spicy shrimp & mango salad

As luscious mango tumbles into a bowl along with fresh mint leaves, cilantro & splashes of lime juice & you skewer the shrimp that have been marinating with ginger, soy & sambal oelek, you can picture the white sandy beaches & turquoise waters of some exotic Asian island. Or almost picture…it’s good to dream. Right? This recipes has all those elements we love about South East Asian cuisine – sweet, salty, sour & spicy – better yet, it’s ready in about 30 minutes, especially with a little make-ahead prep.

Skewering shrimp to throw on the grill makes sense: if you’ve ever stoo, crestfallen, tongs in hand & peered down at a shrimp that managed to fall through the grates, you’ll understand what I mean. That doesn’t happen when they’re all lined up on skewers & they’re easier to turn.

There’s lots to love about this recipe – the flavors, the make-ahead elements & the relative speed at which it can come together. Make it for a weeknight dinner or for an alfresco soiree next time you have friends over. The weather is warming up & that is something to be grateful for. Cheers, Lovoni

Here’s a little more salad inspo we love: Strawberry, Bacon & Candied Walnut Salad; Thai Peppered Beef Salad.

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5 from 1 vote

spicy shrimp & mango salad

This recipe has all those wonderful elements common to South East Asian cuisine – sweet, salty, sour and spicy. And it has make-ahead elements so when the time comes, it can be ready in less than 30 minutes.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time6 minutes mins

marinating1 hour hr

Total Time31 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: South East Asian

Author: Lovoni

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sambal oelek chili paste
• 2 large garlic cloves peeled
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest rind
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• pinch salt & pepper
• 24 jumbo raw shrimp peeled & deveined, leaving tails intact
• 8 x 10-inch metal skewers 23cm
• 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled & sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
• 6 radish, trimmed & cut julienne
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint leaves
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves coriander
• 1/3 cup chopped honey roasted cashews
• mint leaves, coriander leaves, sambal oelek & lime wedges, to serve

Instructions

• In a blender, add sambal, garlic, honey, soy, ginger, sesame oil & zest; blend until smooth. Mixture makes about 3/4 cup. Pour approximately half the sambal mixture into a medium bowl. Add juice, salt & pepper; set aside. This will be the dressing for the salad. (This can be done 2 days ahead of time & stored in a jar in the fridge.)
• In another bowl, combine shrimp & remaining sambal mixture; stir until shrimp are well coated. Cover & set aside in the fridge for 1 hour, if time permits. (Shrimp can be marinated a day ahead & stored in a sealed container in the fridge.) Thread 3 shrimp onto each skewer.
• Preheat the grill (barbie) to medium-high. Cook shrimp on greased grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until just cooked & grill marks appear.
• Add mango, onion, radish, mint & cilantro to dressing; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle salad with cashews.
• Serve shrimp skewers with mango salad. Serve with extra mint leaves, cilantro leaves, sambal & lime wedges.