Here are some healthy salad options and tips for weight loss: Green Salad: Start with a base of leafy greens like spinach, kale, or mixed greens. Add a variety of colorful vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and carrots for added vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination. The five basic salads that can be served throughout the course of a meal are starter, accompaniment, main course, intermezzo, and dessert.

Light salad are serve after the main course to cleanse the palate, refresh the appetite and provide a break before dessert. These are usually sweet and may contain items such as fruits, sweetened gelatin, nuts and cream.

In a tossed salad, the ingredients are placed in a bowl and mixed with a salad dressing. In a composed salad, various ingredients are arranged on a serving platter or plates with the salad dressing drizzled on top or served on the side.

Can you eat purslane leaves raw? ›

Purslane is a green, leafy vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. It is known scientifically as Portulaca oleracea, and is also called pigweed, little hogweed, fatweed and pusley.

How is it used? The plant can be eaten cooked as a potherb and the juice can be ingested to treat diverse ailments. The seeds have important medicinal value, since they can lower blood glucose as well as show cyto-toxicity toward certain cancer cell lines (Al Sheddi et al, 2015; Quattrochi, 2012; Duke et al., 2009).

To prepare purslane cooked, steam or sauté the greens and serve as a side dish or incorporate into a dish as you would wilted spinach or arugula. To get the most out of purslane's nutritional content, it is best to mix it up and eat it both raw and cooked.

The leaves are hearty enough to stand up to light sautéing in a pan—try wilting them with garlic. Or throw the purslane into a grilled panzanella—the lemony bite goes well with grilled bread and vegetables. You can even toss some cooked purslane into a taco, where it will be a bright counterpoint to creamy avocado.