Sweet mangos, cool cucumbers, and a a hint of spicy red pepper make this mango cucumber salad the perfect light accompaniment at summer picnics and BBQs.
The sun is shining, the leaves are finally starting to bud on the trees, and summer picnics have started to take over my day dreams.
I made a short list for my husband this week and mangoes were at the top of the list because they remind me of summertime fun. Maybe it’s the bright yellow color, or the fact that its a tropical fruit, but I was in the mood to bring summer flavors to our table.
My oldest is in love with mangoes. He still doesn’t quite understand that fruit needs to ripen. When he sees a big bowl of fruit he wants it immediately.
When these mangoes were finally ripe, he was ready to pounce. We usually enjoy our mangoes plain and simple, but this time my husband brought home 6 mangoes!
So I decided to do something a bit more special and came up with this Mango Cucumber Salad. It’s sweet and crunchy, with a hint of spice. I left out the red pepper flakes on the kids servings and they gobbled it up!
It’s a different take on a fruit salad, an excellent picnic side dish, or serve with tortilla chips as a sweet salsa.
Why You’ll Love this Mango Cucumber Salad…
- Sweet and Spicy
- Nice crunch from the cucumbers
- Enjoy as a side salad
- Top on greens
- Make as a topping for tropical burgers
- Scoop with tortilla chips
- Bring to a picnic
- Serve alongside your BBQ
- Vegan and Vegetarian
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Oil-Free
- Whole food plant-based
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need the following ingredients before you get started on this recipe. Then scroll to the bottom of the page for the complete measurements and printable recipe card to help you create this dish easily.
- Mangoes
- English Cucumber
- Red Pepper
- Red Onion
- Lime
- White Wine Vinegar
- Red Pepper Flakes
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
When prepping your kitchen to make this salad you’ll need to gather the following tools.
How to Make Mango Cucumber Salad – Step by Step
Step 1: Peel and dice mangoes. Chop cucumber into small chunks. Finely dice onion and red pepper.
Step 2: Combine mangoes, cucumber, red onion, and red pepper in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lime over top the salad. Add white wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
Note: If you have the time refrigerate and allow to marinate for 1 hour before serving. This helps meld all the flavors together.
What type of cucumber should I use?
I recommend using an English cucumber. It has fewer seeds in the center, and the skin is not as tough as a traditional cucumber. When using an English cucumber you do not to spend the extra time peeling or removing the seeds.
If, however, you don’t have an English cucumber on hand, you can use a regular cucumber, but be sure to remove the skin and seeds.
Is this salad spicy?
It’s got a kick, but it’s not too spicy. Although I’ve been told I have a higher spice tolerance than others. If you’re not into spicy you can leave the red pepper flakes out all together or reduce the amount you use.
Since my kids are not fans of anything spicy I scoop out a portion for the two of them before adding the red pepper flakes.
What if I don’t have white wine vinegar?
If you don’t have white wine vinegar use a bit more lime juice. The white wine vinegar is used to add more acidity to the salad. It also helps it keep for a longer period of time.
You can also use white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar instead. Do not use red wine vinegar as it will discolor the salad.
How do you serve Mango Cucumber Salad?
This salad is great because it is so versatile. You can enjoy it on its own as a light lunch or on top of greens. You can serve it as a topping on burgers or enjoy as a salsa with chips.
It packs and keeps well in the summer heat so bring it along for a side dish at your next picnic or BBQ.
Top Tips for Making the Perfect Mango Cucumber Salad
- Be sure mangoes are ripe. They will be soft to the touch and fragrant.
- Chop mango and cucumber into similar size cubes for uniformity.
- Finely dice the onion and red pepper into smaller pieces.
- Use fresh lime juice.
- If you have time before serving, allow salad to marinate for an hour to absorb the flavors and spices.
Variations
No English Cucumber-Use a regular cucumber, just remove peel and remove the seeds.
No White Wine Vinegar-Use a little extra lime juice, or sub white vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
Additions-Add cubed avocado for extra creaminess.
How do you store and keep this salad?
Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s best made and enjoyed fresh, however the vinegar helps it keep for longer.
Check out these other vegan summer salad recipes!
- 25 Vegan Salad Recipes
- Summer Berry Salad
- Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
- Black Bean Quinoa Salad
- Vegan Broccoli Salad
- Italian Tomato Salad
If you’ve tried this Mango Cucumber Salad, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!
Mango Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 mangoes diced
- 1 English cucumber diced
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup red pepper diced
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Peel and dice mangoes. Chop cucumber into small chunks. Finely dice onion and red pepper.
- Combine mangoes, cucumber, red onion, and red pepper in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lime, and add to the the salad. Add white wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 1 hour before serving.
Video
Notes
- Be sure mangoes are ripe. They will be soft to the touch and fragrant.
- Chop mango and cucumber into similar size cubes for uniformity.
- Finely dice the onion and red pepper into smaller pieces.
- Use fresh lime juice.
- Optional: Allow salad to marinate for an hour to absorb the flavors and spices.
- Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This is such a refreshing looking salad! I’m loving the combo of Mangos + Cucumber! YUM!
This is one of the most refreshing salad I’ve tasted. Love the pairing of mango and cucumber.
I love how fresh and light this salad is! The mix of textures and sweet and savory flavors is great!
This mango cucumber salad will make the perfect side dish to any bbq this summer.
I don’t know what could be more refreshing than this salad. I would have never thought to mix mango and cucumbers but they sound so good together. I love how simple this is to make.