This healthy salad recipe is a combination of fresh, bright and colorful fruits and vegetables, dressed in pineapple and lime to bring the taste of the tropics to your table.
Tropical salad is great to usher any time of the year for a perfect dose of fruits and vegetables. It is one of my favorite healthy salads with delicious, fruity, sweet and sour pineapple dressing that is sure to impress your family and guests.
Should you crave more tropical salad influences, these papaya and mango salad with ginger-lime vinaigrette and simple green mango salad all pair well with this amazing lumpiang Shanghai with herbs and spices for an awesome meal.
Jump to:
Why you will love this tropical salad?
One obvious reason is that it's a healthy salad, really! Environmental Working Group (EWG) released the 2022 shopper's guide to pesticides in produce, it states that cabbage, mango, onion, avocado and pineapple belong to the clean 15. Thus if the budget doesn't allow us to go for organic, this conventional produce which has low pesticide contaminations are the go-to.
Two, all the ingredients are easy to find and how easy it is to prepare.
Ingredients
The long list of ingredients might be intimidating but imagine all the flavors and deliciousness when you put them all together - the contrasting texture, the blend of taste and fragrance that evokes the bright, warm and sunny energy- it is a party in the mouth!
- Cabbage
- Purple/red cabbage
- Green mango (or ripe but firm)
- Carrots
- Pineapple
- Avocado
- Shallots or red onion
- Red chilli (optional, or use mild chillies like jalapeño)
- Cilantro
- Mint (optional)
- Lime zest and juice
- Salt and pepper
See the recipe card for quantities.
4 tips on how to choose a ripe pineapple.
Before you dive into peeling, chopping, dicing and or pureeing a pineapple; everything has to start from the grocery store. Unless you have your own backyard garden or a farm, then you know what a perfectly ripe pineapple is.
- Color - Most pineapples you could find at the grocery store are from green to yellowish but if you can spot a consistently golden yellow from top to bottom not very orangey, then you are lucky.
- Fragrance - You already know what pineapple smells like. It might feel awkward sniffing something at the supermarket but it is one of the best ways to avoid wasting food. If you could sniff the bottom and smell the fruity, sweet and bright fragrance then you're all set. If it smells a little bit sour or smells like fermented, then it is a sign that it's over-ripe.
- Feel - We all know ripe or not, pineapples are still covered with spikes but this should not stop you from giving a gentle squeeze. It should feel slightly soft not hard rock.
- Still in a doubt? A food monger at the grocery store once told me, that it is very easy to pull the fronds (crown) if the pineapple is ripe.
How to peel and cut a pineapple?
Why would you spend extra cash for already peeled pineapple if you can DIY {Do It Yourself} for a fraction of its cost? The idea of knowing when that peeled pineapple has been sitting on that shelf is also a bonus. On the other hand, if "DIY" is a turn-off, maybe ask somebody to do it for you or an already peeled pineapple is always available too.
►Lay the pineapple sideways on a chopping board. With a sharp knife, cut the top and bottom.
►Place the bottom side down of the trimmed pineapple on a chopping board and start peeling. If you peel the pineapple very thinly, I suggest removing the visible eyes by simply alining your knife on one side of a row of 2-4 eyes then repeat to the other side, creating a "V-shape trench" when you pull away the flesh with the eyes.
►There are three cuts of pineapple that are often used: Rings, chunks and wedges - → Rings, lay the peeled pineapple on its side and then slice across according to the thickness you need. Using a cookie cutter, remove the core or simply use a pairing knife.
→ Wedges, Sit the peeled pineapple on its bottom side and then cut it in half starting from the top with the fingers in one hand holding a grip while the other hand is cutting it. Place halved pineapple, cut side down on a chopping board, continue cutting into wedges and then remove the core.
→Finally, slice the pineapple wedges into chunks.
How to make a healthy tropical salad?
There is no cooking involved here. The best part is that you will eat it fresh right after you clean, peel, slice, and puree it and a little patience to let all the flavors blend together.
- Gather all the vegetables, fruits and herbs together in a mixing bowl.
2. Make the vinaigrette. Puree or blend the pineapple chunks until smooth. Add the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper.
3. Pour ½ cup of the vinaigrette and toss to mix. Add the sliced avocados and pineapple, extra herbs and chillies. Add more dressing according to your preference.
Hint: adding lime zest provides a distinct umami flavor.
Equipment needed
Sure you don't need pots and pans. All you need is your knife skills, your tastebuds, mixing bowl and tongs or serving cutleries to toss and serve.
Can you make the tropical salad in advance?
vegetables, pineapple chunks and vinaigrette can be prepared separately ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Dress and recombine 10 minutes before serving. Good for 3-4 days but prepare and add the avocado when serving.
What to serve with healthy tropical salad
This salad pairs well with any of your favorite fish, meat or any vegan recipes. Below are my go-to recipes to serve with.
- Cilantro-lime grilled chicken breast
- Spatchcock roasted chicken with lemon and herb marinade
- Rice and beans with tomato-avocado salsa
- 13 minutes baked lemon garlic shrimp
📖 Recipe
Amazing tropical salad with pineapple dressing
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl, knife and chopping board, large whole grater box
Ingredients
Salad mix
- 3 cups Green cabbage, shredded
- 3 cups Purple cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups Carrots, grated
- 1 cup Green mango, julienne
- 1 large Avocado, diced
- 1 cup Pineapple, sliced
- 1 cup Loosely packed mixture of cilantro (coarsely chopped, leaves and stem) and mint leaves
- ½ cup Shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Red chilli, thinly sliced
VInaigrette
- 1 ½ Cups Sliced fresh pineapple
- 2 Tablespoon Lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon Lime zest
- 1 Teaspoon Sea salt
- ½ Teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl except the avocado, pineapple and cilantro.
- Make the dressing: Place a cup or more of freshly sliced pineapple in a blender or mini food processor including the lime juice, salt and pepper and then puree.
- Pour one cup of the dressing into the salad mixture and toss gently to combine. Let it sit for 10 minutes to develop flavor. Add the avocado, pineapple and cilantro. Delicately toss to combine and add more dressing according to your taste and serve.
Thank you for coming! Let me know what you think.