This Mango and Cucumber Salad is perfect for summer barbecues and picnics! The spicy cayenne dressing is delicious with the sweet mango and crisp cucumber. Vegan and gluten-free. Check out the video!
Recipe first posted on May 24, 2015. Last updated June 15, 2022.
If you haven’t made this crisp, refreshing cucumber salad yet, is it even summer? I am going to go ahead and say no.
This is not your average creamy cucumber salad with sour cream and fresh dill or the ones loaded with white vinegar and onion that are basically pickles in a bowl. No, no, no, this is a (for lack of a better word) juicy cucumber salad.
It’s got sweet mango, crunchy English cucumbers, fragrant basil, and a kick-in-the-pants cayenne dressing that pulls everything together. It is an easy cucumber salad recipe that is ready in 15 minutes! You ready?
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Cucumber Salad Ingredients
- Limes
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Ground cayenne pepper
- Ripe mangoes
- English or Persian cucumbers
- Fresh basil or other fresh herbs like mint or even thinly sliced scallions.
How To Make It
This is truly such a quick and easy recipe, a bit of chopping and whisking and we’re done! It’s also great for meal prep. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to eat.
step one
Make the dressing. Whisk the 2 tablespoons of lime juice, olive oil, cayenne powder, and the 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl (one big enough to fit the mangoes and cucumbers).
step two
Toss to coat. Slice the cucumbers and mangoes into matchsticks. Add to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Thinly slice the basil and and mix that in as well. Taste and add more salt or lime juice as needed.
Serving Tips For The Mango Cucumber Salad
What makes this a favorite recipe is it is so party and potluck friendly. You can toss the whole thing together up to an hour in advance and the flavor just gets better as it sits. Leave the basil off, however, until right before you serve it or it will wilt and become brown.
If you are taking this to a BBQ or other summertime gathering, toss the salad before you head out and thinly slice the basil but wrap it separately in a damp paper towel and put that in a sealed plastic bag. Once you get to the party, toss in the basil and serve!
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- Ham and Broccoli Pasta Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing
Discovered One Of Your New Favorite Salad Recipes?
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Mango-Cucumber Salad with Cayenne Dressing and Lime Basil Recipe
This is a great picnic salad because you can make it up to 1 hour in advance and it won't wilt.
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne powder (you can add more or less depending on your tastes)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the salad:
- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pit removed and sliced into strips
- 1 English cucumber, seeded and cut into strips
- 1 small bunch basil, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make dressing. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
- Toss. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and add more lime juice or salt if desired.
Notes
Make Ahead: Slice the basil, wrap it in a damp paper towel then stick that in a resealable plastic bag or wrapped in some plastic wrap. Then toss it into the salad right before serving.
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