Just five ingredients and a simple dressing create this unique orange, mango and lettuce salad!
I really love this salad!
It has a minimalist character, since it consists of just 5 ingredients (plus the dressing) but also a glamorous feel due to the exotic mango. So, since the ingredients are so few, you should be a little extra careful and pick the freshest lettuce and the best fruits you can find!
Where I live, we don’t grow mangos, so they are imported from abroad (by what I have seen so far, all of the mangos we have here are imported from Brazil and the majority belongs to the Tommy Atkins variety). This is the reason why when they reach the shelves, they’re not fully ripe yet. What I do, is buy the mangoes I need 3-5 days in advance, in order to give them the chance to ripe some more on my counter. It makes a difference! An unripe fruit lacks all of the aromas and juices which make it so flavorful!
The minute you try this salad you will be addicted to it! It may have no cheese or nuts – like my green apple, goat cheese & arugula salad – but it still manages to be utterly delicious! You see, all the magic lies in the combination of mango, orange and dill. Mango with its sweet and peppery taste pairs unbelievably well with the fresh, citrusy orange and the mild, warm dill. At the same time, lettuce offers the perfect, neutral background for all the flavors to develop, while the dressing adds another dimension of sweet and sour notes! Actually, now that I think about it, this salad is not a mix of fruits and greens, it is pure poetry!
Some notes:
- Don’t skip the dill. It’s what makes all the difference!
- This salad is perfect for the holidays (in my opinion mango gives it a festive flair) but I don’t see any reason not to make it for an everyday dinner…
- Add some cubes of boiled chicken breast for a light and healthy lunch!
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- 1 mango, in cubes or sticks
- 2 oranges, peeled and each carpel cut in half
- 1 lettuce, chopped
- 1 butter lettuce, chopped
- 1 small bunch dill, chopped
- For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons grape syrup, or honey
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- In a shaker or in jar with a lid, shake well the ingredients for the dressing until a homogenous mixture is achieved.
- In large bowl, mix the ingredients for the salad and drizzle with the dressing.
- Serve immediately.
- Eat.
If you can’t find ripe mangoes, plan ahead and buy one a few days earlier. Leave it on your counter to ripen.
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