The BEST Thai Green Mango Salad
Mango Unchained
What is Thai Green Mango Salad?
Made with unripe mangoes, Thai green mango salad is bursting with colour and has an irresistible tangy, sweet, spicy flavour. It’s so easy to make too!
The chef is using Nam Jim Dressing, a versatile Thai sauce to give it that characteristic fiery, sweet flavour (see detailed recipe here) and prawn and crab sticks to make it more substantial as a meal.
You’ll love it if…
You love a fresh, super healthy, summery Thai style salad with tons of flavour and colour. *Chef’s kiss*
This is a fun salad. It’s not an attention seeking, life-of-the-party fun. That kind of fun can be quite draining to be around. This is more like enviably cool and laid-back kind of fun. You want to have a beer with it. It’s up for a laugh. That kind of fun.
What makes it a fun salad is how easy-going it is. It lives in the moment. Don’t have half the ingredients? It will still be fun. Don’t want to emulsify oil for a dressing? Bish bash bosh with a mortar and pestle and you’re done! The definition of unfun is emulsifying olive oil and vinegar. The definition of fun is throwing things together and pounding it with a stone hammer. That’s my definition of fun anyway.
The flavours are so tangy and zingy. Sour lime meets fiery birds eye chilli, cut through with palm sugar. The fruits and vegetables are crunchy and colourful, add as many as you can be bothered to chop. The green mangoes have a tart sweetish flavour which really shines with the Nam Jim dressing. Top with salty roasted peanuts. Have a laugh. Drink a beer. Life is too short to spend with unfun salads.
Prepare The Ingredients
Peel and cut up the veg into matchsticks. If using prawns, cook the prawns in a pan.
Make the Dressing
Pound together chilli, garlic, sugar, pepper and coriander. Mix in the fish sauce, lime juice and tamarind sauce. This is Thai Nam Jim Dressing, a versatile Thai sauce with a characteristic fiery, sweet flavour. Get more detailed instructions for Nam Jim Dressing here.
Serve and Enjoy!
Toss together and add a generous handful of the peanuts on top. Serve with the prawn. Bon Appetit!
- If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use a rolling pin and a sturdy bowl, a food processor, or a spice grinder. You could also just chop the ingredients really finely.
- If you want to make a vegan version, substitute fish sauce with Tamari (a Japanese sauce made from soy and rice). See FAQs at the end of the Recipe.
Thai Green Mango Salad
Equipment
- Mortar and Pestle * if you don't have one, you can use a rolling pin and a sturdy bowl, a food processor, or a spice grinder.
- Large Bowl for mixing
Ingredients
- 1 cup unripe green mango, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 1/2 cup sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 1 cup green eating apple, cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup peanuts, roasted and salted
Optional Ingredients
- 6 large prawns, marinated in salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup imitation crab sticks shredded
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper or sweet red peppers, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup green beans, blanched *quickly boiled for a couple of minutes and dropped into ice water, helps to slightly cook and preserve the colour
- 1/2 cup green bell peppers cut into matchsticks
For Nam Jim Dressing
- 3 Birds Eye chilli or adjust according to desired spice levels
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar *you can substitute with brown sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon tamarind sauce *optional
Instructions
For The Nam Jim Dressing
- In a mortar and pestle pound together 3 birds eye chillies (or adjust according to taste), 6 cloves peeled garlic, 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar / if using honey add in the next step), 1 tablespoon coriander and .ground black pepper to taste.
- Mix in 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 teaspoon tamarind sauce, if using.
- Get more detailed instructions for Nam Jim Dressing here.
For The Salad
- If using prawns, cook 6 large marinated prawns in a pan on medium high heat until cooked through.
- Put all the vegetables and crabsticks in a large bowl and pour over the Nam Jim Dressing.
- Toss together and and add a generous handful of the peanuts on top.
- Serve with the cooked prawns. Bon Appetit!
Notes
FAQ
Can I make this vegan?
To make it vegan, use Tamari instead of Fish Sauce. Tamari is a Japanese sauce made from soy and rice, readily available in the Asian section of the supermarket.
Can I substitute green mango with another fruit?
Yes, unripe papaya or firm green apples can be used as alternatives, though the flavour will differ slightly.
How spicy is this salad typically?
The heat level varies; traditionally, it’s moderately to highly spicy, but you can adjust the amount of chilli to suit your preference.
Can I prepare this salad in advance?
It’s best enjoyed fresh, but you can prepare the components ahead and combine them just before serving to maintain crispness. The Nam Jim dressing is best made in advance to allow the flavours to meld.
