Avocado & Mango Salad with Creamy Dressing Recipe

A different kind of fruit salad

Spring is the perfect time for lighter meals

This Avocado & Mango Salad with Creamy Dressing is an easy-to-make, satisfying salad that supports a healthy body – good for any day of the week.

Although a bit unorthodox, this fruit salad (yes, avocado is a fruit!) is packed with nutrients to fuel, build, and maintain a healthy body.

A few health benefits of this dish

Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, potassium, B vitamins, vitamin E, and fiber (1).  The monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid found in avocados can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammatory cytokines, and increase anti-inflammatory cytokines helping to reduce inflammation in the body (2).

To learn the four primary health benefits of eating avocados, check out this post.

Mangos are not only delicious but are also nutrient-dense, which makes this low-calorie fruit a good choice for a balanced diet.  Just one cup of fresh mango can provide more than half (about 67% DV) of your vitamin C, to support cell growth and repair, iron absorption, and neurotransmitter synthesis (3).  As a good source of folate and copper, mango consumption can help support healthy fetal growth and development during pregnancy (4) (7) (5) (6).  In addition to nutrients, mangos are high in polyphenols that act as antioxidants, like mangiferin which protects against cancer of the lungs, colon, breast, and nerve cells (8).

Avocado & Mango Salad with Creamy Dressing Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

1-2 avocado, cut into bite-sized cubes

¼ red onion, diced

2 mangos, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 cucumber, diced

8 ounces yogurt (full fat and unsweetened)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. (each) parsley and chives

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, parsley, chives, sea salt, and pepper.  Set aside.

Combine and toss together the lettuce, avocado, onion, mango, and cucumber.

When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and serve.

*This salad pairs nicely with fish like mahi-mahi.  Here’s a recipe for a cheesy, garlic mahi-mahi.

Enjoy!