This Mango Tossed Green Salad with Basil Dressing is fat-free and yet entirely scrumptious. It comes to us complements of Peco Nagai, my good friend and exquisite Thai cook. The texture is light and flavorful - great as a side dish with nearly any meal. It can also be made into a dinner or lunch salad by tossing in cooked shrimp or tofu, or grilled fish or chicken. And you don't need to worry about the 'ripeness' of the mango - anywhere from semi-ripe to fully ripe will work, as sweet-sour flavors work beautifully with Thai food. Many thanks to Peco and also to Chiro, her cooking assistant, for this delicious recipe!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: SERVES 2-3 as a Side Dish
Ingredients:
- 1 medium bowl fresh lettuce, or a combination of mixed greens (enough for 2 people)
- 1 semi-ripe to ripe mango
- 1 small red pepper, cubed or sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced into thin sticks or grated
- 1/2 to 1 cup cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts or cashews
- BASIL DRESSING: (serves 2 people; double recipe for 3 or more)
- 15-20 basil leaves, or up to 25 if leaves are small
- 1 green onion, sliced (including green stem)
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce OR soy sauce if vegetarian
- 2 tsp. brown sugar or palm sugar
- optional: 1 clove garlic
Preparation:
- Rinse fresh greens and use salad spinner to dry. Place in a salad bowl. Add all the other vegetables.
- Slice the mango on either side of the stone and scoop out the fruit. Slice fruit up into cubes (see photo instructions: How to Cut a Mango.) Add mango cubes to the salad.
- To make the dressing, place all Basil Dressing ingredients in a mini chopper, food processor or blender. Blitz to create a delicious basil dressing.
- Drizzle dressing over salad (use a spoon to scrape it all out). Then toss well. Add nuts and toss again. Top with a few more nuts and enjoy!
Basil Dressing Tips: This dressing should be used up within 24 hours. If not, you can freeze it in a small Tupperware-type container. This dressing also makes a wonderful dip as well as a marinade for chicken, fish, and shrimp.
Variations of this Salad:
- Add cooked shrimp, simply boiled or grilled
- Add fried tofu, cut into cubes
- Add grilled chicken (recommended: Easy Honey-Garlic Grilled Chicken)
- If you can't find mango, try it with papaya or fresh pineapple instead!
Why Thai Salads Are Better Than the Usual Salad Bar Fare:
Thai salads are low in fat and calories (e.g. this one is fat free!), yet extremely high in taste. In fact, I've had a lot of people write in to tell me how much weight they've lost since introducing my salads into their diets. Aside from the low-fat/caloric content, Thai salads are very healthy and beautiful to serve, and the uniqueness of Thai salads means they're always popular with guests.
