Mango Cucumber Salad With Lime Dressing

With a refreshing burst of tropical flavors, this Mango Cucumber Salad is the ideal summer dish. Its sweet and tangy flavors, make this salad the perfect accompaniment at a summer barbecue, al fresco dinner, or family picnic.

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Nutritional Benefits

While all the beautiful fresh ingredients in a cucumber mango salad contribute to it’s nutritional benefits, there two main stars are in the title.

Cucumbers are roughly 96% water making them a very hydrating food to include in your diet. They’re also a good source of fibre, vitamins like A, C and K, as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

There’s lots to love about juicy, sweet mangoes, including their impressive nutritional profile. Mangoes are an excellent source of immune-boosting vitamin C with just one containing approximately two-thirds of your daily intake. It’s a good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins too, which are also supportive of immune health.  And we can’t forget this sweet summer fruit does plenty for our guts. This is thanks to the fibre and digestive enzymes, amylses, they contain.

Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

The refreshing combination of cool crisp cucumbers, sweet ripe mango and refreshingly tangy vinaigrette make this the perfect salad to enjoy on a hot summer day. 

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Ingredients For The Salad

• Mango – ensure the mangoes chosen are ripe or the salad will lack sweetness.
• Cucumber – peeled Lebanese cucumbers are the perfect choice. They bring a crisp, sweet, and very fresh flavour to the dish.
• Red bell peppers/capsicum – these match the sweetness and taste of the other ingredients. Yellow and orange capsicum / peppers would be a good substitute in need.
• Red onion – adds colour, but also provides balance to the sweetness in the dish.
• Coriander / Cilantro – for a touch of pungency. This can be replaced with fresh chopped chives, parsley or mint if preferred.
• Chilli flakes – an optional ingredient adding a hint of spice to the sweetness of the fruit and veg.

Ingredients For The Dressing

• Apple cider vinegar (ACV) – the tart and dry taste of this vinegar helps cut through the sweet flavours. A good substitute if needed would be white wine vinegar.
• Lime juice – tart, acidic, and sweet. A perfect match for the mango. Lemon juice would also be fine if lime is out of season.
• Honey – ensures the dressing is balanced and not overly acidic. Maple syrup would also be delicious if preferred.
• Olive oil – adds nutrients but also some good fats to the salad to help make it filling.
• Black pepper – adds a little depth of flavour and a tiny bit of spice.

Tortilla chips are an optional extra but they’re great for some added crunch and they’re an easy, fun way to scoop up the salad. See the substitutions and variations section below for a few ideas on ingredient swaps or other optional additions.

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How To Make A Mango Cucumber Salad

This is a great salad for days it’s just too hot to cook. A little peeling, chopping and tossing of ingredients is all it requires. You’ll get a taste of summer in every bite.

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1. Pour all the dressing ingredients into a small jar put the lid on and give it a vigorous shake. Set aside until needed. You could also whisk everything up in a small bowl instead.
2. Wash the cucumber well then cut in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard them. Cut the cucumber into dice/cubes that are small to medium in size and add to a serving bowl. You can peel the skin before chopping if preferred.
3. Peel the onion and de-seed the capsicum/bell pepper. Cut to the same sized dice as the cucumber then add to the bowl.
4. Cut the cheeks off each mango. Slice through the flesh in a crisscross pattern to create small to medium sized cubes. Carefully scoop these out with a spoon so they don’t mush or break and place into the bowl with the other veg.
5. Pour over the salad dressing and gently toss everything together.
6. Sprinkle with chopped coriander/cilantro and chili flakes then serve.

This salad is a great side dish for barbecues because it pairs perfectly with meats like chicken, pork or prawns/shrimp. It’s also excellent to add to nourishing bowls or a grain bowl and makes a great, cooling snack either served as is or alongside some corn chips to scoop it up.

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Substitutions And Variations

I used Lebanese/Persian cucumbers for this recipe though English cucumbers, mini cucumbers or cucamelons would all be fine.

Add in any fresh herbs you like if you’re not a fan of cilantro. Parsley or mint will both work well.

If you don’t want any spice in your salad sprinkle with sesame seeds in place of the chilli flakes.

Turn this into a cucumber mango avocado salad by add in one peeled and chopped avocado.

Tips For Success With This Recipe

Raw onion in a salad, particularly white onion, can be overpowering, which is what makes the red variety the best choice. They are sweeter and more mild than other varieties, but to make them even milder give them a good rinse after slicing.

Make sure the mango you choose is ripe. An un-ripe mango will affect the sweetness and overall flavour profile of the recipe.

Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The water content of the mango and cucumber will mean the salad does lose some of it’s crunch from sitting in liquid so it’s best when eaten straight away.

This salad is not suitable for freezing.

You could prep all the ingredients in advance if preferred. If doing this I suggest storing everything in separate jars or containers so they stay fresh. That said, it’s worth noting that the nutrient content of cut fruit and veg can deteriorate over time due to oxidation. With this in mind, I always suggest making it when you’re ready to eat it if possible. It’s quick and easy so takes no time to get on the table.

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FAQ

More Summertime Recipes

• Summer Charcuterie Board
• Peach Arugula (Rocket) Salad
• Fig Cinnamon And Honey Butter
• Corn And Zucchini Fritters

If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!

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