Name: Purslane Salad Chinese Style Recipe {Quick Easy Delicious and Healthy}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 14 oz fresh purslane; 3 tbsp Zhenjiang vinegar; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1/2 tbsp minced garlic; 1 tbsp sesame oil

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Purslane, known as Ma Chi Xian {马齿苋}} in Chinese, is a common wild vegetable popping up everywhere starting late spring. Did you know they are actually a tasty, superfood vegetable? After a few rainy days, Ma Chi Xian is especially tender, juicy and delicious. Purslane salad featuring briefly blanched purslane mixed with iconic while simple Chinese garlic salad dressing is easy, tasty and healthy.

Purslane {Ma Chi Xian} growing in the backyard

What is purslane?

Wildly regarded as a weed, purslane is an edible wild vegetable that is super healthy and nutritious. Traditional Chinese Medicine {TCM} has been tapping into it as an important ingredient since ancient time.

Purslane {Ma Chi Xian 马齿苋} growing in the backyard

Purslane has purple or green stems and green tear-shaped leaves. The ones in my neighborhood in the Chicago area almost all have purple stems. They typically sprawl but can grow as tall as about 20 inches. Purslane blooms in late summer with yellow flowers. After that, they start the seeding process.

The best time to eat purslane as a wild leafy vegetable is before the flowering. They are especially tasty in early summer and after a few days of rain.

They have a subtle earthy, sour, and salty flavor, and are best used for salad or soup.

Purslane {Ma Chi Xian} Health Benefits

Purslane is rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substances, as well as nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain many essential vitamins such as vitamins A and C, and minerals such as magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, and calcium.

How to make a quick, easy and tasty Purslane Salad?

The first is to make a simple, tasty Chinese salad dressing

Add light soy sauce, Zhenjiang vinegar, sesame oil and minced garlic in a small bowl, and mix well.

This is truly a simple but super tasty and healthy salad dressing. It is very versatile and works great for kelp salad too.

Use a compact food process to mince garlic, which makes the process quick and easy. Add peeled garlic cloves into the compact food processor and grind/chop to the desired fine pieces.

Minced Garlic Using a Compact Food Processor

The second is to blanch Purslane briefly

Fill a stockpot (4 Qt. ) with water and bring it to a boil. Add clean purslane into the boiling water, and push down to ensure the purslane is submerged in the water. Wait for it to reach boil again, about 2 minutes.

Immediately turn off the heat and remove the purslane from the pot using a spider skimmer. Place them in a stainless colander to drain, about 5 minutes.

Freshly blanched purslane being drained in a colander

The third is to make Purslane Salad

Add freshly blanched and drained purslane to a bowl or plate. Pour in salad dressing prepared in the small bowl and mix well using a pair of bamboo spatulas. Use a mini spatula to scrape and gather the remaining dressing.

All done! Enjoy a super refreshing, tasty and healthy purslane salad.

Purslane Salad Chinese Style Recipe {Quick Easy Delicious and Healthy}

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Purslane, known as Ma Chi Xian {马齿苋}} in Chinese, is a common wild vegetable that is also a superfood leafy vegetable. Purslane salad featuring briefly blanched purslane mixed with iconic while simple Chinese salad dressing is easy, tasty and healthy.

Ingredients

14 oz fresh purslane

For the salad dressing:

3 tbsp Zhenjiang vinegar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sesame oil

Instructions

Wash and rinse purslane well.
Fill a stockpot (4 Qt. capacity) with water and bring it to a boil, about 10 minutes.
While waiting on the water, prepare the salad dressing. Peel the garlic cloves and use a compact food processor to mince into fine pieces.
Add everything under "For the Salad Dressing" into a small bowl, mix well. Add the remaining minced garlic into a small container and store in the fridge to use for other dishes.
When the water in the stockpot is boiling, add the purslane into the boiling water. Push down to make sure purslane is submerged in the water and wait for it to reach boil again, about 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and remove purslane from the pot using a spider skimmer and place in a colander to drain.
Add freshly blanched and drained purslane to a serving bowl or plate. Pour in salad dressing prepared in the small bowl and mix well. Use a mini spatula to scrape the clean the bowl.
All done! Enjoy a super refreshing, tasty and healthy purslane salad.