Mangoes are my favorite summertime fruit (who can resist their fruity aroma?!) Avocados are a year-round favorite. And when you put them together, they make one delicious mango avocado salad that everyone will love!
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💭 Why you'll love this recipe
- Refreshing and convenient. This mango avocado salad comes together in 15 minutes and uses simple ingredients but with maximum flavor!
- Healthy & nutritious. Mango isn't called the king of fruits for nothing. It has a bunch of nutrients that aid immunity, iron absorption. Avocados provide healthy fat, while other components enhance flavors.
- Perfect, customizable summer salad. This salad is a great side dish for any summer cookout or picnic. You can also customize it by adding other herbs, proteins, or vegetables. Don't forget to check out my refreshing Asian-inspired slaw and roasted beet salad too!
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this recipe, you'll need mangoes, avocados, red onion, cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper.
Notes and Variations
- Picking mangoes: Sweet mango works best in this recipe. The sweetness of the mango is a key flavor profile. That said, I find that fresh mango in the United States is not as sweet as the ones I used to get in India, so I love shopping for mangoes in the local Mexican or Indian grocery store. Make sure to pick ripe mangoes!
- You'll want medium firm-ripe avocados for this recipe. If they're too ripe, I find they get mushy when you toss them together.
- I use a small red onion in the recipe, but you can also use yellow onions or sweet onions. I find that red onions are more tangy, but others work!
- Dressing: I use fresh lemons but fresh lime juice (medium lime) will also work. Occasionally, I'll use balsamic vinegar or throw in red chili pepper for spice, or add some lime zest to amplify the citrus notes! I use extra virgin olive oil, but you can also use avocado oil in the recipe.
- Toppings: I only use fresh basil here. But you can top this salad with other fresh herbs (e.g., parsley, cilantro or one of these parsley substitutes), black beans (if you want a more Mexican-inspired flavor), crumbly cheese (like goat cheese, feta or cotija, or one of these cotija cheese substitutes) or even crunchy almonds and nuts!
📖 Step-by-step instructions
Chop up the ingredients
I like to first chop up the mangoes, then the onions and cherry tomatoes, then the basil, and then finally the avocados to prevent browning.
- To slice the mangoes, slice around the center seed so you get two flesh portions. Then, slice them into a criss-cross pattern and invert the mango by pushing upwards into the skin. Then you can use a spoon to scoop off the cubes. For the flesh that surrounds the seed, use your knife carefully at an angle to slice off the soft flesh.
- Slice the onions into a small dice as you usually would, cut the cherry tomatoes into halves, and rough chop the basil into small pieces
- Finally, to slice the avocados, first slice in half and remove the seed. Then, scoop out the avocado using a spoon. Then chop into cubes.
Psst: if you have leftovers of a juicy mango, make sure to use them up in a delicious mango salsa or a mango lassi.
Prepare vinaigrette and mix the salad!
Once all your ingredients are chopped up, place them neatly in a large bowl. Then, add lemon juice and zest, olive oil, salt and pepper to a mason jar or small bowl and shake thoroughly. Add to larger bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Finally, toss the salad together using two large forks or salad serving utensils. Your mango avocado salad is ready - serve chilled if possible!
👩🏽🍳Top tips and FAQs
Squeeze the mangoes gently. If ripe, it'll give slightly. It's similar to how you might treat avocados as well - they get softer as they ripen.
You can either peel the mangoes first or keep the peel on and remove them at the end. Mangoes have a seed that runs through the center, so you basically slice around the edges. Then chop them into cubes. Check the post above for a visual guide!
To make this ahead of time, chop up the mango, onions, tomatoes, and basil and keep it in the fridge in separate containers. Then, right before serving, add them to a bowl, add avocado, and vinaigrette.
🍴 Serving and storage suggestions
You can store leftovers of this mango avocado salad recipe in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container! I love serving this salad as a perfect addition to any BBQ main dish, or bringing it to picnics.
If you like this, check out these healthy recipes for easy salads:
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📖 Recipe
Mango Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 1 mango, medium sized
- 2 avocados, medium sized
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, sliced thinly
- ½ cup chopped basil
Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Hold one mango upright and cut off slices on either side (feel for the center seed and cut around it). Then, remove the peel, and chop up the mangoes into small pieces. Scrap the mango flesh off the seeds using your knife and chop them into cubes.
- Dice half a red onion, and then chop up a cup of cherry tomatoes into halves.
- Slice two avocados in halves, remove the pit, and then scoop out the flesh. Then, cut them into even sized cubes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1½ teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, half a teaspoon of lemon zest, and some salt and pepper to a mason jar. Close the lid and shake until combined into a vinaigrette. You can also place it in a bowl and whisk it together.
- Place the cut avocados, mango, red onion, chopped basil, and cherry tomatoes in a mixing bowl and drizzle the vinaigrette. Toss to combine and serve chilled if possible.
Notes
- Use ripe avocados and mangoes if possible and dice them into even, bite-sized cubes. I also like slicing the avocados at the very end just to avoid browning.
- You can make this salad ahead of time and throw it in the fridge. If doing this, dress right before serving so you can avoid stuff getting super mushy!
- Sometimes, I like to add spinach and strawberries to this salad too! Great summertime salads all around.
Nutrition
Note: This post was originally published on April 10, 2021. It was updated on November 27, 2021 with additional tips and tricks.
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