Mango Salad

Summertime is filled with the great outdoors. From forests to lakes, beaches to parks, we want to be outside, not locked in the house. We congregate with friends and family over food. It’s a normal function of socialization. People need people. In a world filled with ones and zeros, summer reminds us that there is frivolity and joy in being with other humans.

When we do get together, we love to eat. Food is the great equalizer. It is something we all share, and that has embedded memories in us. So let’s make a new memory today. Let’s think outside the box and try something new and refreshing.

The added bonus in this recipe is that it doesn’t have to be refrigerated when you take it to your next BBQ or picnic. The flavor profile is another added bonus. You have savory, sweet, refreshing, and even spicy, if you play your cards right. I’ll tell you how. Let’s cook.

Mango Salad (not a dessert)

Ingredients:

3 ripe mangoes - diced

(Mangoes ripen after they are picked, so if you get one that is very firm, you can let it sit on the counter, in the fridge, or place it in a paper bag for a day or so and get it where you want it to be)

1 or 2 jalapeños - seeded and diced

(Here is where the spiciness comes in. You can leave some or as much of the membrane as you like to increase the bite in the salad; just think about who will be eating it and use your judgment.)

2 cups fresh tomatoes - seeded and chopped

(Romas are the best for this)

1 medium-sized onion - diced or thinly sliced

(any color or variety; I like to slice them so there is some diversity-all chopped ingredients are kind of boring)

1 English cucumber - diced or thinly sliced as the onion above

(don’t peel the cucumber - it’s not needed)

1/4 cup or more chopped peanuts  (*optional) (use lightly salted)

1-3 garlic cloves, minced (I love garlic so I use the max: use at least one)

1/2 a bunch of cilantro - (*optional)

The Dressing

2-3 tablespoons lime juice - fresh or reconstituted lime juice.

1 tablespoon oil (your preference)

1/2-1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (yes, you need this: it seems unusual but trust me it is amazing)

The Process

Mix the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Slice the mangoes off the pit. Keep the pit.

To slice out the pit, hold the mango upright or on its side, then take your knife and slice each side off. The pit is in the center, and it’s large, flat, and disc-shaped.

*see image below

Dice the mangoes.

** Tip: take each half with the skin still on, and use a paring knife to slice a pattern into it as close as you can get to the skin without piercing through it. Then turn it inside out and slice off the chunks.

***Note: If this scares you or you are not confident of not bleeding yourself, you can dice the halves, then carefully peel or slice off the skin.— (for the pit meat, peel the skin and then slice off pieces until you have removed all the good mango meat)

Place them in the dish you are making it in.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients and add them to the mango cubes

*Tip: if you are not planning on making the salad too spicy, please work on the jalapeños last, or it will leave spicy residue on the cutting surface that will transfer to your other ingredients

Add the dressing and mix well

Top with additional nuts if using and enjoy

A little something extra:

At swim club, when my son was still a competitive swimmer, I cooked for all of our at-home swim meets. I did this for years. I always created a diverse menu to keep our usual visitors interested in our hospitality.

One year, and it was more like a year and a half, I decided to expand everyone’s palates, opening their eyes to new cuisine. I created the Tour of the World Menu. Each at-home swim meet’s menu for the three or four days of its duration was an adventure in a new continent.

Everyone was introduced to nations all over the world and the foods they enjoy in their own nations. Three meals a day were focused on only one region of the world.  It was a great way to learn about our neighbors, and even I learned things.

This salad was from Africa. The African climate varies by region. Some are desert-like, some are filled with tropical rainforests, and some are lowland savannas. One thing is certain: many nations experience hot temperatures for a large portion of the year.

You may be surprised to learn that in hot climates, the region's foods can be very spicy. Capsaicin triggers the body’s response to produce sweat. That sweat cools you down as it evaporates. Interesting, right?

This salad refreshes in a couple of ways. The fruit is naturally a light element that cools you off, but it’s the jalapeños, the spice, that makes you sweat and cool down as well. Think of a mist of water on you when it’s super hot out. Disney World has this all around the parks in Florida due to the high heat and humidity index, which most travelers are not accustomed to, and it works.

Feedback:

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(Published in Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

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(Published on Medium)