Mango And Avocado Salad

Fruit salad is a clear winner when it comes to summertime lunches or snacks: it’s crisp and refreshing in the heat of the afternoon, and doesn’t take long to pull together when you want some. If pineapple and watermelon aren’t your favorites (or if you’re trying to cut back on your fructose intake), try this slightly different version of a summer salad, which tones down the sweetness a little with cucumbers and adds avocado for a more filling and satisfying dish.

The dressing on this salad is also a little different. Tthe fish sauce doesn’t make it taste “fishy,” but it does add an interesting new note to the flavor. With the hot peppers, fish sauce, and mangoes, this salad almost has an Southeast Asian flavor – if the salad itself isn’t enough for your meal, try serving it with some Thai pork lettuce wraps or chicken curry rolls.

When you’re choosing fruit for this salad, make sure to use a nicely ripe mango; an unripe one will be too sour. Your fruit should have a little give when you squeeze it. Some mangoes turn red at the top, but that doesn’t mean they’re ripe; always judge by the way it feels, not the way it looks. If the only mangoes at the store aren’t ready yet, just buy an unripe one and leave it on your counter for a few days: like avocados, mangoes continue to ripen after they’re picked. In a few days, it will be juicy and ready to enjoy.

Mango And Avocado Salad Recipe

Serves 2

Prep. Time. 10 min.

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber cut into cubes;
• 1 avocado cut into cubes;
• 1 mango cut into cubes;
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced;

Simple Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. fish sauce;
• The zest and juice of one lime;
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil;
• 1 tsp. white wine vinegar;
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

• In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Add the cucumber, the avocado, the mango and the cilantro to the bowl, and toss gently until everything is well coated with the vinaigrette and serve.