Who doesn’t love a good Mango Salad? The freshness and the sourness of the mango combined with the crunch of the peanuts, the spiciness of the chilli and the tanginess of the Asian sauce would bring anyone to a tropical vacation in Thailand.
Fortunately for us who don’t necessarily have the time and money luxury to Thailand, we don’t really need to travel all the way there to enjoy a good, fresh mango salad. As long as you have access to juicy mangoes and basic cooking skills, you can have it straight from the comfort of your own home.
Ingredients:
- 1 Thai green mango (your choice of ripe or unripe)
- Romaine lettuce leaves
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 large red capsicum
- 1 zucchini or cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli, finely diced
- Roasted cashews or peanuts, finely chopped
- Fresh coriander
- Mint leaves
(Dressing)
- 1 small garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or Tamari sauce
- 3 tablespoons of lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Black pepper
Preparation Method:
- To make the salad, finely slice your mango, onion, cucumber, capsicum and romaine lettuce leaves. The ideal size is long and thin – almost like rice noodle or angel hair pasta. Set aside.
- In a dressing bowl, combine the minced garlic, soy sauce (or Tamari sauce for gluten-free option), lime juice, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined and set aside for the flavours to infuse.
- In a separate bowl, combine all the salad ingredients that were prepared earlier and mix it well with the dressing. Add in chilli to taste. For a spicier option, you can also opt for bird’s eye chilli.
- When you are ready to serve, sprinkle the finely chopped peanuts and serve with fresh coriander and mint leaves. Have it to go, as a starter or as a side for your main dish.
Tips: Depending on your taste buds, you can opt for a ripe mango for a sweeter taste, an unripe mango for more sourness or combine the two. Pick a mango that is not overripe as the texture will be too soggy when combined with the dressing.
You can adjust the level of spiciness by adding more or less chillies or by using chillies of different spice level.Roast your peanuts or cashews before adding them to the salad for the extra kick in your salad.