Meet your new favorite salad ~ this refreshing Thai mango salad is a feast for all your senses!

One of the main reasons to turn to other cultures for recipe inspiration is to experience something new and unexpected. I can pretty much guarantee that Thai mango salad will be one of the more unusual dishes to come out of your kitchen this summer, and also one of the most delicious. The colors are gorgeous, the textures range from crunchy veggies and toasted cashews to silky mango. And the flavors will knock your socks off, promise.
Mango salad (som tum mamuang or ‘green mango salad’) is a popular dish in Thailand. Famous for bold and refreshing flavors that combine spicy, sour, salty, and sweet tastes it can be a side dish or a main course with the addition of some added protein like chicken or shrimp. We had it as a side for dinner and then added shredded rotisserie chicken to the leftovers for lunch the next day.
what you’ll need for your Thai mango salad
FOR THE DRESSING
- fresh lime juice
- fish sauce
- you can also use a vegetarian ‘fish’ sauce for vegans and vegetarians.
- peanut butter
- brown sugar
- chili paste or chili crisp
- chili paste has a hot kick to it, but chili crisp is a milder chili sauce.
- soy sauce
- fresh ginger
FOR THE SALAD
Thai mango salad is a slaw style salad, so I finely shred or julienne the ingredients.
- fresh mango
- savoy cabbage
- you can use Napa or regular green cabbage instead
- red cabbage
- red onion
- substitute green onions
- bell pepper
- baby cucumber
- fresh cilantro
- if you’re not fond of cilantro you can use basil. Thai basil, if you can find it!
- fresh mint
- toasted cashews
- I buy raw cashews and toast them in the microwave for a minute on high. It’s the quickest and best method for toasting nuts.
ripe or unripe mango?
Traditional Thai mango salad is made with unripe mango. A green mango is firm and tangy in flavor, and the tartness and crunchiness of the unripe mango complement the sweet, spicy, and sour flavors of the other ingredients in the salad. Use a tool like this one to make shredding an unripe papaya easy.
You can also use a semi-ripe mango, like I did here. I prefer that because it has a sweet juiciness to it. If your mango is rock hard from the supermarket leave it out on the counter for a day or two to soften it slightly.
Avoid using a very ripe mango, because it will be too soft to hold up in the salad.
to slice a mango for Thai mango salad
First peel the mango. Then slice off the ‘cheeks’ or sides of the mango, avoiding the large inner pit. Slice the mango into thin matchsticks. If your mango is firm and unripe you can grate it with a vegetable grater like this one. Both ways will work, but will give you different results in your salad.
making this salad ahead
This salad is best eaten shortly after it’s assembled and dressed. But you can get a head start by prepping the ingredients ahead of time. The dressing can be made up to a day or two ahead. The veggies can be prepped several hours ahead, but don’t cut the mango* or dress the salad until shortly before serving.
*Mangoes release enzymes when they’re cut that start to break down the fruit, so don’t peel and slice or shred them too much ahead of time.
variations on mango salad
- Add grilled shrimp or chicken to your salad for a complete meal. Tofu or tempeh work for vegans.
- Substitute papaya for the mango.
- Use salad greens instead of shredded cabbage.
- Leave out the peanut butter for a lighter dressing.
- Instead of cilantro and mint, try Thai basil instead.
- Add thinly sliced hot peppers for some heat.
- Toasted peanuts can substitute for cashews.
- Fried shallots can be used as a garnish instead of nuts.
more Thai recipes please!
- Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe
- Thai Salad
- 10 Easy Thai Recipes You Can Make at Home
- Thai Coconut Soup (tom kha)
- Thai Chicken Salad
- Thai Chicken Satay Bowls with Peanut Sauce
- Thai Spaghetti Salad
Thai Mango Salad
Ingredients
dressing
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp chili paste , or chili crisp
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
salad
- 1/2 small Savoy cabbage
- 1/2 small red cabbage
- 1/4 red onion, sliced in thin slivers
- 1 bell pepper, sliced into thin matchsticks
- 1 baby cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 mango, peeled and julienned
- 4 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves, 1 handful, rough chopped
- 2 Tbsp chopped mint leaves, 1 small handful, rough chopped
garnish
- 1/2 cup toasted cashews, see Notes
Instructions
- Combine all the dressing ingredients and heat slightly in a small saucepan or in the microwave just to melt the peanut butter. Whisk well to emulsify and set aside to cool.
- Remove the loose outer leaves of the cabbage and cut out the cores. Cut each half in 2 quarters, and thinly shred. I do this on my mandoline slicer set at 1/8 inch. You can also do it by hand with a knife. Put in a large bowl.
- Add the onion, bell peppers, cucumber, mango, and herbs and give everything a toss to combine. Now toss with enough dressing to evenly moisten the salad. If you have extra dressing you can serve it on the side.
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and garnish with more fresh herbs and the cashews.
Oh my gosh. I stumbled upon this recipe somehow on a random google search, and this is OUTSTANDING. I didnโt have a bell pepper so I just used shredded carrot. I followed her advice, you may not need the entire thing of dressing. I used about half and I think next time I will use just a littttttle bit less. Nonetheless, this is a MAJOR hit!!!
So glad you loved this Sarah, and yes, I usually like to underdress my salads, too. I always include a generous amount in my recipes though, because some really like to load it on!