Prawn & Mango Salad

Second in the May Mango Mania lineup is this to-die-for Prawn & Mango Salad! Healthy, hearty and delightful! ❤

The other day, the conversation between Dad and the boyfriend went something like this…

Dad: Have you ever eaten a salad like this?

The Boyfriend: I know right, it is AMAZING!

Dad: Too good, no? So yummy! I never thought that combination would be so good. I could eat this everyday. Really, I think I should consider opening a restaurant! (ever the classy businessman 😛 )

They were talking (pretty animatedly) about THIS Prawn & Mango Salad. And let me tell you, nothing I’ve EVER cooked/baked has garnered such high praise from my dad. He’s pretty picky when it comes to trying new stuff, so him raving about this salad feels like I won a gold at the friggin’ olympics! 😀

My inspiration for this salad stems from a very special memory. Back when I was an intern at a local magazine, I had the opportunity of visiting a faraway resort to review their special Asian menu. It was many eons ago, and apart from the great company, I’ve forgotten a lot about that day. But something that stuck with me through all these years is a tiny shot glass filled with Prawn & Mango salad. Two ingredients that I never would have imagined together, creating absolute magic!

So, when I first began planning the May Mango Mania series, I was certain that this salad deserved its place on the roundup for two reasons – first, I’d like to eliminate any hesitation around pairing these two very unique, yet completely harmonious star ingredients together; and second, I really want to bust the ‘salads are boring’ myth! So, I looked for a recipe, and came across this gem on RecipeTin Eats.

From there, my idea took shape and here I am, sharing the recipe for my favourite fruit, seafood, veggie and salad dressing tossed together! I mean sweet mangoes, paired with plump, buttery prawns, creamy avocados, crisp lettuce and a punchy honey chilli lime dressing, could you resist?

This salad serves 4. Here’s what you need:

For the salad:

• Mangoes – 2 large, cubed
• Jumbo Prawns – 500 g, shelled & deveined
• Avocados – 3 small, cubed
• Lettuce – 1 & 1/2 cup, roughly torn
• Rice vermicelli – 50 g, prepared according to package instructions

For the salad dressing:

• Honey – 1/2 cup
• Garlic – 2 large cloves, minced
• Juice of 2 small limes
• Red Chilli – 2, deseeded and chopped finely
• Red Chilli Powder – a pinch (optional)
• Salt – to taste
• Black Pepper – to taste
• Fresh Coriander – 4 tbsp – finely chopped
• Olive Oil – 3 tbsp

Here’s how you make this super quick, sweet & spicy salad:

• Cook the prawns: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the prawns in, season with salt and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the prawns are soft and cooked through. Leave aside to cool.
• Make the salad dressing: Mix together all the dressing ingredients until fully combined. If you find the dressing too thick, dilute with 1-2 tbsp of cold water. Adjust the spice and saltiness to your liking.
• Assemble the salad: Place lettuce leaves on a plate and top with a small heap of rice vermicelli. Spoon the mangoes, avocados and prawns over the vermicelli. Drizzle the salad dressing generously over the veggies and vermicelli and dig in! Alternatively, you could place the vermicelli, lettuce, mangoes, avocados and prawns in a large bowl, pour the dressing over and lightly toss it; then divide it into four servings.

I could go on and on about how sumptuous this Prawn & Mango salad is, but there are just three things that make this salad the masterpiece that it is…

1. The unique combination of Prawns & Mango! It’s not unheard of, but if you’re new to the idea, you’re probably going to do a double take before you dive in. I remember experiencing this all those years ago, and I know my dad felt this way the other day too. Look how that turned out! 😉 The sweet flesh of the prawns paired with juicy mangoes works a charm!
2. The flavours and textures! There is a lot going on in this salad – crunch from the lettuce; creaminess from the avocados; sweetness from the mangoes and prawns; and lots of punchy sweetness, tang, heat and zest from the dressing! It’s like a volcano eruption of flavours and textures; in the nicest way! I’d also recommend adding some toasted peanuts to amp it up!
3. That salad dressing! This is definitely the most versatile salad dressing ever. It involves kitchen staples, all of five minutes to get it done, and barely any effort. And it packs SO much flavour! The dressing is the crowning glory of a salad, and this one is so good, it could be eaten as a dipping sauce!

Oh oh, and it’s a perfectly balanced meal, ready to eat in 20 minutes; I think that’s a pretty irresistible quality too!

This Prawn & Avocado Salad is yearning for a place at your table, and in your tummy! 😉 It is summer certified too; cool and refreshing. Make it, dig in and bask in its glory. Like my dad, you’ll probably want to open a restaurant and feature this salad on your menu too! 😛

Want to Pin This recipe for later? Here you go…

Psst… If you’d like to, you could come check me out on Pinterest! I pin a tonne of fun stuff – chocolate, lots of dessert, easy weeknight recipes; home decor and (look away now, boyfriend!) some pretty unusual wedding stuff 😛

Also, for regular updates on what’s happening in The Foodscape kitchen, follow me on Instagram at @thefoodscape! You’ll love all the deliciousness there, I promise! ❤

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