Purslane and Herb Salad
London, United Kingdom · View all recipes
Overview
Purslane tossed with arugula, coriander and parsley in a walnut oil and horseradish dressing, finished with goat cheese and walnuts. No country is claimed. **It contains walnuts and walnut oil, which the title gives no indication of.** Purslane deserves more attention than it gets. It is a succulent with thick, glossy leaves and a lemony, faintly saline crunch, and it grows as a weed almost everywhere, including in pavement cracks, as the source cheerfully notes. Across North Africa and the Middle East it is not a weed at all but a cultivated vegetable: Moroccan bakoula pairs it with preserved lemon and olives, and Turkish semizotu salatası is a standard mezze. Its status as an ignored weed is a Northern European and North American peculiarity. The dish itself is Western in construction, walnut oil, white balsamic, horseradish, goat cheese, so it sits in Worldwide Recipes, but the ingredient has a genuine North African life. Two practical notes. Herbs by the cupful rather than the sprig is the point: this is a herb salad rather than a leaf salad with herbs in it. And purslane holds up to heat, so leftovers can be wilted rather than thrown away. The source's claims about collagen, wrinkles and scarring have not been carried across.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Wash the purslane thoroughly, it grows close to the ground and holds grit in the leaf joints.
- 2
Toss the purslane in a large bowl with the arugula, coriander, parsley and sprouts.
- 3
In a small bowl, whisk both oils with the vinegar, horseradish and mustard until smooth.
- 4
Pour the dressing over the salad, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
- 5
Crumble the goat cheese over the top and scatter with the walnuts and edible flowers, if using, before serving.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Nympha Nzeribe- This contains walnuts and walnut oil. The title says nothing about it, so say so when serving.
- Wash the purslane properly. It grows low to the ground and traps grit where the leaves meet the stem.
- Dress it at the last minute. Purslane is succulent and collapses quickly once acid hits it.
- Walnut oil goes rancid faster than olive oil. Keep it in the fridge and smell it before using.
- Use the herbs by the cupful as written. This is a herb salad, not a leaf salad with a garnish.
- Purslane takes heat well, so wilt any leftovers into eggs or a soup rather than throwing them out.
Questions cooks ask
What is purslane?
A succulent plant with thick, glossy leaves and a lemony, slightly saline crunch. It grows as a weed almost everywhere, including in pavement cracks, which is why it is so often overlooked in Northern Europe and North America. Elsewhere it is a cultivated vegetable rather than a weed, and it is sold at farmers' markets and Middle Eastern grocers. Its texture is closer to a samphire or a young sorrel than to a lettuce.
Is purslane used in African cooking?
Very much so, particularly in North Africa. Moroccan bakoula is a cooked purslane salad with preserved lemon, olives and olive oil, and purslane appears widely across Egyptian and Levantine cooking too, Turkish semizotu salatası is a standard mezze. The idea that purslane is a weed rather than a vegetable is a specifically Northern European and North American view, and not one shared around the Mediterranean.
Can I substitute something else?
Not really, without changing the salad. Purslane's succulence and its lemony, saline note are what the dressing is built around, and no ordinary salad leaf does the same thing. Watercress comes closest for peppery bite but has none of the juiciness; young sorrel gives the acidity without the crunch. If you cannot find purslane, a mixed herb salad with more arugula is a perfectly good dish, just a different one.
Should I dress it in advance?
No. Purslane is a succulent, meaning its leaves are full of water held in thin cell walls, and acid breaks those down quickly, a dressed purslane salad wilts noticeably within twenty minutes. Prepare everything separately, keep the washed leaves dry and cold, and combine at the table. The same applies to the coriander and parsley, which bruise and darken once dressed.
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