Zucchini Salad with Green Mango & Coconut

This raw zucchini salad will impress your guests with its wonderfully refreshing summer flavours and will also use up your summer zucchinis all in one fell swoop! Partnered here with tart green mangoes, zucchini flowers and coconut flakes – divine! 

There is something magical about raw zucchini strips especially if they have been allowed to meld and marinate in our zingy lime and coconut dressing! Just add some sharp tasting slightly sweet green mangoes and earthy zucchini flowers and you will have a mouthwatering salad ideal, for outdoor entertaining.

I made this tasty little number, first of all, to get rid of all the zucchini and zucchini flowers that we managed to collect from our generous neighbour.  But also, because it was just too darn hot to think of cooking anything in the kitchen! We served it with some fresh prawns and barbecued sweet chilli octopus for a delicious al fresco dinner.

If you are looking for something a bit more traditional to serve with this salad, try juicy barbecued chicken breasts, sticky honey soy chicken wings or some grilled white fish fillets such as barramundi or snapper.

What are green mangoes?

Raw mangoes picked when just mature, are known as “green mangoes.” They are firm and can be oval or slightly kidney bean-shaped, depending on the variety with a sour or nutty and slightly sweet taste.

You will find these little gems at an Asian Greengrocer or you can substitute with a green unripe mango. Make sure you use them as quickly as possible and store them in the fridge so that they don’t ripen too quickly

How to prepare your flowers

First of all, make sure that you choose flowers that are brightly coloured with no shrivelling or wilting. 

1. Use kitchen scissor to cut off the stem, then gently remove any spiny leaves around the blossom as they can sting. 
2. Gently open up the blossom and cut off the pistil with your kitchen scissors or you can gently reach into the flower to remove the pistil and stamen. The flower is very delicate, so take care not to break it. 
3. As these delicate blossoms tend to close up soon after picking we keep them, one inside the other and stack them. We then wrap them in paper towels so that they stay fresher for longer and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge.
   It is very difficult to stuff them once the flowers have closed up.

How to make zucchini salad

1Prepare your ingredients
Wash the dark green zucchini, cut off the tops and bottoms and then peel the green mango.
Cut the zucchini and green mango into julienne using a sharp knife, julienne slicer or with the julienne attachment on your mandoline slicer.
Gently cut your flowers into strips with a small sharp knife.
Wash your mint and coriander (cilantro) under cold running water, shake to remove excess water, then strip the mint leaves from the stems. Cut off the coriander stems, and chop roughly.
Transfer everything to a large mixing bowl along with your coconut flakes. Taste your salad before adding the dressing then if your mango tastes too tart add the sweetener to your dressing.

2Make the vinaigrette
Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar, season with salt and pepper and shake until emulsified.

3Assemble your salad
Season your salad with salt and pepper then give your vinaigrette one more shake and pour over your salad.
Toss your salad until well combined, taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
Arrange in a salad bowl and keep chilled in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

tips & Meal Prep for Zucchini Salad

• Make this salad an hour or two in advance and keep it chilled in your fridge, this will allow the zucchini strips and mango to marinate in the incredible zingy coconut lime dressing and absorb the aromatic flavours from the herbs.
• It is fantastic the next day and you could try adding some vermicelli noodles or flaked salmon to make it go further.
• Also great for meal prep as it tastes better and better with time, for some added protein try grilled chicken or some deep-fried tofu for the vegetarians.

If you are keen to try more cucurbit flower recipes then try our…

• ARUGULA SALAD RECIPE WITH SQUASH FLOWERS
• MIDDLE EASTERN SALAD WITH ZUCCHINI FLOWERS & LABNEH

Zucchini Salad with Green Mango & Coconut

This raw zucchini salad will impress your guests with its wonderfully refreshing summer flavours and will also use up your summer zucchinis all in one fell swoop! Partnered here with tart green mangoes, zucchini flowers and coconut – divine!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian Inspired

Keyword: Intermediate

Servings: 4 as a side

Calories: 233kcal

Equipment

• Julienne Peeler or Mandoline / V-Slicer

Ingredients

For the salad…

• 280 grams dark green zucchini (2 medium) 3 cups julienned
• 6-8 curcubit flowers (either pumpkin, squash or zucchini/courgette)
• 1 small green mango (raw)¹ (approximately 300 grams or 1 ½ cups julienned)
• 1 bunch coriander (cilantro) (1 cup chopped)
• 1 bunch Asian mint (2 cups leaves)
• ¼ cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper

For the vinaigrette…

• 2 tbsps MCT or melted coconut oil
• 3 tbsps olive oil
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ½ tsp sweetener, either honey or maple syrup (Optional, you may need it if your mango is too tart)

Metric – Imperial

Instructions

• Wash and trim your zucchini, peel your green mango then cut them both into julienne using a sharp knife, julienne slicer or with the julienne attachment on your mandoline slicer. (Alternatively you can coarsley grate them).
• Gently cut your flowers into strips with a small sharp knife.
• Wash your mint and coriander (cilantro) under cold running water, shake to remove excess water, then strip the mint leaves from the stems. Cut off the coriander stems, and roughly chop.
• Transfer everything to a large mixing bowl and add the coconut flakes. Taste your salad before adding the dressing then if your mango tastes too tart add the sweetener to your dressing.
• Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar, season with salt and pepper and shake until emulsified.
• Season your salad with salt and pepper, pour the dressing over your salad and toss until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste,
• Arrange in a salad bowl and serve.

Video

Notes

1. Available from Asian Greengrocers or you can use a firm unripe mango instead.

Nutrition Facts

Zucchini Salad with Green Mango & Coconut

Amount Per Serving

Calories 233 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Sodium 26mg1%

Potassium 422mg12%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 1040IU21%

Vitamin C 56mg68%

Calcium 23mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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