Vietnamese Green Mango Salad

Green mango salad in a bowl with chopsticks in the background.

Vietnamese Green Mango Salad

This green mango salad is refreshing, tangy and colorful. The salad is enhanced by crisp fried shallots and garlic along with savory shrimp for an irrestistable meal.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Servings: to 6 servings

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Pickled Shallots

1 cup water
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
3 shallots thinly sliced

Make the Fried Shallots and Garlic

2 to 3 shallots thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves minced
vegetable oil for frying

For the Green Mango Salad

½ pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
2 large green mangoes
1 to 2 cups fresh mint leaves
¼ cup nuac mam sauce
½ cup roasted peanuts chopped

Instructions

Make the Pickled Shallots

Add the water, vinegar, and sugar to a medium-sized bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves then toss in the shallots. Set the shallots aside to marinate while you prepare the salad.

Make the Fried Shallots and Garlic

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl.
Add enough oil to a small skillet to get it about 1/4 inch deep. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently to break them up. When the shallots start to get a light golden color, add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 3 to 5 more minutes until medium golden brown.
Immediately pour the oil, shallots, and garlic through the sieve.
Let the oil drain into the bowl and set the fried shallots aside.

Cook the Shrimp

Prepare a bowl of ice water and set it aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and toss in a teaspoon of salt. Boil the shrimp for about 2 to 3 minutes or until you see them change color. The timing will depend on the size of the shrimp (see the notes if you want curly, spiraled shrimp, as we have in the photos).
Drain the shrimp and transfer them to the ice water to stop them from cooking. Transfer them to a salad bowl and pat them dry with paper towels.

Make the Green Mango Salad

Peel the mangoes and cut them into thin strips. Add the mango slices to the salad bowl with the shrimp.
Add the mint leaves, pickled shallots, and the nuac mam sauce. Toss the ingredients together.
Top the salad with the fried shallots and chopped peanuts.

Notes

To get curly, spiraled shrimp (as seen in the photos) slice them in half lengthwise before you add them to the boiling water. The thin halves will curl up as soon as they hit the hot water. You will only need to boil them for about 90 seconds. It will depend on the thickness so check for doneness based on the color.

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