Middle-Eastern Mango Avocado Salad

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I just can’t get enough mango! Lucky for me,  I’m living in Costa Rica, where delicious mangoes are available year-round. We’ve had three different varieties in the last two weeks, all with their own unique flavor and texture.

I’ve blogged before about my mango addiction and given you a selection of mango recipes including:

Light and Fresh Thai Mango Salad

Thai Green Mango Salad with Jungle Peanuts

Tropical Fruit Salsa Wraps

Sweet and Spicy Mango Sauce

Mango Spirulina Pudding with Aloe Vera and Bee Pollen

Genki Sudo’s Green Superfood Smoothie

Love Your Liver Green Smoothie

Naturally, when creating a salad with mango I tend to go either in an Asian or Latin direction. The recipe I have for you today actually started out as a fruity Mexican salsa.

Usually, I would add some fresh chili but didn’t have any on hand so I had to work with what I had. I discovered some Middle-Eastern spices in the cupboard so used those instead. The result was a fantastic variation with some really interesting flavors.

This is such a delicious combination combining the sweet, lusciousness of the mango with creamy avocado, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. I love the little bit of heat from the Harissa spice.

Sumac – commonly used as a condiment in Turkey – adds a lemony tang so there is no need to include any lime juice in this salad.

If you don’t have either of these spices it is easy to adapt and still create a delicious salad. You can use any fresh chili – such as jalapeno or habanero – or alternatively dried spices or hot sauce. Add a dash of lemon or lime juice and it will taste fantastic!

Middle-Eastern Mango Avocado Salad

Serves 2

3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 mango, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 green onions. sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon Harissa spice
1 teaspoon sumac
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 avocado, diced

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss everything together. Taste and adjust the spices to suit your preference.

I like to eat this as it is but it would also make a great filling for lettuce or collard green wraps. It is light, yet nourishing and extremely satisfying.

So on the subject of mangoes, at the moment I am embarking on a mango fast. Currently, it is day four and I am loving it! I’m starting each morning with a glass of coconut water and for the rest of the day, I am eating nothing but mangoes.

My plan is to continue as long as I can. I’m aiming for 30 days but this depends on my ability to access the mangoes while they are ripe as sometimes only green ones are available in the markets. I’m also going to do some days on just coconut water and lemon during this time.

For about three or four months at the start of this year, I did a watermelon fast almost every weekend. I’ve never gone more than a few days in succession on watermelon. Watermelon is very low in calories with a high glycemic index so it can be quite challenging to sustain it long-term.

I also recently undertook an eight-day grape fast, which was much less difficult than I expected it to be. My experience so far on mango has also been very positive. I am aware of the cleansing and detoxifying effects yet I’m feeling very comfortable with the process. And I’m actually looking forward to eating mangoes every day!

Have you ever tried a mono-diet where you ate only one type of fruit for a few days or longer? How was your experience?

Would you consider trying this type of diet as a way to detox and improve your health?