Actually, you can, and should have-a-da Mango. Just as long as you don't steal mine! I absolutely love mangoes, but I don't buy them as often as I should. I was in the grocery store the other day picking up some bananas when I spied a basket of mangoes, and inspiration hit. Mango salad. Mmmm.... what a delicious idea. I grabbed the least cement-like mango, not having any idea what kind of dressing I would make to compliment the fresh fruity flavour.
Factoid: Mangoes are often used as a symbol of fertility in Indian culture, and it's no wonder - mango trees can live for over 300 years and still bear fruit [1]. They're also a symbol of love, so next valentines day, ditch the chocolates and buy your sweetie a basket of mangoes for a sensual and healthy treat.
One of my pre-vegan favourites was the Mango Lassi. For those of you who are not familiar, it is essentially a mango-yogurt smoothie found in Indian restaurants, and not surprisingly, India, which is the mangoes home and native land. It's tangy, gently sweet, creamy and luscious. So I set out to create a gently sweet, tangy, creamy dressing. I've also brought in a little extra south Asian inspiration by incorporating coconut and curry. I had some coconut whip in the fridge and just used a spoonful of that, but feel free to use coconut milk, or add a drop of coconut extract to soy milk.
Mango Salad with Creamy Coconut Curry Dressing
Makes 2 salads
1 Mango, peeled and sliced
1/3 red bell pepper, slivered
1 green onion, sliced
Salad greens
Dressing:
2 tbsp soft silken tofu
1/2 tsp coconut milk
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
soy milk
Whisk together all of the ingredients until the tofu is blended smooth, adding soy milk a little at a time to reach desired consistency.
If I hadn't added the green onion and pepper to this salad I might have confused it with desert, it was so good. It has a bright, clean, fresh taste, and the perfect accompaniment to the warm and spicy chickpea curry I had for dinner.
Salad Challenge Countdown
Salads made: 9 Salads left: 43
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