This is simply the best and easy mango salad recipe. Simple and versatile with just a squeeze of Lime juice and a good splash of fish sauce and there's sublime. If you love Thai food as much as I do, then this is for you. Sweet, sour, flavorful and really delicious.
I love coming up with refreshing fruit salad recipes for my family, and what's healthier than a big bowl of tasty mango salad? Since we eat a lot of salad, I'm always racking my brain for some innovative and tasty ideas to make salad fun again and again. We certainly mix this green mango salad with any other vegetables or lettuces to serve as a vinaigrette instead or scoop and eat as is. Sooo delicious!
This green mango salad is as good as my Papaya and mango salad with ginger-lime vinaigrette on this site. Also served alongside grilled half rosemary-lemon chicken will brighten the whole meal.
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Why you will love this mango salad?
This mango salad recipe is delicious, easy to make and healthy, period!
Green mango can be as sour as lime and some can be very sweet. There are many varieties of mangoes but there are two common mangoes that are mostly available at the grocery store here in Canada. One is the big, round, reddish-green and yellow inside when it's raw called Tommy Atkins. It is sweet and juicy with the obvious presence of fibres and is cheaper, that's why I stick with Tommy Atkins, especially for salad or maybe salsa. If I want to splurge especially when on sale, seasonal and ripe, I will go with Ataulfo for its silkier, intensely sweet and distinct floral aroma; it is smaller, golden and kidney-shaped.
How to cut green mango for a salad?
While you need the pulp off and the skin of a ripe mango peeled, the green mango can be eaten along with its skin but I would prefer to peel the skin to whip a mango salad.
For the green mango, you would actually want to use a peeler because I found it easier to peel odd-shaped fruits and vegetables. Although a pairing knife still works best if you don't have a peeler. Hold the mango firmly and peel it towards you.
Cut the flesh away from each broad side of the fruit. The pit tapers from the tip to the bottom. So, start a little close to the center and cut down in a slight arc following the contour of the pit. Repeat to the other side as you try to avoid the very fibrous edge of the pit.
Ingredients needed
This mango salad recipe only requires a few ingredients. With this in mind, please do not remove the fish sauce, unless.... you really have to. It is the saltiness and flavour of fish sauce and the sourness of lime that balances the sweetness and floral flavour of the mango with the addition of cilantro and red onion to brighten the whole salad.
- Green mango
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Red Thai chilli
- Lime juice and zest
- Fish sauce
- Freshly ground pepper
See the recipe card for quantities.
Top tips for making green mango salad
- Always wash the mango before starting anything else. Peel, remove the pit and then slice into chunky slices or dice.
- Thinly slice the red Thai chilli (remember this, Thai chilli are hot, so don't even dare to touch your face, especially your eyes, if you have to cry just blurt it out and clean yourself after you wash your hands very well not unless you're wearing surgical gloves.) Coarsely chop the cilantro and red onion.
- Combine all together, add the fish sauce, lime juice and a few grinds of pepper. Toss to combine.
- Finally, let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving to get the best flavour.
Recipe variations
Despite my love for fish sauce, I'm a huge advocate of having fun with my recipes and mixing things up to suit your family's needs and preferences. You can whip the ginger-lime vinaigrette from our favourite house salad recipe and use that instead of using the fish sauce and lime juice. Or you might want to be adventurous, this tarragon vinaigrette from the joy of kale salad with roasted sweet potatoes is also a match made from heaven.
How long does mango salad last in the fridge?
Now that you've tossed up your salad and enjoyed it as a side dish, it's time to store the leftovers for an easy add-on for your lunch or dinner the next day. Once the fish sauce and lime juice were mixed, any leftovers are only good for the next day but leftovers undressed can stay in the fridge for up to three days in an air-tight container.
📖 Recipe
Simple green mango salad
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 large Green mango
- ¼ cup Red onion, diced
- ½ cup Cilantro, chopped and packed
- 1 Red Thai chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Lime zest
- 2 tablespoons Lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Peel the mango and remove the pith, and slice into 2 cm cubes. Place in a mixing bowl with all the ingredients. Toss to combine. Taste and taste again. Add more seasoning according to your likeness. Let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes before serving to develop the flavor.
