Mango Avocado Salad
- By Amy Dong
- Updated May. 16, 2024
This Mango Avocado Salad is perfectly tropical, refreshing, and the sweet-tangy flavors meld beautifully. The honey citrus dressing is an absolute delight.
In This Article
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
We can’t get enough of this Avocado Mango Salad. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Honey Citrus Dressing: The dressing is simple but so refreshing. It’s the perfect match for the sweetness of the fruit.
- Refreshingly Delicious: This salad is light, refreshing, and perfect for a summer day. It’s one of our favorite summer salad recipes!
- Creamy and Crunchy: Gorgonzola cheese and toasted nuts add the perfect amount of creaminess and crunch to this salad.
- Lunch and Dinner: This salad can be served as a simple side dish or as a light, healthy main course. It’s the perfect dish for a summer lunch or dinner.
- Friends and Family: This salad is a crowd-pleaser. It’s a great addition to any gathering!
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Avocado and Mango – The ripe avocados and the sweet mangos are the stars of this salad. They add a creamy, buttery texture and a tropical, fruity flavor that works wonderfully together.
- Pecans – The chopped pecans, toasted, add a crunchy texture and a nutty flavor that complements the creamy avocados and sweet mango perfectly.
- Gorgonzola – The Gorgonzola cheese is crumbled on top of the salad, and adds a sharp, salty flavor that contrasts beautifully with the sweet and fruity flavors of the other ingredients.
Substitutions And Variations
Here are a few of our favorite variations and substitutions to try with this recipe:
- Cheese: If blue cheese isn’t your thing, try feta or goat cheese.
- Nuts: Not a fan of walnuts or pecans? Sliced almonds would add a nice crunch as it does in our Asian Rice Salad. Roasted pistachios are great, too.
- Citrus: We love the combination of oranges and mango, but feel free to experiment with different types of citrus.
- Onion: If you’re not a fan of raw sweet onions, try soaking the chopped onion in lime juice for 10 minutes before adding it to the salad. This will mellow out the sharp flavor while adding flavor.
Easy Recipe Instructions
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. In a separate large bowl, combine mangoes, pineapple, oranges, and onion.
- Peel and cube avocados and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add the avocados to the bowl of fruit.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle Gorgonzola and toasted nuts over each plate. Enjoy!
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Here are great prep-ahead tips:
- Prep the Fruits: You can peel, cube, and chop the mangoes, pineapple, and oranges ahead of time. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. This is a great make-ahead option if you’re prepping for a party or gathering.
- Make the Dressing: The dressing for this salad can be prepared in advance. Combine all the dressing ingredients and chill for up to a week.
What To Serve With Mango Avocado Salad
Greens
- If desired, serve on a bed of greens such as arugula or lettuce. Make extra dressing if adding greens.
Proteins
- This refreshing salad is a perfect side dish for any summer barbecue or potluck.
- Pair it with grilled chicken breasts or grilled shrimp for a light and healthy dinner.
Sandwiches and Wraps
- Add a scoop of this salad to your favorite wrap or pita pocket for a quick and easy lunch.
- It also works great as a topping for fish tacos or a side for a fish sandwich.
- It also makes a great side for pulled pork sandwiches.
Appetizers
- Serve this salad with Soft Pretzels or Homemade Breadsticks.
- This salad also works great as a crostini topping. Spoon it over crispy oven baked crostini.
Commonly Asked Questions
We recommend using ripe, sweet, and juicy mangoes for this salad. You can use any variety, but some popular choices include Ataulfo, Kent, and Tommy Atkins.
Look for rich yellow and orange/red hues. When pressed, the surface should “give” slightly. The fruit should feel heavy for its size.
To prevent the avocado from turning brown, simply sprinkle them with a bit of lemon juice. The citric acid in the lemon juice slows down the oxidation process, which is what causes the browning.
A ripe avocado should yield to gentle pressure, but it should not feel mushy. If the avocado feels very firm, it is not ripe yet. If it feels very soft and mushy, it may be overripe.
This salad is best enjoyed fresh. If you have to store it, we recommend keeping the dressing separate and adding it just before serving. Without the dressing, the salad can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Delicious additions include roasted pistachios, roasted slivered almonds, feta cheese, goat cheese, or herbs such as chopped cilantro or chives.
Did you make this?
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Mango Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 whole avocados, just ripe
- 2 whole mangos, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups pineapple, cubed
- 2 whole navel oranges, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup sweet onion, chopped
- 4 oz Gorgonzola, or other Blue variety
- ½ cup walnuts , chopped and toasted, or pecans
- lemon juice, for sprinkling
For the Dressing (makes 1 cup):
- 4 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 3 TB honey
- 2 TB apple cider vinegar
- 1 TB lemon juice
- 2-3 TB fresh orange juice, from 2 wedges of orange
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Dressing: Combine all ingredients for dressing in a bowl and whisk well, or combine in a dressing container and shake well. Chill until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, combine mangoes, pineapple, oranges, and onion. Gently toss together.
- Peel and cube avocados, and sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning. Gently toss avocados together with rest of fruits in bowl.
- Add the dressing, and carefully toss to combine well.
- Distribute evenly into 4 salad plates. Sprinkle Gorgonzola and toasted nuts over each plate. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If desired, serve on bed of greens. Extra dressing may be needed if doing so.
- The avocado in this salad is best served fresh, but the dressing can be made ahead of time and the mangoes can be cut ahead also.
- To make this salad a complete meal, add some grilled chicken or shrimp on top.
- Love a bit of heat? Add a small pinch of red pepper flakes to your dressing for a sweet and spicy kick.
- Don’t have Gorgonzola on hand? Try a different cheese, like feta or goat cheese.
- For a vegan version, simply omit the cheese or use a dairy-free alternative, and replace honey with pure maple syrup or agave.
- Feel free to customize this salad with your favorite fruits and nuts. Blueberries, strawberries, or toasted almonds would be great alternatives.
- For more variations and prep-ahead tips, see original article.
Nutrition (per serving)
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