It's mango season!

I got this year's incoming mango alert from Janet of The Taste Space, who clearly loves them above all other fruit. She has an amazing array of vegan mango recipes, for those of you. Super exciting!

Anyway, when I went to the store a few days ago I discovered not only giant flats of mangos everywhere, but also a serious two-for-$1 sale. I didn't know what I was going to do with two mangos, but I bought them anyway. Avocados, green onions, and a bunch of 49-cent cilantro happened to jump into my basket too. And a few days later, when my avocados were perfectly ripe, I realized I had the makings of a seriously amazing salad on my hands.

For one large serving or two smaller servings, you'll need one small mango, one similarly sized avocado, one green onion, a handful of sesame seeds, and several stems of cilantro. If you hate cilantro, you can switch it out with fresh mint, or just leave it out entirely and double your green onions instead. I totally ate this entire thing myself, no problem.

If we'd had a cucumber lying around, I would absolutely have diced it up and added it too. Now that I've thought of that, I really need to try it. The extra crunch would be a great contrast to the softer textures of mango and avocado.


Mango and avocado salad with toasted sesame seeds

mango
avocado
green onion
cilantro
sesame seeds
red pepper flakes
salt
sesame oil

Start by cutting up your mango. If you've never done this before, here's a YouTube video that shows the technique very clearly.

Cut the mango flesh off the pit, one side at a time. Slice a crosshatch into each side of the mango, bringing the point of the knife up to but not through the skin. Scoop the finished pieces out with a spoon, or turn the skin inside out and cut off the pieces with a small knife. Trim as many extra bits from around the pit as possible. Peel and dice those as well.

Cut the avocado in half, removing the pit. Crosshatch each side, just like you did with the mango. Use a spoon to scoop out the cubes of avocado flesh.

Put your mango and avocado into a large bowl and mix gently. You may have to use your fingers to separate the bits of avocado.

Trim a green onion, halve it lengthwise, and cut it into fine slices. If you like cilantro, strip the leaves off several stems and chop them roughly. Add the green onion & herbs to the mixing bowl.

Toast a generous handful of sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat. Keep an eye out and swirl the pan frequently. As they cook, the seeds will darken a bit, pop, and start to smell toasty and amazing. As soon as your seeds have turned golden, take them off the heat. Wait a minute for them to cool slightly before adding them to the bowl. The whole toasting process should take about five minutes.


Season your bowl of salad lightly with salt and red pepper flakes. Dress with a squeeze of sesame oil. Gently mix the entire business together. Taste, correct any seasonings, and serve.

This salad would be perfect alongside some seared teriyaki tofu or salmon. Actually, sushi-grade salmon cut into strips would be a great garnish to arrange across the top of a serving of salad. That sounds like the best lunch in the world.

What are you making with all the mangos that have been popping up lately?