This delightful Thai mango salad combines the fresh tartness from green mangoes with the umami of fish sauce, the zing of lime juice and the crunch of peanuts and fried shallots. It is the perfect dish that celebrates a harmonious blend of refreshing combinations that just screams summer.
Thai cuisine is renowned for its vibrant flavors, bold spices and refreshing yet satisfying dishes. Thai mango salad, also known as som tam mamuang, embodies these mouthwatering characteristics. This Thai mango salad recipe is made with tart green mangoes, red bell pepper, red onion, refreshing cucumber slices, aromatic cilantro, and mint that are then topped with crunchy crushed peanuts and fried shallots for the ultimate summer salad. This Thai mango salad recipe is the perfect way to explore Thai cuisine and envelope yourself with the unique flavors of Thailand.
In this green mango salad recipe, we will delve into the colorful and vibrant world of Thai mango salad covering its ingredients, preparation, and the explosion of flavors to your palate. This Thai mango salad recipe is really easy to prepare and can be completed in under 20 minutes. You can serve this Asian mango salad as a light lunch, a side dish, or a show stopping appetizer.
When it comes to the warmer months, I always have to buy a box of mangoes. There are so many different ways to incorporate them into your meals and desserts. If you are looking for more mango inspiration, check out my Thai mango sticky rice, mango pomelo sago, and Hong Kong Mango pancake.
Table of Contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Mango salad is as delicious as it looks! Here are a few reasons why you’ll love this Thai green mango salad.
- Refreshing and vibrant. Thai mango salad offers a refreshing yet savory balance of flavors. The mango salad also has a variety of textural contrast from the mangos, bell pepper, cucumbers, and peanuts which enhances the overall eating experience.
- Healthy and nutritious. The best part about this green mango salad recipe is that it is packed with tons of vitamins and fiber.
- Versatile and customizable. Thai green mango salad can be easily customized to suit your personal preferences. You can easily adjust the spice levels, sugar levels or citrus levels of the mango salad dressing or add different aromatic herbs or vegetables to the salad itself! The options are endless.
🍽 Kitchen Equipment
You will only need a few items of kitchen equipment for this Thai green mango salad recipe.
- Small and large mixing bowl: you will need a small and large mixing bowl to mix the mango salad dressing and toss the whole Asian mango salad together. I love using my set of glass nesting bowls for all of my recipes they are incredibly versatile and durable.
- Vegetable grater, mandoline or knife: you have a variety of options on how to cut your mango into small strips. You can either use 1) a vegetable grater to julienne the mango, 2) a mandoline and a knife, or 3) simply just a knife to cut the mangos into small thin strips.
- Wooden spoons or tongs: you will need either two large wooden spoons or tongs to toss everything together.
- Fruit Peeler: you will need to first peel the skin off the mango before slicing. Peeling the skin off the cucumber is up to your personal preference.
🛒 Ingredients
All of the delicious ingredients to create a symphony of flavors for this Thai mango salad recipe can be found at your local grocery store in the produce and Asian aisle.
Thai Green Mango Salad
- Green Mango: the star of the show! Green mangoes offer a tangy and slightly sour taste that is refreshing yet balanced when combined with the other ingredients. I like to pick mangoes that are mostly green, and firm, yet have a small red patch on them so they are slightly sweeter and less tart than the completely green ones.
- Red Bell Pepper: red bell peppers add a sweet, mild pepper flavor and a vibrant color to the salad which balances out the tartness of the green mangoes.
- Cucumber: you can use your cucumber of choice, but I love using Persian cucumbers. They add a sweet and crisp flavor to the Thai green mango salad.
- Red Onion: raw red onions have an assertive and slightly spicy flavor that enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Cilantro: freshly chopped cilantro adds a lemony, peppery, and aromatic flavor to the Asian mango salad.
- Mint: chopped mint adds a subtly sweet flavor with a cool sensation that comes from the menthol in the herb. The combination of cilantro and mint is truly a chef’s kiss.
- Roasted Peanuts: crushed roasted peanuts adds a nutty flavor and the famous textural crunch that is seen in most Thai dishes.
- Fried Shallots: fried shallots are optional, but they add a rich savory flavor to the Thai green mango salad. To make fried shallots, simply slice the shallots thinly using a mandolin, pat to dry with a paper towel, and fry them in neutral oil until golden brown.
The Sweet, Savory, Sour Dressing
- Lime Juice: lime juice brings out the acidity and a refreshing zing to balance out the other flavors. Make sure to use fresh lime juice for the best flavor!
- Fish Sauce: fish sauce adds an incredibly delicious and unique umami element to the mango salad dressing. It is simply a must.
- Brown Sugar: brown sugar adds sweetness to balance the tartness of the lime juice and mangoes.
- Thai Sweet Chili: Thai sweet chili sauce adds a sweet, savory, tangy and slightly spicy flavor to your mango salad dressing.
- Thai Chili Pepper: chopped Thai chili pepper is VERY spicy and is the best way to add a little heat to your green mango salad.
✨ Substitutions and Additions
I said that this Thai mango salad is versatile and completely customizable. Here are a few suggestions for substitutions and additions that you use to personalize your own green mango salad.
- Carrots: shredded carrots add a hint of natural sweetness and more vibrant colors to the mango salad.
- Cherry Tomatoes: you can add these juicy little gems to add more sweetness and color.
- Soy sauce: if you are looking for a vegetarian or vegan Thai mango salad, I recommend swapping the fish sauce for soy sauce or tamari.
- Palm Sugar: traditionally, Thai cuisine uses palm sugar as their main sweetener. Since palm sugar isn’t prevalent in most grocery stores, I opted for brown sugar. If you have access to palm sugar I recommend using it instead.
- Honey: if you do not have Thai sweet chili sauce, you can alternatively use honey instead!
- Protein: if you want to make this green mango salad recipe more hearty, feel free to add some grilled shrimp or chicken!
📝 How to Make Thai Mango Salad
Here are the steps on how to make a Thai mango salad.
- Mix the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, and chopped Thai chili. Mix until combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Prepare the mango. Peel the mango and grate them into thin strips using a vegetable grater or finely chop the mango into thin slices.
- Mix the mango salad. In a large mixing bowl, mix the prepared mango, sliced bell pepper, sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, and chopped mint and toss until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Toss together. Add the dressing into the bowl and toss to combine.
- Serve. Garnish with crushed peanuts and fried shallots. Enjoy!
⭐️ Tips for the Best Thai Mango Salad
- Choose the right mangoes. Look for green, unripe mangoes that are firm and will be slightly sour. The softer the mango the sweeter it will be. I like choosing firm green mangoes that have a small red patch on them so they are tart without being overly sour.
- Cut the mangoes and vegetables evenly. Use a vegetable grater, a mandolin for even thickness and a knife or simply just a knife to cut the mangos into small thin strips. Cutting the ingredients into even uniform strips ensures that they are evenly coated with the mango salad dressing.
- Adjust the mango salad dressing to your taste. The dressing is the secret to the flavor profile of the Asian mango salad. Taste it with one mango slice before adding it to the rest of your salad. If you want more tang, add more lime juice. If you want it to be sweeter, add more sugar and Thai chili sauce. If you want it to be spicier, add another chopped Thai chili.
- Don’t forget the garnish. Before serving, don’t forget to add the chopped peanuts and fried shallots for that extra savory crunch!
🥡 Storage Instructions
This Thai mango salad recipe is best served fresh immediately after preparation. However, you can store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. If possible, store the mango salad dressing separately from the salad to prevent the salad from becoming soggy and maintaining its crispiness.
💬 Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s
I recommend using green, unripe mangoes with a small patch of red on them. They should be firm, and tart. You can tell if a mango is ripe by the smell and feel. A ripe mango is softer and you can smell the sweetness permeating the skin.
The spiciness level will depend on how much Thai chili pepper you add! So you can make it completely without any spice or level it up to very spicy by adding more Thai chilis and including the seeds.
Of course! You can add protein to Thai mango salad by adding either grilled shrimp, chicken, or tofu. Simply cook the protein separately before you add it to the mango salad.
If fish sauce isn’t your thing, you can easily swap out the fish sauce for soy sauce or tamari. You will have to taste to adjust the sweetness and spice level too.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Thai Mango Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 red Thai chilli pepper chopped (optional for spice)
Green Mango Salad
- 2 medium unripe green mango peeled
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber cut into matchsticks
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup mint chopped
Garnish
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts crushed
- fried shallots optional
Instructions
- Mix the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, sweet chili sauce and chopped Thai chili. Mix until combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Prepare the mango. Peel the mango and grate them into thin strips using a vegetable grater or finely chop the mango into thin slices.
- Mix the mango salad. In a large mixing bowl, mix the prepared mango, sliced bell pepper, sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, and chopped mint and toss until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Toss together. Add the dressing into the bowl and toss to combine.
- Serve. Garnish with fried shallots and crushed peanuts and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Choose the right mangoes. Look for green, unripe mangoes that are firm and will be slightly sour. The softer the mango the sweeter it will be. I like choosing firm green mangoes that have a small red patch on them so they are tart without being overly sour.
- Cut the mangoes and vegetables evenly. Use a vegetable grater, a mandolin for even thickness, and a knife or simply just a knife to cut the mangos into small thin strips. Cutting the ingredients into even uniform strips ensures that they are evenly coated with the mango salad dressing.
- Adjust the mango salad dressing to your taste. The dressing is the secret to the flavor profile of the Asian mango salad. Taste it with one mango slice before adding it to the rest of your salad. If you want more tang, add more lime juice. If you want it to be sweeter, add more sugar and Thai chili sauce. If you want it to be spicier, add another chopped Thai chili.
- Don’t forget the garnish. Before serving, don’t forget to add the chopped peanuts and fried shallots for that extra savory crunch!
- Storage Instructions: This Thai mango salad recipe is best served fresh immediately after preparation. However, you can store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. If possible, store the mango salad dressing separately from the salad to prevent the salad from becoming soggy and maintaining its crispiness.
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