Thai Mango Salad

This Thai mango salad is the perfect refreshing summer salad. It’s made with sweet and tart mangoes, red bell pepper, carrot, red onion, fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, and a zesty lime dressing.

Mango salad is one of my favorite side dishes. It’s a healthy and bright salad that pairs nicely with warm curries and stir-fry dishes. Although you could (and should) make this to go with any weeknight dinner.

Traditional Thai green mango salad is made with fish sauce, but I wanted to create a vegan version that everyone can enjoy. This homemade dressing has a lovely balance of sweet, sour, and spice.

While this is not an authentic recipe, it’s inspired by the green mango salad at my local Thai restaurant.

Thai mango salad ingredients

Mango: Mangoes are at their peak flavor from May to September, which makes this one of the best summer salad recipes.

Green mango salad is made with unripe mangoes. I like to use mangoes that are firm and slightly ripe.

I recommend Kent or Ataulfo mangoes for this salad. They have a sweet-tart flavor, and their flesh isn’t too stringy or fibrous.

Red bell pepper: This has a sweet and savory flavor. It also adds a nice crunch to the salad.

Carrot: This adds a subtle sweetness to the salad, which pairs nicely with the sweet-tart mango.

Red onion: This adds a spicy element to the salad and offers a nice crunch.

TIP: To tone down the taste of the red onion, you can soak the slices in cold water for 15 minutes before assembling the salad. Drain the onions thoroughly before adding them to the salad.

Fresh herbs: I use a combination of fresh cilantro and mint. If you don’t like mint, use Thai basil instead. Thai basil has an anise or licorice-like flavor, which is bolder than sweet basil.

Toasted peanuts and cashews: I like to use a combination of both peanuts and cashews when making mango salad. If you’re allergic to peanuts, then just use more cashews.

Lime juice: This adds a tangy and tart flavor to the salad. It also helps to enhance the flavor of the mango.

Maple syrup: Traditional Thai green mango salad with made with palm sugar. Since I don’t usually keep palm sugar in my pantry, I like to use pure maple syrup instead.

You can substitute with honey or agave nectar if you prefer.

Light soy sauce: Traditional Thai green mango salad is made with fish sauce, which has a salty and briny taste. To keep this recipe vegan friendly, I use light or all-purpose soy sauce instead.

Thai chili pepper: I use one bird’s eye chili pepper or Thai red chili for this recipe. It adds a nice kick of heat to this salad.

Make sure to scrape out the seeds to tone down the heat, then finely chop it. You can substitute with a pinch of red chili flakes or jalapeño pepper instead.

If want to lower the spice level, use a large red chili pepper (which is lower heat). If you’re sensitive to heat, then omit the chili pepper.

How to make Thai mango salad

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, add the lime juice, maple syrup, light soy sauce, and chopped Thai red chili pepper. Use a small fork to mix until everything is combined.

Prep the veggies. Thinly slice the mangoes, red bell pepper, carrot and red onion. If you want to make life easier, you can use a mandolin for the red onion and a y-peeler for the mangoes and carrot.

Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the mangoes, red bell pepper, carrot, red onion, chopped cilantro and fresh mint (or Thai basil if using). Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and gently toss until combined.

Garnish and serve! Sprinkle the crushed peanuts and chopped cashews (or chopped peanuts if using) on top. Taste and adjust with more lime juice, maple syrup or light soy sauce if desired.

Tips for making Thai mango salad

Take your time slicing the veggies. This salad comes together quickly once all the ingredients are prepped.

I just use a knife to slice up everything into thin strips. You can use a y-peeler for the mango and carrot, or a mandolin to thinly slice the red onion if you prefer.

Remove the seeds from the Thai red chili for less heat. Slice the chili in half lengthwise, then use a knife to scrape out the seeds.

After cutting the pepper, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water to remove any lingering chili pepper.

Swap the veggies. Other vegetables you can use in this mango salad include shredded purple cabbage, thin strips of cucumber, pickled red onion, or green onion (scallions).

Make it in advance. You can prep this salad up to one day in advance. Keep the salad ingredients, chopped nuts, and salad dressing in separate containers.

Store in the fridge until ready to eat. Then combine everything together and serve.

What to serve with Thai mango salad

Serve this salad as a side dish with your favorite meal. You can pair it with:

• Thai curry
• Grilled tofu, chicken, or fish.
• Veggies kebabs
• Thai or Asian stir fry dishes
• Cilantro lime rice or fried rice
• BBQ favorites (hamburgers or hot dogs)

Please let me know how you like this Thai mango salad recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourage me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this salad as much as I do.

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