As a lifetime member of the Caribbean Girl club I’m no stranger to mango- they’ve been in my orbit for my entire life; that said, I’ve never been a fan- unless they are in a smoothie OR in this delicious Thai mango salad.
What I love about being a private chef is that I am often tasked to step outside of my comfort zone and try recipes with ingredients that I don’t personally enjoy; case in point, this salad. This Thai Mango Salad was made for my clients Toronto Raptors viewing party and the reviews came swiftly and the Raps also won…so I’m going to take a shred of credit 😉
Thai Mango Salads are very easy to prepare, but there are some housekeeping notes that must be considered when making any green mango recipe.
- Use the greenest mango you can find. This is important because if you use ripe mango this salad will skew toward a fruit salad, as opposed to its intended savoury vibe.
- If you are making this salad ahead (#MealPrepOnFleek) DO NOT dress the salad until a few hours before serving.
- Cilantro is the chosen herb for many Thai dishes, including this Thai Mango Salad, but it’s also a very polarizing herb; if you hate cilantro, mint is a delightful alternative, so just sub the amount of cilantro for mint.
- Nuts are ESSENTIAL for the texture of this dish. In this instance I used cashews (chopped with cilantro) but feel free to use peanuts!
- Lastly, julienning is the traditional way to prep mangos for this type of mango salad, but, fair warning, your hands will get tired; feel feel to cut the mango into an easier dice, the only thing to consider is the pieces must be thin.
Thai Mango Salad Recipe
- 1/3 cup chopped cashew
- 5 mangoes
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (or basil)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 teaspoons coconut sugar
- 4 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
- 4 red thai chilies sliced thinly + seeds removed
In skillet, toast cashews over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 8 minutes. Once cool, chop with half the amount of cilantro and set aside.
Cut pointy ends off mangoes. Set each mango on cut end. Using serrated knife, cut off peel. Cut flesh on either side of flat pit into thin slices; stack and cut into thin strips.
In bowl, whisk together remaining cilantro, mint, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, oil, chilies and chili sauce. Add mangoes and toss to coat.
To serve sprinkle with the cashew cilantro blend.