Thai Green Mango Salad

Written by
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Darlene Schmidt
Tested by
Renae Wilson
Updated 04/16/21
Thai green mango salad

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yields: 4 cups
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
137 Calories
8g Fat
14g Carbs
5g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 137
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1111mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 18mg 89%
Calcium 42mg 3%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 276mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This salad will blow you away with its taste bud-awakening flavors and mixture of textures. It uses green mango, which is mango that hasn't ripened yet but is fully edible. It's not an unusual way to use this fruit in Thai cuisine, and it adds a crunchy, tangy, and slightly nutty taste to the salad. Mango is combined with the rest of the ingredients, which include unsweetened coconut, bean sprouts, and spring onions, along with fresh cilantro and basil. All of these flavorful ingredients are then tossed together in a refreshing lime dressing.

This salad is very healthy, plus low in calories and fat and makes for a great side dish or a light lunch on its own. Enjoy it as a complete meal by adding cooked shrimp or chicken. If you're vegan or vegetarian, try it with deep-fried tofu, and swap out the fish sauce for soy sauce. Any way you toss it, this fresh-tasting salad will be sure to win rave reviews from all your culinary fans.

Ingredients

For the Salad Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce or 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, more to taste

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai chile sauce or 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes

For the Salad:

  • 1/4 cup dry shredded unsweetened coconut

  • 2 firm, unripe green mangoes

  • 2 cups bean sprouts

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

  • 3 to 4 thinly sliced spring onions 

  • 1 cup cooked, coarsely chopped chicken, shrimp, or fried tofu, optional

  • 1 small red chile, thinly sliced, optional

  • 1/4 cup peanuts or cashews, whole or coarsely chopped

  • 1/3 cup small fresh basil leaves

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. 

    Ingredients for Thai green mango salad
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Mix together all the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl or cup. The dressing should be a mingling of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty, but more sweet than sour. Set aside.

    Mix salad dressing
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Place the coconut in a dry frying pan or wok. "Dry-fry" the coconut, as if you were stir-frying it, 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, or until it turns a light golden-brown and is fragrant. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

    Coconut dry frying in a wok
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Using a sharp paring knife, peel the skin from the mangoes. The flesh of the mangoes should be firm and light yellow-orange.

    Peeled mangoes on a cutting board
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Using a medium to large grater (the kind you would use for cabbage salad), grate the flesh of the mangoes into a mixing bowl. Keep in mind there is a large flat stone at the mango's center.

    Grated mangoes in a white bowl
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Add the bean sprouts, cilantro, and spring onions, and the cooked chicken, shrimp, or tofu, if using, and the fresh-cut chile, if using. Add half the toasted coconut and toss well to combine.

    Add sprouts, cilantro, spring onions, and chicken
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Add the dressing and toss again. Taste, and add more fish sauce or soy sauce instead of salt if needed. If you prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar (honey works, too). If you prefer more spice, add more chile sauce. If too salty or sweet, add more lime juice.

    Add dressing
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  8. Place on a serving platter. Sprinkle the nuts, basil, and remaining toasted coconut over the top and serve. 

    Thai green mango salad
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • Unripe mangoes may be green or red-orange in color on the outside and should be a yellowish orange on the inside.
  • To make this salad ahead of time, grate the mango and place in a covered container in the refrigerator. Toast the coconut, prepare the dressing, and have the rest of the ingredients close at hand. Then before serving, simply assemble the salad and toss.

Variation

To make this salad vegetarian or vegan, you can substitute fish sauce for soy sauce or coconut aminos instead if you prefer.