This healthy kale mango salad is a must-make recipe while mangoes are in season. It’s easy to make, comes together in 5 minutes, can be made vegan, and makes for a great light side dish, lunch or dinner.
Looking for more delicious salad recipes, the do try some of my other favorites too – Cucumber Avocado Salad, Som Tam Salad, Watermelon Feta Salad, Ramen Noodle Salad, Malaysian Mango Salad, and Broccoli Apple Salad.
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About This Recipe
Kale mango salad is one of my favorite salads! Juicy fresh mangoes, superfood kale, and crunchy pecans, this combination is the bomb, and just screams, ‘health’.
To make this kale mango salad, fresh kale leaves are massaged until they are soft in texture, darker in color, and easy to eat. Massaging the kale leaves breaks down the tough fibers making the leaves soft and flavorful.
Mango and kale salad come together in just 5 minutes and are loaded with fibers and protein. It is light on the stomach, sweet, tangy, crunchy, and nutty.
This salad is gluten-free, paleo, whole 30, and can be made vegan by replacing honey with maple syrup. Serve this detox salad for a side dish or a light lunch or dinner.
This kale mango salad is,
- Healthy
- Easy
- Light
- Delicious
- Tangy & Sweet
- A great Detox Salad
- Perfect for summer
- Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole30
Ingredients
Mangoes – You can use any mangoes of your choice. I personally like to use Alphonso, as they are sweet and juicy. But any ripe, firm, juicy mango will work.
Kale – Kale is considered to be a superfood and is getting popular day by day due to its nutrient levels. So chop some up and add with those fresh mangoes.
Look for kale leaves that have a bright green color. Avoid leaves with yellow or brown spots, this discoloration means that the kale is not fresh, or was exposed to the sun for too long.
The kale should feel very sturdy, with nice tight curls or hefty, smooth leaves. The stalk and leaves should not feel loose or wilted.
Pecans – To add some crunch, I have added pecans. But if you can’t find pecans, you can add almonds or walnuts. Some people even add pepitas, other seeds, and dried fruits to this salad.
Cilantro – To add some more green freshness, add chopped cilantro or parsley leaves into this salad.
Dressing – I made this fresh dressing that just takes 2 minutes. It has ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper.
Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil, as bad quality can ruin the taste of your salad. You can replace lemon juice and zest with orange juice and zest.
Others – You can add some toasted coconut flakes to this salad as a garnish. It adds a nice taste and crunch to this salad along with pecans. Cubed avocado, feta cheese also work great.
How to make Kale Mango Salad?
Start by preparing the kale leaves, mango, and pecan. Wash the kale leaves and discard the tough stem. The most important thing to know about kale is that the stalk is nearly inedible. It is very bitter and fibrous and should be removed prior to cooking or using in a salad. To separate kale leaves from their stalks, cut along the edge of the stalk with the tip of the sharp paring knife, or tear the leaves away with your hands. Chop the kale leaves roughly. We need approx 7 oz of chopped leaves.
Next, cut the mangoes into cubes. We will need 2 large mangoes to get 10 oz of chopped mangoes. Wash the mangoes and wipe with a kitchen cloth. Peel the mangoes using a paring knife and cut the flesh from all the sides leaving the pit. Discard the pit and cut the flesh into cubes. Keep aside.
To toast the pecan, add ¼ cup pecans to a pan and toast on low heat for 8-10 minutes until they are crunchy. Remove the pan from heat and let the pecans cool down. Chop them roughly and keep them aside.
Now, to massage the kale leaves to make them soft and edible; add the chopped kale leaves to a large bowl. Add 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and massage the kale using your hands for 1-2 minutes until the leaves get softer and darker in color.
Mix the ingredients for dressing including 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp honey, salt, and pepper to taste in another small mixing bowl using a wire whisk.
Pour the dressing over the kale leaves and toss well.
Top the salad with 10 oz mango cubes, ¼ cup chopped toasted pecan, and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro just before serving.
Benefits of Kale
Kale which is a member of the cabbage family, and is also called “Superfood ‘, is considered to be one of the most nutrient-dense food. It has many health benefits such as:
It is rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, calcium, copper, and magnesium. Imagine, one cup of kale is loaded with all these nutrients.
It is full of antioxidants, which are very beneficial for the overall growth of the body, and is an excellent source of vitamin C. It’s about 4.5 times richer than spinach.
It reduces cholesterol, which means less risk of heart diseases.
There are many nutrients in kale, that also have cancer fighting properties.
It is also a good source of minerals, which people generally lack and are deficient in, leading to different health problems. It can help prevent these.
It is also great to include in your daily diet, if you are on a weight loss journey, as it is very low in calories.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can omit honey from the salad dressing if you want a vegan version of this salad. Replace it with maple syrup or agave nectar. Other ingredients used in the salad are vegan.
Kale leaves are tough and can’t be used as it is. They need to be massaged for a few minutes, in order to make them soft.
Firstly, wash and pat dry them completely. Next, rip off the leafy part from thick stalk and veins.
Add the leaf in a bowl. Add some olive oil to the leaves and massage them nicely for a few minutes.
This process will make your kale leaves soft and then you can use them in the salad.
You can use any variety of mangoes, which are easily available to you. But my favorite one to use is the Alphonso variety, which adds the perfect amount of sweetness and juiciness to this salad.
You can also add in avocados, feta cheese, cooked quinoa, papaya, broccoli, spinach, blueberries, edamame, chickpeas, etc to experiment with this yummy salad and make it, even more filling and delicious.
I would not recommend using frozen mango in this salad. Frozen mangoes, when thawed turns mushy and won’t taste good in a salad. They are apt to use in pureed dressing, smoothies, or to use in desserts.
You can also add some cooked shredded chicken to this salad. It tastes great with the combination of kale and mangoes.
Storage Suggestions
Since the kale leaves are already wilted after massaging, they don’t wilt further. So they keep good in the refrigerator for several days.
To store this kale mango salad, you can mix the dressing with the kale and store it in the fridge for about 4-5 days in an airtight container. Before serving, add in fresh mangoes, give it a mix and serve.
Do not add mangoes in the salad if storing, as it will turn mushy and won’t taste great.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this mango kale salad on its own, for a light and healthy lunch or dinner. You can also serve it as a side dish with your brunch or barbeque meals.
I sometimes serve it a side dish with my pasta, risotto, sandwich, burger or even wraps.
Dressing Variations
Herb Dressing – You can add some dried basil, oregano, red chili flakes, and fresh mint leaves in the above dressing to make it more flavorful.
Mustard Honey Dressing – This dressing has ingredients such as orange zest, orange juice, garlic, dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Garlic Lemon Mustard Dressing – This dressing is similar to the above one with little changes. This dressing has dijon mustard, garlic powder, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
Mango Dressing – This dressing has mango puree, honey, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. You can add in herbs like oregano, red chili flakes, etc.
Use my Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing or Green Goddess Dressing in this salad.
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Recipe Card
Kale Mango Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 ounces kale leaves
- 10 ounces peeled and cubed mangoes
- ¼ cup pecans (toasted)
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the kale leaves, mango, and pecan. Wash the kale leaves and discard the tough stem. The most important thing to know about kale is that the stalk is nearly inedible. It is very bitter and fibrous and should be removed prior to cooking or using in a salad. To separate kale leaves from their stalks, cut along the edge of the stalk with the tip of the sharp paring knife, or tear the leaves away with your hands. Chop the kale leaves roughly. We need approx 7 oz of chopped leaves.
- Next, cut the mangoes into cubes. We will need 2 large mangoes to get 10 oz of chopped mangoes. Wash the mangoes and wipe with a kitchen cloth. Peel the mangoes using a paring knife and cut the flesh from all the sides leaving the pit. Discard the pit and cut the flesh into cubes. Keep aside.
- To toast the pecan, add ¼ cup pecans to a pan and toast on low heat for 8-10 minutes until they are crunchy. Remove the pan from heat and let the pecans cool down. Chop them roughly and keep them aside.
- Now, to massage the kale leaves to make them soft and edible; add the chopped kale leaves to a large bowl. Add 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and massage the kale using your hands for 1-2 minutes until the leaves get softer and darker in color.
- Mix the ingredients for dressing including 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp honey, salt, and pepper to taste in another small mixing bowl using a wire whisk.
- Pour the dressing over the kale leaves and toss well.
- Top the salad with 10 oz mango cubes, ¼ cup chopped toasted pecan, and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro just before serving.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!