Refreshing Mango Salad with Lime (Print Version)

Sweet mango meets crisp vegetables in a zesty lime-honey dressing with cilantro and gentle chili heat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruits & Vegetables

01 - 2 ripe mangoes (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into thin strips
02 - 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
03 - 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small cucumber (about 6 oz), peeled, seeded, and sliced into half-moons
05 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, whole or roughly chopped
06 - 1–2 small red Thai chilies, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Lime Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
08 - 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
09 - 1 teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce
10 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - Pinch of salt
12 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make:

01 - Peel and slice the mangoes into even strips. Slice the red bell pepper into thin strips, the red onion into half-rings, and the cucumber into half-moon shapes. Remove seeds from chilies if you prefer less heat.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey or agave, fish sauce or soy sauce, and a pinch of salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Season with black pepper to taste.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the mango, bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, cilantro, and chilies if using.
04 - Pour the lime dressing over the salad. Gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Let the salad sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and integrate.
06 - Transfer to a shallow serving dish or individual plates. Garnish with extra cilantro leaves or a lime wedge if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It takes less than half an hour from counter to table, most of that just slicing.
  • The lime dressing clings to every piece of mango and pepper without turning soupy.
  • You can dial the heat up or down by adding more chilies or skipping them entirely.
  • Leftovers actually taste better the next day once the flavors marry overnight.
02 -
  • If your mango is underripe, the salad will taste flat and stringy, wait an extra day or two until it smells perfumed.
  • Dressing the salad more than fifteen minutes ahead makes the vegetables weep and the whole thing turns soupy.
  • Whisking the oil in slowly is the only way to get a dressing that coats instead of separates.
03 -
  • Use a Y-peeler to strip mango flesh in ribbons if slicing feels awkward, it's faster and you waste less fruit.
  • Taste a sliver of your red onion raw, if it bites hard, soak the slices in cold water for five minutes to mellow the sulfur.
  • Double the dressing recipe and keep extra in a jar for drizzling over grilled chicken or roasted vegetables later in the week.
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