Are you rubbing your hands with glee like me because mangoes are in season? Mangoes are magical – they can transport you to childhood and take you places throughout your life where they have provided a taste of home, comfort, and a longing for simpler times.
Each one of us has special ways in which we like to eat mangoes – rolling it to soften the flesh, nipping a hole at the top to squeeze and suck the juice. Others simply want to tear the skin with their teeth, bite and suck the mangoes with the juices running through our fingers, sometimes down to the elbow; our hands a yellow-orange sticky mess. And then there are those who prefer their mangoes sliced. To be honest, I like eating mangoes all ways, saving the seed for last when I’d scrape every last bit of flesh with my teeth sucking the seed clean (laugh). Even the skin, if the mango was peeled or skinned back from the flesh, you’ve got to get in there and run your teeth along the inside of the skin, getting every bit of juicy sweetness.
In previous columns about mangoes, I have explained that when they first come into season, I want to eat mangoes as is and as the season wears on, I make things with mangoes and add them to various dishes. This year, it is a mango salad but this one is different because the dressing is made with mangoes! So, the salad comprises mango and the dressing too. This mango salad offers textural variety – soft sweet creaminess from the mangoes, cool crispness from the cucumbers, light crunch from the flavour peppers and a little sharp bite from the red onions. The salad is easily and quickly put together and is best served at room temperature, but you can serve it chilled too. It goes well with grilled or pan-seared seafood, chicken and pork chops. Mango and roast duck make for a perfect paring too.
Most salads call for them to be dressed before serving where the dressing and salad ingredients are tossed together. However, for this salad, I recommend the dressing be spooned over the salad and let persons mix them together themselves. Therefore, serve the salad in a bowl and the dressing in a smaller bowl at the side.
Another tip – you want to mangoes to remain firm and not turn to mush, mix all the other salad ingredients together, first, then add the mangoes and gently toss to mix.
Mango Salad with Mint-Cilantro Dressing
INGREDIENTS
For salad:
●1 cup diced cucumbers (skin on, deseeded)
● 3 tablespoons finely diced red onions
● 2 tablespoons finely diced flavour peppers
● 2 heaped cups diced firm ripe mangoes
For dressing:
● ¾ cup chopped ripe mangoes
● 12 – 14 large mint leaves
● ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro/coriander (leaves and
tender stems)
● 2 large cloves garlic
● Chopped hot pepper, to taste
● 2 tablespoons fresh lime/lemon juice
● ½ teaspoon fine table salt
● 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS
For salad:
1. Mix together the cucumbers, onions and flavour
peppers then add mangoes and toss lightly to mix; set
aside.
For dressing:
2. Add all the ingredients except the oil to a blender or
food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor
still running, drizzle in the oil. The dressing should be
completely emulsified.
NOTES
● Cut the mangoes into large chunks
● If you do not have access to fresh coriander/cilantro, add a few more of the mint leaves.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
