This harvest moon is just gorgeous and I can’t WAIT to start decorating for fall. However, I’m finding it hard to get in the mood here when it’s 100 flippin’ degrees outside. Yellow leaves, hot apple cider, scarecrows and soup are the farthest things from my mind. All I want to do is jump in a pool, sip smoothies, and eat salads. So keeping with the theme here of hot fall nights, I am sharing three fun and easy salad ideas, all topped with one simple mango dressing. Theoretically, you could just blend up a super ripe mango and use that as a dressing, but I’ve added just a few other ingredients to give it some depth of flavor. I know we will get our cool down soon. Until then, you’ll be seeing more warm weather dishes here on The Tasty Alternative. Salud.
*
Sweet and Simple Mango Dressing:
Ingredients:
-1 VERY ripe mango, peeled and chopped (2 cups)
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar*
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar*
-3 tablespoons filtered water
-1 tablespoon oil (I use grapeseed)
-1/8 teaspoon salt
How To:
1. Blend all ingredients in food processor (or blender of choice) until smooth.
2. Will keep in fridge up to 4 days.
Notes:
*If the mango is not super ripe, I recommend adding a sweetener.
*vinegar variations: you could add just 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Alternatively, you could add in just two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, but the color will turn very dark. Any vinegar would work really, perhaps even lemon juice.
Here with Salad #1 we have a spinach and spring mix topped with crispy red apple, pumpkin seeds, dried figs and dried apricots. Pistachios or walnuts would also taste fabulous, as would chopped Asian pear or crunchy kohlrabi.
Salad #2 is fiesta inspired. Spinach, romaine, and spring mix topped with garlic sauteed black beans, red onion, roasted pumpkin seeds, avocado and tomatoes. The mango dressing is the perfect sweet flavor against the savory toppings. Grilled chicken, green peppers, cilantro or cashew sour cream would also be fabulous on this salad. 
Lastly, salad #3. A bed of spinach and spring mix topped with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds, diced shallot and dried cranberries. The warm sweet potatoes wilt the greens just enough and the splash of cool sweet mango adds quite the flavor dimension. Roasted delicata or butternut squash would taste divine, other ideas for this salad include fresh or dried figs, nectarine, or roasted sunflower seeds.
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday, My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Raw Foods Thursday,
I LOVE your salad dressing and salad ideas! Such a beautiful post!
Mango dressing?!?! This is an entirely new concept to me and it looks SO amazing! I cannot wait to try this tonight! I have some chopped mango in my freezer and the rest of the ingredients in my pantry.
Wow, that dressing looks awesome! I love mango. I’m embarrassed to say that my last one got buried in the fridge until it was too late. 🙁 Now as far as my salad choices … I’d have to go with #2 or #3, but they all look and sound terrific! 🙂
Thanks, Amber!
Shirley
Ahh I am not alone-it is sooo hot here too! I am sweating right now. We got spoiled with some cool days a few weeks ago and now back to the hot grind. These salads look perfectly cooling and scrumptious. Mango dressing is the perfect way to get my kids to eat salad!
ooh! I could have this dressing everyday. Heck I could drink it hehehe.
Oh goodness, you weren’t kidding! We ARE on the same wavelength with salads! These literally made my mouth water! Mangoes just went on the grocery list. I’m trying to decide between Salads 2 & 3. I might have to start with 3 because just imagining the rich flavors with the tangy dressing is making me hungry! Love these! You are brilliant! (Please link up your dressing to Raw Foods Thursdays this week!!!)
I love these salad ideas Amber! I’d eat every one of them happily! I love the idea of mango dressing. Thanks for sharing.
Jen
oh Amber, that dressing sounds marvelous! i love anything mango. this is perfect! and what beautiful salads!
You are going to keep me in salads for a while. I couldn’t select a favorite so I featured all three photos on My Meatless Mondays. Thanks for making it so easy on me.
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I LOVE this dressing! I have some spinach, mangoes and apples at home, just have to buy a couple more of things and I will do this for dinner 🙂
•The Health Blog for the Lazy Girl•
Oh thank you! We love it too.
Fantastic dressing. I have been using it on spinach and baby kale with tomatoes, avocados and maroon carrots. That’s been lunch 2 weeks in a row.
Oh yummy. Sounds great! Thank you for sharing. It’s one of our favorites too. 🙂
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