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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Green Mango Salad

[heart_this] · May 16, 2009 · 62 Comments

Green Mango Salad

I have been wanting to try a Thai style green papaya salad for a while now but I have never been able to find truly green, unripened, papayas. I tried picking up the greenest one that I could find but it was still too ripe and soft. I had all but given up when I was walking through the market I saw some really green mangoes and I remembered that there was a very similar Thai style green mango salad. I figured that even though these mangoes were fully bright green that they would still be soft and too ripe as well, but I picked them up and gave them a squeeze, they were rock solid and clearly unripe! I picked some up immediately and quickly tried to find all of the other ingredients that I thought I would need for the green mango salad.
The key to this salad is that the papaya or in this case mango, is used for its crisp texture and tart flavour rather than the soft and sweet ripened version. I kept the salad pretty simple and to the julienned mango I added a julienned carrot because it had a similar shape and crunchy texture and it would add some colour. I also added some bean sprouts for another colour and for the crisp juiciness that they would add to the salad. Of course there had to be a hot chili in there along with lots of fresh herbs. For the dressing I used some classic Thai ingredients: fish sauce, lime juice and some palm sugar to balance it all out. When I think of Thai cuisine peanuts always seem to come up and I thought that they would add a nice complementing texture.
The Thai green mango salad turned out great! It was so fresh and it had such a wonderful combination of flavours and textures. I really liked how each bite was crunchy and juicy and tart and sweet and sour and how every once in a while you would bite into a really hot pepper which overall balanced out with everything else. Despite the fact that I normally enjoy fully ripe, soft and sweet mangoes I quite liked the way the tart and crunchy unripened mango worked in this salad. While I was eating the salad I was thinking that you could easily turn it into a light meal by adding some shrimp or crab.

Green Mango Salad

Green Mango Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 2
ingredients
  • 1 green mango (peeled and julienned)
  • 1 small carrot (julienned)
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 birds eye chili (chopped)
  • 1 green onion (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon mint (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon Thai basil (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts (chopped, or cashews, etc.)
directions
  1. Mix the mango, carrot, bean sprouts, chili, green onion, cilantro, mint, basil in a large bowl.
  2. Mix fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a small bowl.
  3. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve garnished with the peanuts.
Similar Recipes:
Thai Cucumber and Pineapple Salad
Crunchy Asian Salad
Pad Thai
Thai Green Bean and Crab Salad
Thai Black Rice Salad
Thai Beef Noodle Salad
Thai Style Black Quinoa Salad

Food, Gluten-free, Recipe, Salad, Side Dish, Thai, Vegetable

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marta says

    May 16, 2009 at 10:34 pm

    Great recipe! I like that you added carrots, I’m sure their sweetness complemented the tartness of the green mango. It is hard to find these unripened fruits but still have them be eadible!
    My favourite Thai place (Satay on the Road) adds baby shrimp to their mango salad and, like you say, it’s a full meal. I love it!

    Reply
  2. Sippity Sup says

    May 16, 2009 at 10:54 pm

    I live with in walking distance to Thai town. The BEST papaya salads! But they always look at me askance when I INSIST I want it Hot, Thai hot. It’s the only way to eat it, but boy does it make my eyebrows sweat! GREG

    Reply
  3. Christina says

    May 17, 2009 at 12:26 am

    This looks so refreshing and light!

    Reply
  4. Pam says

    May 17, 2009 at 2:03 am

    Kevin – This looks great!!! I’ve always wanted to try this kind of salad, but I never remember to look for green mangoes or papayas.

    Reply
  5. Mary says

    May 17, 2009 at 2:26 am

    We love green mango salad. This looks like a good recipe.

    Reply
  6. Justine says

    May 17, 2009 at 2:44 am

    mmm, sounds tasty and refreshing!

    Reply
  7. Sweet Bird says

    May 17, 2009 at 2:56 am

    I love this! Green papaya/mango salad is delicious.

    Reply
  8. Manggy says

    May 17, 2009 at 3:07 am

    A Southeast Asian classic! All that’s missing is the shrimp paste, heh heh 🙂

    Reply
  9. Debbie says

    May 17, 2009 at 3:33 am

    oh soft spot! I’m drooling over this recipe, will need to try it soon.

    Reply
  10. Nina Timm says

    May 17, 2009 at 4:59 am

    I keep this in mind for next summer!!! I love all the flavors and not o mention all the crispy textures!!

    Reply
  11. Jan says

    May 17, 2009 at 7:49 am

    Wow that salad looks delish Kevin!
    The photo is fantastic. Please can you come and photograph my food as my pictures are never very good sadly.
    A great recipe!

    Reply
  12. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    May 17, 2009 at 8:10 am

    What a delightful and refreshing salad!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  13. My Taste Heaven says

    May 17, 2009 at 8:34 am

    We have something similar to your green mango salad in Malaysia which we call it Mango Kelabu.

    Reply
  14. Sarah says

    May 17, 2009 at 10:39 am

    This looks great! I’ve never thought of using green mango for this kind of salad, but I bet it’s good. I like green mangoes too. You can also make this kind of salad with seeded cucumber instead of the papaya. Here in Laos,that’s what people do when papayas aren’t in season. It’s funny that you have a hard time finding green papayas because here we have a hard time finding ripe ones! People eat them all up before they’re ripe!

    Reply
  15. HoneyB says

    May 17, 2009 at 11:10 am

    The salad looks great. Love the colors!k

    Reply
  16. Cucinista says

    May 17, 2009 at 11:37 am

    I love green papaya salad, though most of the time it’s so spicy I have to cry while eating it (but can’t stop! It’s so good!) and will definitely check this version out. No more tears…

    Reply
  17. Tangled Noodle says

    May 17, 2009 at 1:17 pm

    I have the same problem finding unripe papaya and mangoes here in MN. Even the Asian markets don’t have them (or I don’t go often enough to know when they do). This salad looks fantastic and makes me even more determined to find these fruits in their green state!

    Reply
  18. Joanne says

    May 17, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    This totally reminds me of a thai version coleslaw. I personally would like this version better it has such a variety of flavors.

    Reply
  19. Ninette says

    May 17, 2009 at 2:43 pm

    You could also add to the salad rice vermicelli noodles like Filipino pancit bihon, and chicken or shrimp, and serve it as a cold or room temp. salad. Delicious!

    Reply
  20. nithya at hungrydesi says

    May 17, 2009 at 3:07 pm

    sounds delicious…i love green mangos! sometimes we cut one up, shower it with red chili powder and a little salt and just have it as a snack. such a nice tang.

    Reply
  21. Dawn says

    May 17, 2009 at 3:18 pm

    those colors really pop in the photo. I always love your creations!

    Reply
  22. Jessie says

    May 17, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    I have been on a crazy mango kick lately(including a late-night walk to local market for ripe mango, which I ate in its entirety standing over my sink)So nice to see a savory mango recipe that isn’t salsa. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  23. meeso says

    May 17, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    That salad looks amazing, I like how you used the mangoes 🙂

    Reply
  24. Cookin' Canuck says

    May 17, 2009 at 5:32 pm

    Great idea! I love green papaya salad, but have never thought to use green mangoes.

    Reply
  25. Ammu says

    May 17, 2009 at 7:10 pm

    Wow! delicious.

    Reply
  26. Jennifer says

    May 17, 2009 at 7:22 pm

    Kevin: I think you are working your way towards a mango cookbook…am I right?

    Reply
  27. Katie says

    May 17, 2009 at 8:25 pm

    Beautiful! I’l have to try this soon– mangos are exceedingly cheap right now.

    Reply
  28. MaryBeth says

    May 18, 2009 at 12:05 am

    I am not a fan of mango but my husband is, I really think he would like this very refreshing salad. Looks great Kevin!!

    Reply
  29. Hungry Gal says

    May 18, 2009 at 1:05 am

    This looks so delicious. Reminds me of the green papaya and green mango salads I ate backpacking through SE Asia

    Reply
  30. Minna says

    May 18, 2009 at 1:43 am

    i love all your recipes! i’d love to see your take on mac and cheese!

    Reply
  31. Anonymous says

    May 18, 2009 at 3:19 am

    this looks great. and you have a lovely blog. thanks for stopping at mine.

    Reply
  32. Helene says

    May 18, 2009 at 3:36 am

    With the warm weather coming up this is the perfect recipe. I’ll keep this one of file. Thanks.

    Reply
  33. CookinsForMe says

    May 18, 2009 at 4:53 am

    What a beautiful picture that is, Kevin! I’ll have to try that soon.

    Reply
  34. Katerina says

    May 18, 2009 at 5:59 am

    This looks perfect for the summer!
    Light and refreshing!
    Thanks!

    Reply
  35. Anonymous says

    May 18, 2009 at 7:18 am

    Wow…lovely recipe. Looks very fresh and healthy!

    Reply
  36. Taste Buddies says

    May 18, 2009 at 11:18 am

    One of my favourites Kevin! Great recipe.

    Reply
  37. Debbie says

    May 18, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    What a great salad. Love the textures and colors!

    Reply
  38. Cathy says

    May 18, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    Wow, this looks terrific. I love all the Thai flavors. I usually ignore the green, unripe mangoes at the market. Now I’ll pay attention.

    Reply
  39. Katie says

    May 18, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    This looks great! So fresh and clean.

    Reply
  40. Lisa says

    May 18, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    Yeah, salad season is upon us. Love the crisp ingredients here.

    Reply
  41. Anonymous says

    May 18, 2009 at 5:33 pm

    Green mango is really great. Never had it until a month or so ago, and it was surprisingly tasty.

    Reply
  42. Anonymous says

    May 18, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    Very fresh!

    Reply
  43. Leela says

    May 18, 2009 at 9:28 pm

    I am salivating shamelessly. This looks amazing, Kevin. Give me this and a bowl of Jasmine rice and I’m all set. (I’m Thai; I eat my salad with rice.) 🙂

    Reply
  44. Anonymous says

    May 18, 2009 at 9:55 pm

    I am so far behind on blog reading – love this recipe and I love the new header!!

    Reply
  45. Cynthia says

    May 18, 2009 at 11:50 pm

    Kevin, Happy 2nd blog birthday. You have much to celebrate as your blog is outstanding and has been consistently of a very high quality. Looking forward to many more.

    Reply
  46. toni says

    May 19, 2009 at 12:47 am

    This looks like that perfect summer salad that Thai restaurants have DOWN! Delicious sounding!

    Reply
  47. Dragon says

    May 19, 2009 at 1:16 am

    This is a lovely salad. Yum!

    Reply
  48. Kerstin says

    May 19, 2009 at 2:37 am

    What a lovely salad – it looks so refreshing! I’ve never had a thai salad, and now I think I need to!

    Reply
  49. Julianas says

    May 19, 2009 at 3:50 am

    Love this recipe, very summery and the colors are so tempting. Great pictures!

    Reply
  50. noobcook says

    May 19, 2009 at 6:14 am

    I’ve been looking high and low for some green mangoes too. Your salad looks so refreshing.

    Reply
  51. Coffee and Vanilla says

    May 19, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    Nice recipe and love the new design 🙂
    Margot

    Reply
  52. Cinnamonda says

    May 19, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    What an interesting recipe & fabulous colours!

    Reply
  53. Amy says

    May 19, 2009 at 3:35 pm

    I’ve never tried mango or papaya salad but yours definitley makes me want to try some next time I go to a thai place or even try making it myself!

    Reply
  54. Pam says

    May 19, 2009 at 3:42 pm

    I love the colors and flavors of this salad. Another wonderful photo!

    Reply
  55. Lina says

    May 19, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    I have to try making this. it looks so refreshing on a hot summer day!

    Reply
  56. Deborah says

    May 20, 2009 at 12:47 am

    I have never heard of using an unripened fruit like this – it sounds wonderful!

    Reply
  57. Jan says

    May 20, 2009 at 11:07 pm

    Fabulous looking salad. I’m glad you went with mangos as I don’t really care for papaya.

    Reply
  58. Christopher says

    May 23, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    Hi Kevin. There are two terrific fruit shops on the west side of Spadina, just north of Dundas that, from time to time, carry superb Vietnamese green mangoes (very expensive however) as well as the occasional green papaya.

    If not in stock at these shops, try a West Indian grocery shop for green papaya. 😉

    Reply
  59. Anonymous says

    May 23, 2009 at 9:23 pm

    58 comments and not a single one even TRIED the recipe??

    Reply
  60. Jaime says

    May 30, 2009 at 6:51 pm

    i always enjoy green papaya salads! i bet the mango is just as good too

    Reply
  61. Vidya says

    July 15, 2009 at 3:31 pm

    What a lovely Salad. Beautiful picture.

    First time here. You have a lovely blog, Kevin. Awesome pictures too.

    Reply
  62. Ron says

    July 3, 2021 at 6:58 am

    I wish that this site and all other similar food sites would prohibit comments from people who haven’t actually tried the recipe.

    Reply

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