spicy-mango-apple-salad-OPTM

If you asked me what my favorite flavor profile is, tart, spicy and salty would be it (as well as acidic.)

I love any foods that have a clean and refreshing finish, combined with just enough heat to make my taste buds tickle.

It’s a classic combination found in many Thai dishes and one I chased after, meal after meal during my time in Bangkok. I spent about a year in total living there between 1998 and 2003, going back and forth from my home base in Tokyo and then Hong Kong.

I usually went for a period of six to eight weeks to model for lingerie brands like Wacoal, shoot editorials for Elle and other fashions magazines and shoot commercials for popular brands like Johnson and Johnson.

mango salad ingredients

I lived on a street off Sukhumvit road (one of the main roads) in a model’s apartment house; on the main floor was the agency, the kitchen and the dining room while the second and third floor had bedrooms and a huge living room.

Outside, a vendor stood each day with a cart filled with the freshest and most delicious fruit I’ve ever tasted in my life: pineapples, sweet mango slices, ranbutan, guava, mangosteen, star fruit and sour green mangoes served with chili salt (my ultimate favorite). I must have had at least two bags of fruit a day and walked around with a constant craving for more – unusual for me since I skip fruit on a regular basis anywhere else.

salad in bowl

Thailand was like an introduction to what good, fresh fruit is all about. It’s now been 10 years since I last visited and still crave the spicy sour combination they do so well.

Luckily, not all Thai food is complicated and recreating this particular flavor profile can be achieved with just a few ingredients. The mix of sweet, ripe mango and sour granny smith apple is a match made in heaven.

Toss them in a little lemon juice, chilies, salt and fish sauce and you will be making that ‘oooh so tart and spicy’ face in no time! Add a few crunchy cashews and some shredded cilantro for a well rounded, cleansing and extremely energizing apple salad.

Dishes that pair well with this Thai spicy mango apple salad; tom yum soup, Thai ground chicken with lime and chicken banh mi.

spicy mango apple salad 2

Did you like this Spicy Thai Mango Apple Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!

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Spicy Thai Mango Apple Salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Caroline Phelps
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: Chopping
  • Cuisine: Thai
  • Diet: Low Calorie
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Description

A delicious and refreshing and spicy Thai inspired mango apple salad.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 green apple, peeled and sliced into strips
  • 1 small ripe mango, peeled and sliced into strips
  • 2 small Thai chilis, minced (use 1 if you are sensitive to heat)
  • 3 tablespoons cashew nuts
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

Instructions

  1. Make the salad: Put all the ingredients into a bowl and toss well until all the fruit is coated.
  2. Add black pepper: Season with freshly ground pepper and serve cold.

Notes

This Thai salad is best when eaten fresh. You can keep it refrigerated for up to 1 day.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 233
  • Sugar: 32.5g
  • Sodium: 414.7mg
  • Fat: 6.8g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.3g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 1.1g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 43.2g
  • Fiber: 5.7g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
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Caroline Caron Phelps

Meet The Author: Caroline Phelps

Caroline Caron-Phelps is a recipe creator, food blogger, and photographer. She showcases delicious, authentic Asian recipes, especially Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, with beautiful photography, easy-to-follow instructions, videos, and practical recipe variations. Caroline has been featured on Bon Appetit, Shape Magazine, Self, Today Show, and more.

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Questions and Reviews

  1. I thought I was eating restaurant-quality food! The recipe is so easy to follow and the taste is guaranteed-good. Thank you…I can’t order mango salads at restos anymore.



    Reply

  2. I’m going to make this tomorrow! A lady once brought this salad to a dinner and when I asked for the recipe she said it was secret and wouldn’t share! So I googled it…ha!

    One question: is there anything I could substitute the fish sauce for?

    Thank you and I’ll let you know how it turns out.

    Reply

    1. Hi Clare! It’s very hard to substitute the fish sauce for anything else as it has a unique, pungent and very Thai taste. You should be able to find some at your local grocery store or even Target. If you don’t want to use it because you are vegan, try a splash of soy sauce or tamari. It won’t taste exactly the same but should still be good 🙂

      Reply

  3. I love Mango, Apple, Thai food; I hesitated to try this recipe because I questioned fruit with garlic, shallots and fish sauce  ??  Hmmm … but I decided to give it a go and I love it!   Thank you!



    Reply