Thai Mango Salad: Sweet, Sour, Salty and Spicy in One Bowl

⏱ Prep: 15 min 🔥Cook: None 👤Serves: 4 🌶Heat: Adjustable

Thai mango salad, som tum mamuang, comes from the northeast of Thailand and hits every flavor note at once: tart, crunchy green mango tossed with fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar, finished with peanuts, chili and dried shrimp. Fifteen minutes, no cooking, and the kind of bright, punchy flavor that makes you want another bite before you’ve finished the first. Serve it as a starter, a side, or a light meal on its own.

Ingredients

• 2 large green mangoes, firm and unripe, peeled and shredded or julienned into thin strips. If green mango isn’t available, a slightly underripe regular mango works, with less sugar in the dressing.
• 1 small carrot, julienned, optional
• 2–3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2–3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, fresh only, bottled changes the flavor
• 1–2 tablespoons palm sugar, or brown sugar
• 1–2 Thai chilies, finely chopped, adjust to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp, optional. Crispy fish skin or grilled shrimp are good substitutes.
• 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Step by step

1. Make the dressing. In a bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar. Stir until the sugar mostly dissolves. Add the chopped chilies and garlic.
2. Combine the salad. In a large bowl, combine the shredded mango, carrot, shallot and dried shrimp if using.
3. Toss. Pour the dressing over the mango mixture and toss well so every strand is coated. Taste, adjust with more lime for tartness, more sugar for sweetness, or more fish sauce for salt.Let the salad sit for about 5 minutes after tossing, it helps the mango soften slightly and absorb the dressing while staying crisp.
4. Finish and serve. Top with crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro just before serving. Serve immediately for the best crunch.This salad is best eaten right after making it, the dressing softens the mango fairly quickly, so the texture is at its crispest in the first few minutes.

The balance that makes it work

The whole dish hinges on getting four flavors right: sweet from the palm sugar, sour from the lime, salty from the fish sauce, and spicy from the chili. Taste as you mix the dressing and adjust before adding it to the mango, once it’s tossed together, it’s harder to fine-tune.

Make it your own

Claire’s note

Add grilled shrimp, chicken or crispy fish skin for a more substantial version. No dried shrimp on hand, just leave it out, the salad is still excellent. Swap in cucumber, green beans or cherry tomatoes for extra crunch and color. This salad doesn’t keep well once dressed, make it close to serving time and eat it the same day.

Serve with

Thai mango salad pairs beautifully with grilled meats, sticky rice, or as a refreshing starter before a spicy main. For more from the Thai collection the complete Asian recipes guide has it all.

Add Thai mango salad to your weekly meal planner as a quick, no-cook side any night of the week. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Thai Mango Salad

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• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

A fresh and vibrant Thai mango salad that combines tart green mango with fish sauce, lime juice, and peanuts for a perfect balance of flavors.

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Ingredients

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• 2 large green mangoes, peeled and shredded or julienned
• 1 small carrot, julienned (optional)
• 2–3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2–3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1–2 tablespoons palm sugar, or brown sugar
• 1–2 Thai chilies, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp (optional)
• 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Make the dressing. In a bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar. Stir until the sugar mostly dissolves. Add the chopped chilies and garlic.
2. Combine the salad. In a large bowl, combine the shredded mango, carrot, shallot, and dried shrimp if using.
3. Toss the dressing over the mango mixture and toss well so every strand is coated. Taste, adjust with more lime for tartness, more sugar for sweetness, or more fish sauce for salt. Let the salad sit for about 5 minutes after tossing.
4. Finish and serve. Top with crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro just before serving. Serve immediately for the best crunch.

Notes

Best eaten right after making it. Adjust flavors to your liking; this salad doesn’t keep well once dressed.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: Thai

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 200
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 800mg
• Fat: 10g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 9g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 4g
• Cholesterol: 0mg