Thai Chopped Salad with Sweet Sesame Mango Dressing
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This Thai chopped salad is bursting with an array of fresh, colorful ingredients then dressed with a sweet sesame mango dressing and finished with crispy wontons. It's refreshing, packed with flavor, and nutritious! Turn it into a dinner salad by topping it with your favorite protein.
Don't stop at one Thai salad ā¦ This Thai cucumber salad is so refreshing, and this mango Thai noodle salad adds a sweet fruity note!
You'll love every bite of this salad: crunchy vegetables meld with juicy mango, complemented with the zesty kick of the sesame mango dressing, and with crunch from cashews and crispy wontons. It's a versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a lunch, light dinner, or refreshing side dish.
Is this an authentic Thai recipe?
While there are several types of chopped salads in Thailand, this one is not authentic. We call it a Thai chopped salad in reference to many of the wonderful flavors that we associate with Thai cooking such as mango, coconut milk, ginger, cilantro, and chili.
Even though it is not an authentic Thai recipe, we are sure you will love this salad!
Ingredients notes
Colorful, crunchy, bright, and nutritious, this Thai chopped salad is a rainbow of flavors and textures. Gather these wholesome ingredients:
- Sweet sesame mango dressing: Mango, water, coconut milk, honey, sesame oil, miso, ginger, fresh lime juice, garlic cloves, Thai red chili, and sea salt.
- Crispy wonton strips: Neutral flavored oil and wonton wrappers.
- Thai chopped salad: edamame beans, mixed greens, red cabbage, sugar or snap peas, carrot, bell pepper, mango, orange, fresh cilantro, cashews, and sesame seeds.
How to make Thai chopped salad
- Dressing: Throw all the dressing ingredients into your blender, push a button, then set it aside when it's smooth.
- Stovetop: Fry wonton strips until they crisp up and boil the edamame for two minutes.
- Assemble: Add a bunch of crunchy, colorful veggies with the salad greens in a large bowl, then add some sweetness with the mango slices and orange segments. Add the crispy wontons and the dressing, and toss everything together, finishing it off with the cashews, sesame seeds, and cilantro.
How to make crispy wontons
Making crispy wontons is a little bit time-consuming, but it's a fun and rewarding step that elevates your salad ā it's totally worth it! (If you're feeling lazy, you can always buy pre-made ones). The first thing you'll do is get your wonton wrappers and cut them into strips. Next, heat some oil up in a pan. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add the wonton strips to the oil in batches and let them fry until they turn a beautiful golden brown and become delightfully crispy, which should take about 20-30 seconds per batch. Once they're perfectly crispy, use a slotted spoon to transfer them onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the top. Done! You've got yourself some homemade crispy wonton strips that are sure to take your salad to the next level. Enjoy!
Variations to try
This chopped thai salad is bursting with vibrant flavors and textures already, making it a canvas to take on any other variations. Throw in your favorite fruit or vegetable, or wrap it up in a tortilla, the possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas:
- Greens: What are your favorite greens? Use those! You can use any green leaf you'd like to, or use up whatever is in the fridge. Crisp romaine lettuce, peppery arugula, spinach ā anything works! You can even use up coleslaw mix.
- Veggies: Add crunchy broccoli florets, refreshing cucumber, or sweet kernels of corn. Use shredded green cabbage instead of red, if you'd like. You can also mix things up with pickled veggies, like radishes, carrots, cucumbers, or onions.
- Fruit: Add some halved juicy grapes or crisp apple slices. Pineapple chunks add a tropical touch, and pomegranate seeds are a burst of flavor.
- Fresh herbs: Add another fresh herb for another burst of freshness, like parsley, dill, mint, green onion, or basil.
- Protein: This salad recipe is the perfect base for your favorite protein. Slice some pan seared chicken or add crispy tofu. Fresh or roasted chickpeas work too!
- Flavored cashews: You can get cashews with seasoning, such as Trader Joe's Thai lime and chili cashews, for something a little bit extra!
- Dressing: Mix up the dressing! Our satay peanut sauce works so well!
- Spicy: Add a little fiery kick by adding sliced red Thai chilis or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Mason jar salad: Make this take-to-work friendly by using a wide-mouth mason jar, first adding the dressing, then add any proteins you're using, followed by the veggies, and lastly, the greens. Add the sesame and cashews before eating. This works great for meal prep.
- Wrap it up: Try wrapping it up in a large tortilla to enjoy it as a wrap.
- Noodles: Add ramen or rice noodles and an extra dash of dressing to make this a noodle dish.
Proteins to add
While this Thai chopped salad works as a refreshing standalone meal or nutritious side. You can also bulk it out by increasing the amount of protein. Slice some chicken and serve it on top of the salad, roast up some chickpeas, or add some shrimp. Here are our top picks:
What to serve with Thai chopped salad
This Thai chopped salad is a crowd-pleaser and it's versatile, so it'll work as a standalone meal or beside other Thai-inspired recipes. It works next to curries, like this vegan Thai curry or Thai peanut curry ā it adds a textural contrast and nutritional boost!
You can serve it beside fresh spring rolls, Thai chicken skewers, coconut Thai mussels, or coconut milk braised chicken.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make Thai chopped salad ahead of time?
You sure can! Just combine all the salad ingredients EXCEPT the orange segments and mangos, storing them in a container in your fridge. Make the dressing and the crispy wontons and store those separately, too. Toss everything together before serving.
How do I cut the orange segments?
First, get a very sharp knife. Cut the bottom and top off the orange and then use your knife to cut off the peel, or grab a peeler. Holding the orange in your hand, carefully cut between each membrane to release the orange slices. If you don't have a very sharp knife, simply peel the orange as you would if you were going to eat it.
Can I store leftover Thai chopped salad?
Although this salad is best served fresh, you can store leftovers. Just know that the veggies and wontons will become soft when stored in the fridge overnight. While we wouldn't serve leftovers to guests, we're happy to eat them for lunch the next day.
If you're looking to make this ahead of time or meal prep, see the instructions above.
Thai Chopped Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Sweet Sesame Mango Dressing
- Ā½ ripe mango (peeled and cubed)
- Ā½ cup water
- Ā¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons honey (sub maple syrup for vegan)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon miso (gluten-free soy sauce, if needed)
- 1 inch piece of ginger (peeled and minced)
- Juice from Ā½ lime
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- Optional: 1 Thai red chili
- Sea salt (to taste)
Crispy Wonton Strips
- Neutral flavored oil (for frying)
- Ā¼ package 3 ounces of wontons, cut into strips (omit crispy wontons for gluten-free)
Thai Chopped Salad
- 1 cup frozen edamame beans
- 4 cups mixed greens (kale or spinach)
- 2 cups red cabbage (very thinly sliced)
- 1 cup sugar or snap peas (cut in half)
- 1 large carrot (thinly sliced)
- 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1 Ā½ ripe mangos (peeled and sliced)
- 1 orange (cut into segments ā see notes)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- Ā½ cup toasted cashews
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add all the dressing ingredients to your blender and blend on high until smooth. Taste and season with sea salt.Ā½ ripe mango, Ā¼ cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon miso, 1 inch piece of ginger, Juice from Ā½ lime, 1 clove garlic, Optional: 1 Thai red chili, Sea salt, Ā½ cup water
- Heat 1-inch of oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Working in batches, add the wonton strips to the oil and fry until golden and crispy, about 20-30 seconds per batch. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle a little sea salt over top, if you'd like.Ā¼ package 3 ounces of wontons, cut into strips, Neutral flavored oil
- Bring the edamame to a boil in a small pot of water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.1 cup frozen edamame beans
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing. Top the salad with crispy wonton strips and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.4 cups mixed greens, 2 cups red cabbage, 1 cup sugar or snap peas, 1 large carrot, 1 red bell pepper, 1 Ā½ ripe mangos, 1 orange, 1 handful fresh cilantro, Ā½ cup toasted cashews, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our Thai-influenced recipes!
Very tasty salad, thanks for the recipe.
I’m so happy to hear you like it!
Beautiful salad! I love mango and cashews. I’m definitely gonna try this recipe. Thank you for sharing..
You’re so welcome!!
I made this salad last night, and it was absolutely amazing. I didn’t feel like baking tofu, so I added tofurky thai basil chick’n. http://www.tofurky.com/what-we-make/slow-roasted-chickn/thai-basil/#flavormenu Plus, I learned how to supreme an orange. I will definitely be making this again.
What a great idea to use tofurkey and keep this vegan. Love it!
Wow, this salad has it all, gorgeous and delicious!! We love the flavors of Thai!!
Thanks, Tara! I’m a big fan of Thai flavours, too. š
Wow, this looks seriously delish! Your photos are absolutely stunning! Definitely trying this soon.
Thank you so much!!
This is such a gorgeous salad, girl! Love the sesame mango dressing!
Thank you so much!
Oh my….I want to dive right into that salad! Such bright and beautiful pictures! The mango dressing is certainly one I need to try, ASAP! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!! š
That’s one of the most beautiful salads I have ever seen! Simply stunning. And that mango dressing is one to die for š
Thank you so much!!
Well, dang it, if you aren’t making me SUPER-anxious for summer and all the summer produce to get here already! This salad is totally the most gorgeous rainbow of yum I’ve ever seen!
It’s a countdown now … only a few more months till summer!
Yup, this salad does sound and look fantastic, Kristen! But l will be honest. Every time I see a mango in a recipe, I am completely sold. But besides the mango, I love every ingredient in this salad. Well done!
I know what you mean … mangos are the best, aren’t they? A number of years ago my sister and I spent a month in El Salvador. The house we rented had a mango tree in the yard and every morning I’d get up and pick one for breakfast. It was the best. š
I’d definitely like to try that mango dressing! When it comes to knives, I’m lucky that Chicago is such a huge foodie city. There’s a knife shop in the West Loop that caters to professional kitchens. They sharpen knives by hand, old-school.
You’re so lucky! My man always sharpens the knives as I do a terrible job of it. It’s not an easy thing to do!
Haha, I have ONE knife that I use and have been using for years….I need to invest in a new one š
You should seriously check out Sharp Gourmet! New, sharp knives with next to no investment. Total win!