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Cucumber Mango Salad

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Mixed with flavorful Asian dressing, this light and refreshing cucumber mango salad is the perfect side for grilled meats and roasted salmon.

Cucumber mango salad in a white salad bowl.
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Why you’ll love this recipe:

Mango is no longer just an after-dinner treat or an ingredient for smoothies. This juicy sweet tropical fruit can now be part of your dinner too!

This simple mango salad takes very little time to prepare and makes the perfect addition to any BBQ dish.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Soy sauce – Use light soy sauce, like Kikkoman all-purpose soy sauce. You can substitute Tamari for soy sauce.
  • Cucumbers – I prefer English cucumbers, or seedless cucumbers, because they’re sweeter and have thin skin.
  • Mango – You can use any kind of mango for this recipe. I often use tart and sweet Tommy Atkins variety, which is the most common mango variety in the U.S. Ataulfo, aka Champagne mangoes also work great!
  • Cilantro – For those who loathe cilantro, I’m sorry, but this salad is just not the same without it. It was lacking something when I first made it without cilantro, so it’s a must!
  • Chili oil – is an optional ingredient if you want a little kick. Chili oil is typically a vegetable oil, infused with chili pepper. It’s a spicy condiment, common in Chinese cuisine. Mine was quite spicy, so just a little bit goes a long way.
Upclose shot of cucumber mango salad.

How to make this salad:

Step 1. Cube cucumber and mango

I love how this salad looks with cubed cucumbers and mango, because they hold their shape better! When sliced into strips, they look droopy and sad.

Tip

Check out the easiest way to cut mango into cubes below!

Step 2. Make the dressing:

The dressing for this quick salad is inspired by Asian flavors. Soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, cilantro, chili oil (optional)… I love these flavors all together! Simply whisk together all the ingredients.

Step 3. Assemble:

  1. Combine cucumber, mango and cilantro in a large bowl.
  2. Add the dressing and mix well.
  3. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and serve!

How to cut a mango:

  1. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the mango a little off-center to avoid the pit in the middle, and then do the same on the other side.
  2. Place each mango half on a cutting board and cut the flesh in a grid-like pattern, without cutting through the skin.
  3. Now you can either run a large spoon along the skin to scoop out the mango cubes. Or carefully invert the mango half and cut off the cubes by running a knife along the skin.
Mango half sliced into cubes.

Serving ideas:

Pair this refreshing salad with the following main dishes:

Make-Ahead Tips:

  • Cube cucumber and mango a few hours in advance. And keep them separately in the fridge, covered.
  • Make the dressing 1-2 days in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container.
  • Combine the everything no more than 20 minutes before serving, or it’ll become soggy.

Storing Tips:

This salad should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Cucumber mango salad in a white serving plate.

Cucumber Mango Salad

Mixed with flavorful Asian dressing, this light and refreshing cucumber mango salad is the perfect side for grilled meats and roasted salmon.
5 from 2 votes
serves: 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Total : 25 minutes

Ingredients

For dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • chili oil to taste optional

For salad:

  • 1 English cucumber Note 1
  • 1 mango Note 2
  • ¼ cup loosely-packed fresh cilantro chopped
Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

Instructions

  • To make the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Cut cucumber and mango into cubes. (TIP: Check out my easy method of cutting mango into cubes in the post above.)
  • Transfer into a medium bowl along with cilantro. Pour the dressing and toss to combine.
  • Refrigerate the salad for 20 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld together. But don't mix the salad more than half an hour before serving, or it'll become soggy and sad.

Tips & Notes:

Note 1: I prefer English cucumbers, or seedless cucumbers, because they’re sweeter and have thin skin.
Note 2: You can use any kind of mango for this recipe. I often use tart and sweet Tommy Atkins variety, which is the most common mango variety in the U.S. Ataulfo, aka Champagne mangoes, also work great!

Nutrition Facts:

Serving: 1serving Calories: 90kcal (5%) Carbohydrates: 16g (5%) Protein: 2g (4%) Fat: 3g (5%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 506mg (22%) Potassium: 240mg (7%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 13g (14%) Vitamin A: 708IU (14%) Vitamin C: 24mg (29%) Calcium: 32mg (3%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Author: Shinee
Course:Salad
Cuisine:American
Did you make this?Show me your creation! Tag me @shineshka and hashtag it #sweetandsavorybyshinee!

This recipe was originally published in June, 2015.

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  1. Patty says

    5 stars
    My husband said that on a 1-10 scale, this gets an 11! We’ve gone to a plant-based lifestyle about 6 months ago. When people ask my husband if he misses meat, he always tells them about the fantastic recipes we’ve found that keep us from being bored. He always mentions the delicious flavors and spices, which is what he said again tonight. Terrific recipe, especially for hot weather!

    Reply

  2. Kathleen Spanos says

    I loved the recipe, very easy to do, light and summery. I would say 1/2 the sesame oil and soy sauce for my taste but the bigger question is where is the chili oil? It is mentioned in the dressing description but nothing in the ingredient list?

    Reply

    • Shinee says

      Hi, Kathleen. Thank you so much for your feedback. Glad you tried and enjoyed the recipe. I removed chili oil, as I thought it’s still great without it. I’ll add a note in the recipe card to reflect the change. Thanks for pointing it out!

      Reply

  3. JP says

    5 stars
    This is SO delicious! And easy to fix, too. As a diabetic, I substituted agave for the honey. I also toasted my sesame seeds. The only thing I would advise is not to add the sauce until you’re ready to eat the salad. I found that it really altered the flavor the longer it was mixed together, and not in a good way. But adding it right at the last minute was soooooo good! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  11. Kati says

    There are people out there that don’t like cilantro???  It’s my favorite herb to cook with, and I’ve never thought of putting together cucumber and mango, but I’m going to do it this week!  I have some Mahi Mahi that I can cook to go with this salad.  YUMMM!

    Reply