Strawberry Mango Salad is a healthy and refreshing 15-minute Summer salad that a whole family will love! Vibrant and colorful, it makes a perfect light lunch or a stunning side for your dinner. It pairs well with grilled meats (chicken, steak, and pork) and seafood. Bring it to potlucks, picnics, BBQs, and parties to share with family and friends.
Strawberry mango salad
Strawberries and mango are tossed together with fresh greens (arugula and/or spinach), sliced red onion, feta cheese, and pine nuts in a lemon honey mustard dressing. This healthy fresh salad is meatless, gluten-free, and packed with nutrients and fiber. Not only is it delicious and healthy, but it also makes a beautiful presentation thanks to many colorful ingredients. Strawberry mango salad will be a crowd-pleaser at Summer picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and other Summer festivities. My other favorite Summer salads to share with family and friends are mango blueberry spinach salad and reader-favorite strawberry spinach salad with blueberries, pecans, and feta.
Salad ingredients you need
- Greens. I used a mix of baby spinach + peppery arugula, but you can use any other greens you love, such as butter lettuce or mixed greens.
- Mango. Use ripe mango and always peel it. Slice the mango into bite-sized pieces so that you get that delicious rich sweet flavor in every bite!
- Strawberries are incredibly rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, such as Vitamin C, Manganese, Folate, and Potassium. They are a good source of fiber. Not only are they delicious and rich in nutrients, but these berries are also beautiful and add color and brightness to any salad!
- Feta cheese adds tangy flavor and creaminess.
- Pine nuts. Toast them in the oven briefly (about 5 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 F). The pine nuts should turn a rich golden color. Watch the nuts carefully as they burn quickly.
- Red onion adds so much flavor! You only need about ⅓ cup of it. Feel free to use more if you want.
How to make salad dressing
Dress this quick and easy strawberry mango salad with a delicious homemade dressing using just 4 ingredients: honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and lemon juice. I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice (not the bottled kind) and extra virgin olive oil. Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar and whisk with a fork to emulsify.
How to make strawberry mango salad
The best part about this salad is its simplicity. Only a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes of your time - and the salad is ready in no time! Here are the basic steps (scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe):
- Combine spinach, arugula, sliced strawberries, diced peeled mango, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped red onion in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Divide the salad among the individual serving bowls.
- Top each serving bowl with toasted pine nuts.
- Make homemade dressing by combining honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and lemon juice in a mason jar and stirring with the fork until emulsified.
- Drizzle with the salad with the homemade dressing.
Add protein to make it a complete meal
Strawberry mango salad makes a wonderful lunch on a hot Summer day. You can elevate it even further by adding simple protein, such as pre-cooked shrimp, cooked rotisserie chicken, or even sliced cooked steak strips. Here are some other delicious add-ons to turn a simple salad into a complete meal:
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Best and Simplest Pan-Seared Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Cilantro-Lime Shrimp
- Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon
- Cajun Chicken
- Cilantro-Lime Honey Garlic Salmon
How to tell if a mango is ripe?
- Skin color. The mango is ripe when the outer skin is mostly orange or red, with just spots of green (or no green at all).
- Texture. When you press on the skin, ripe mango should have a little give. If the skin is too soft - the mango might be too mushy and over-ripe.
- Unripe mango will be green or the majority of the skin would be green with just a spot of orange or red. Unripe mango has a sour taste, and it's harder to cut it than ripe mango. Let the mango ripe before using it.
Do you peel mango skin?
Mango skin has a tough texture and somewhat bitter flavor. It's not tasty, and it also contains some compounds that might cause allergic reactions. I always peel mango using a vegetable peeler. Mango just tastes better and looks better when peeled.
Tips for Success
- Use only ripe mango. Cut up the mango into bite-sized pieces so that you get that delicious rich sweet flavor in every bite!
- Use your favorite greens or a mix: arugula, spinach, mixed greens, lettuce, butter lettuce, etc.
- Toast pine nuts in the oven briefly (about 5 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 F). The pine nuts should turn a rich golden color. Watch the nuts carefully as they burn quickly.
- What can you use instead of pine nuts? Pine nuts are usually expensive and are sometimes hard to find. Toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are a great substitute for pine nuts!
- Add salad dressing right before serving to prevent spinach and arugula leaves from wilting.
Other mango salads you might like
- Avocado Mango Salad with Arugula and Pine Nuts
- Mango Salad with Spinach and Blueberries
- Spinach Strawberry Salad with Mango, Blueberries, Avocado, Cashews, and Balsamic Dressing
Strawberry Mango Salad
Ingredients
Salad dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 1 medium lemon - juice freshly squeezed or more, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad ingredients
- 3 oz fresh baby spinach
- 3 oz fresh arugula
- 1 large mango cored, peeled, and diced
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- ⅓ cup red onion diced
- ⅓ cup Feta cheese crumbled
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
Instructions
Make salad dressing
- Combine olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, and honey in a mason jar. Whisk well with a fork, until emulsified. Or, close with the lid, and shake vigorously. Add more lemon juice to taste.
Assembly
- I prefer to arrange the strawberry mango salad in individual deep salad bowls for presentation purposes.
- Add fresh baby spinach and arugula mix to each individual salad bowl. Add diced mango, sliced strawberries, sliced red onion, and Feta cheese on top.
- Drizzle with the salad dressing. Season with a small amount of freshly ground black pepper. Top with pine nuts.
- Alternatively, you can combine all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl, add the dressing, and toss to combine.
Notes
- Texture. When you press on the skin, ripe mango should have a little give but not too much. If the skin is too soft - the mango might be too mushy and over-ripe. It will be hard to peel over-ripe mango. You want to get the mango that is just right - mushy mangoes are no fun!
- Unripe mango will be green or the majority of the skin would be green with just a spot of orange or red. It will also be really hard to the touch, with no give when you press on the skin. Unripe mango has a sour taste, and it's very hard to cut it with a knife than ripe mango. Let the mango ripe before using it in salads.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I made this a few days ago, the dressing is the shining star! I made it earlier in the day, and couldn't resist passing by and dunking! I used a little less honey than called for, as I'm a more savory person. And I'm loving getting your weekly recipes in my inbox! I'm supposed to be eating more 'mediterranean', and more fish, so your recipes are wonderful!
Thank you, Lois, for such a sweet comment!! I am so happy you enjoy my recipes and my newsletters!! 🙂 I do make a lot of Mediterranean-style recipes. 🙂
This salad is unbelievably good! The dressing is so light and fresh and delicious with the lemon juice. It’s the perfect summer salad. Thank you!
Thanks for your review, Brenda!! Glad you loved this salad. 🙂
This is our new favorite salad....it's absolutely delicious!