I’m not sure there is anything more summery than this Cucumber Mango Salad (a classic Creamy Cucumber Salad is a strong contender). It perfectly marries sweet, sour, and spicy flavors with that whoosh of cucumber freshness, for a light and refreshing summer side dish. The salad holds up moderately well in the refrigerator, the flavors blending even further as the cucumber and mango marinate in the dressing. It’ll hold up for about three days in the refrigerator, if it’s not all eaten by then!
What Kind of Cucumber Should I Use?
I’ve been partial to English cucumbers lately because they have little to no seeds and seem to have a more consistent freshness in my local grocery stores, although conventional cucumbers also work just fine and are often half the cost. If using conventional cucumbers, you may want to scoop out the seeds before slicing into half-rounds, unless the seeds aren’t an issue for you. :)
How Spicy is This Cucumber Mango Salad?
This Cucumber Mango Salad is not very spicy, IMHO, but taste buds do differ. You can control the spiciness of the salad by increasing or decreasing the amount of crushed red pepper used. If you are particularly sensitive to heat, you can leave the crushed red pepper out of the dressing and simply sprinkle some over each serving for those who want it (although it is more pronounced when allowed to marinate in the dressing).
Do I Have to Use Rice Vinegar?
I wouldn’t suggest substituting another vinegar variety. Rice vinegar has a distinctly mild and light flavor and the dressing is balanced to match this type of vinegar in particular. Rice vinegar is fairly easy to find in most major grocery stores in the U.S. and can either be found in the vinegar aisle or with the international ingredients.
What Should I Serve with Cucumber Mango Salad?
This salad goes great with: Sticky Ginger Soy Glazed Chicken, Sesame Tempeh Bowls, Easy Sesame Chicken, or One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice.
P.S. if you like this cucumber mango salad, you might also like my Spicy Pineapple Cucumber Salad!
Cucumber Mango Salad
Servings 4 About 1 cup eachIngredients
- 1 mango ($0.59)
- 1 cucumber ($1.29)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar ($0.48)
- 2 Tbsp white sugar ($0.04)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.02)
Instructions
- Wash the cucumber well to remove wax or other residues. For a decorative look, peel alternating strips of the peel (see step by step photos below). Slice the cucumber into half-rounds.
- Cut the mango into slices by first cutting off both rounded “cheeks.” Score flesh of the mango into strips using a sharp paring knife. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin (see photos below). Cut the mango slices in half so that they are more similar in size to the cucumber slices.
- Next, prepare the dressing by combining the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the sliced cucumber and mango to a large bowl, then pour the dressing over top. Stir to combine the ingredients and coat the cucumber and mango in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. Stir well before serving each time to redistribute the dressing.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Nutrition
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Cucumber Mango Salad – Step By Step Photos
To give my cucumbers a decorative look, I peel alternating strips before slicing. Slice one cucumber into half rounds. If you prefer to scoop out the seeds, first slice the cucumber lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then cut crosswise into half-rounds.
To slice the mango, first cut off the two side “cheeks” (the fleshy round sides). The pit in the middle is like a flattened oval.
This is what the mango looks like after I’ve cut off both cheeks.
Next, use a sharp paring knife to score the flesh into strips, taking care not to pierce the skin on the back. Then use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skin. I also cut each slice in half to make them more similar in size to the cucumber pieces.
There is usually a bit more mango flesh attached to the narrow sides of the pit, so I slice those off, remove the skin, and cut the pieces to match the size of the other mango pieces.
Place the sliced cucumber and mango in a large bowl.
To make the dressing, simply combine 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp white sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the dressing appears clear.
Pour the dressing over the cucumber and mango in the bowl.
Stir the salad to combine the cucumber and mango, and coat everything in dressing.
Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Be sure to give the salad a quick stir each time before serving to redistribute the dressing.
So yummy! I don’t even like mango, but I am part of a fruit/veggie coop, and received mango and cucumbers this week. My kids even loved it (still trying to figure out how you do that, they always love your veggies).
I think someone has “borrowed” an image of your salad http://aussietaste.recipes/vegetables/potato/potato-cucumber-salad-with-mango/
That’s so weird. It doesn’t look anything like what the recipe contains! Ha! Thanks for the heads up. :)
This was a perfect midnight snack with my orange beer! I did have some trouble cutting up the mango (it was definitely not as pretty as the picture), but it still tasted great!
Reminds me of “mango chow” from Trinidad…. any tart fruit with lemon or lime juice, salt, pepper, and some cilantro…. amazing. Try it with pineapple… or even peaches!
I can’t wait to try this, looks delicious!!
I think I’ll make this for a baby shower side dish. I plan to slice the mango & cukes up the day before & mix together with dressing shortly before the party starts.
This is so delicious. Very refreshing. I used about a tsp of stevia in place of the sugar, and added a splash of lime juice. Thanks for the recipe.
Claudio – yep! It’s the same thing :)
Is the kind of crushed red pepper you might put on pizza synonymous with red pepper flakes?
I love fresh mangos and usually put them several times a week into my morning smoothies with the usual suspects…spinach, carrot juice, 1/2 banana and strawberries. We in Southern California are getting the coldest storm in a decade however, so I’m making Beth’s lentil sausage stew. If any of you missed that one I urge you to try it. Insanely delicious and healthy! Thanks Beth!
We make this with just mangos, cucumbers, a little salt, and lime juice.
You are so right; I’m in Mobile and it feels like spring to me! And it makes me want more stuff like this. I’ll definitely try this.
That looks scrumptious.
this looks amazing! i can’t wait to try it.
if you ever want to try a more oriental salad with mangos, try unripened mangos with sugar, asian fish sauce and pepper flakes. weird combo but its so tasty!