This spicy cucumber mango salad is guaranteed to add a sweet, tangy, spicy kick to all your summertime meals. It only takes 15 minutes to make this refreshing summer salad. Serve it as side dish or light main course for hot summer nights.
Spicy cucumber mango salad combines the sweet mango with cool, crunchy cucumbers, creating a harmonious balance of flavors that's irresistible.
The flavor profile is similar to my popular Mexican Fruit Salad, but this salad is made with a simpler dressing (you only need 3 ingredients.)
🧡Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
🧡The combination of cool cucumbers and sweet mangoes with a spicy dressing makes for a refreshing summer salad that's perfect for hot weather.
🧡This is the perfect summer salad to take to potlucks, picnics or BBQ's.
🧡Spicy cucumber mango salad is super easy to make and it's budget friendly too.
🧡This salad can do double time as a salsa. Serve it with tacos, nachos or tostadas for a spicy addition to a Mexican meal.
🧡It's low in calories, high in Vitamin C, fiber and potassium and full of antioxidants.
🧡There's no oil or sugar in this recipe.
🛒Ingredients
- Cucumber: You'll need an English cucumber for this salad. In a pinch you could use a Kirby cucumber, but English cucumbers have a thinner skin, fewer seeds and less bitter taste, and I think they are the best choice for this recipe. If you do decided to use another cucumber variety, scrape the excess seeds out with a spoon.
- Mangoes: A ripe mango should have a sweet aroma and yield slightly to gentle pressure when squeezed. The skin should also have a slight give and be mostly yellow or orange with a red blush, depending on the variety.
- Red Pepper: I added a red pepper to this recipe, because it adds a welcome pop of color. A lot of cucumber mango salad recipes use a red onion, but I find the flavor too harsh for this kind of salad.
- Lime Juice: Use fresh lime juice. Two tablespoons is roughly equivalent to the juice of one large lime.
- Chili Pepper: Jalapenos are the best choice. I used half a deseeded green chili pepper, and the salad is spicy without going to crazy town. Adjust the chili pepper to your suit your personal tolerance for spiciness. You could also substitute a teaspoon of red chili pepper flakes.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro and lime are just natural flavor partners. If you don't believe me, you've never tried cilantro lime rice.
- Mint: mint has cooling properties that help to balance out the heat from the chili pepper. Plus, it adds a fresh, romatic flavor that really elevates this salad.
- Sea Salt: Salt makes all the other flavors pop. If you're on a restricted sodium diet, simply omit the sea salt.
🥗How To Make Spicy Cucumber Mango Salad
- First, make your spicy dressing. Squeeze the lime juice into a small bowl. Deseed the chili pepper, cut in half, finely mince and add to the bowl . Mince the cilantro and add it to the bowl along with the sea salt. Whisk everything together. Set the dressing aside while you make the salad.
- Slice the cucumber and mango into small uniform cubes. For a visual tutorial on how to easily cube a mango, see this You Tube video. Finely dice the red pepper, and combine the fruit and veggies in a salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint.
- Enjoy your spicy cucumber mango salad!
🍽️Serving Suggestions
- Make a pot of Mexican rice. Spoon it into bowls and add avocados, chipotle beans, vegan cheese and spicy cucumber mango salad. The perfect Mexican Buddha bowl.
- Add some leafy greens like spinach and some nuts for added crunch.
- Cucumber mango salad would be a great addition to any Mexican spread. Try it with burritos, tacos or add it to my spicy jackfruit nachos.
- Use this salad as a kind of salsa. It's got enough substance to serve with a vegan burger.
- Add some cucumber mango salad to your next falafel sandwich.
🙋Frequently Asked Questions
Mango cucumber salad will generally last for about 2-3 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. However, this can vary depending on a few factors such as the freshness of the ingredients used and the conditions in your fridge. To ensure that your salad stays fresh for as long as possible, make sure to keep it refrigerated at all times and discard any leftovers that have been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It's also worth noting that the longer the salad sits, the softer the cucumber and mango will become, which can affect the overall texture and flavor of the dish.
Yes, you can definitely make cucumber mango salad ahead of time. In fact, making the salad ahead of time can often help to meld the flavors together and make it even more delicious. However, since both cucumber and mango are prone to getting soggy and soft after being cut, it's important to store the salad properly to maintain its texture and freshness. I recommend serving it within two hours of making it.
Craving More Easy Vegan Recipes?
Chick-fil-A Kale Salad Recipe {Copycat Recipe}
Cheesecake Factory Wellness Salad - Copycat Recipe
Falafel Platter {Build A Mezze Board}
📖 Recipe
Spicy Cucumber Mango Salad
Ingredients
- 2 mangoes peeled and diced
- 1 English cucumber diced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ jalapeno chili, or another green chili deseeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon cilantro minced
- 3 tablespoons mint finely chopped
Instructions
- First, make the dressing. Squeeze the lime juice into a small bowl. Deseed the chili pepper, cut in half, finely mince and add to the bowl. Mince the cilantro and add it to the bowl along with the sa salt. Set the dressing aside while you make the salad.
- Chop the cucumber and mango into small uniform cubes. Finely dice the red pepper, and combine the fruit and veggies in a salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint.
- Enjoy your spicy cucumber mango salad.
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