Hearts of Palm, the inner core of certain palm trees, shine in this Brazilian Hearts of Palm Salad inspired by one of my best friends and her culture.
One of my closest friends is a Brazilian woman named Deby. She likes to dance all night in 4-inch heels or chat with girlfriends over piña coladas for hours. She’s an amazing friend – candid, trustworthy, considerate, smart, hilarious and fun.
As you can imagine, when I’m at her place we eat a lot of Brazilian food. I ask questions about her food and culture and I’ve learned a lot.
Like how to make a Salada de Palmitos, a Brazilian Hearts of Palm Salad.
It’s insane how good this salad is. If you’ve never had hearts of palm before, now is the time to try it.
What Is Hearts Of Palm?
Heart of palm is a vegetable that comes from the inner core and growing bud – the heart- of certain palm tree varieties throughout Southeast Asia and Central and South America. They can be eaten on their own, but are often found in salads such as this one.
You can buy the heart of palm in cans. I buy them already sliced so you just drain them and they’re ready to go.
Other Ingredients
It’s been explained to me (more than once) that Brazilian food is all about the onion. In this salad there are two kinds of onion, some thinly sliced white or yellow onion as well as chopped spring onion.
The dressing for the salad has a nice touch of lime, salt, pepper, and olive oil. There’s not much more to it other than a chopped tomato.
I like to serve this salad alongside these Shrimp and Potato Skewers for an easy summer meal.
Print
Brazilian Hearts of Palm Salad
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Brazilian
DESCRIPTION
This traditional Brazilian salad uses hearts of palm in a can. I buy then already sliced so I just need to drain them to use them. They’re such a convenient addition to any salad. Serve this salad alongside these Shrimp and Potato Skewers for an easy summer meal.
Ingredients
- 2 (14 oz.) cans of sliced hearts of palm, drained
- 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
- ½ of a small white or yellow onion, very thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
- ¼ tsp. salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine the hearts of palm, tomato, onions, and spring onions.
- In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Pour it over the vegetables.
- Stir gently to coat. Serve.
Nana says
Hello Christine all the way from Sydney, Australia! I made this salad for my Brasilian born mother in law’s birthday lunch today and she was most impressed with its authenticity! We all loved it, did not change a thing! Thankyou so much for sharing!
Christine Pittman says
That’s wonderful to hear, Nana! Glad you all enjoyed!
Megan says
How many servings does this make?
Christine Pittman says
Megan, The recipe says 4-6 servings. I think that’s accurate depending on what you’re having with it. I consider this a side and assume you will be having an entree and one other side, probably.