Crunch, spice, and everything nice! This jicama mango salad is crunchy, zesty and sweet, and loaded with fiber. A surprising blend of ingredients you didn’t know you needed.
There used to be this Mexican restaurant in Framingham, Massachusetts, that my husband and I loved going to. That’s where we stumbled onto this jicama mango salad. We’d go for their incredible tacos, killer salsa and of course, this jicama mango salad. Eighteen months later, they closed permanently and we were so disappointed. We think it’s hard to find good Mexican food where we live and this was one place that we enjoyed.
Thus, it was up to us to bring this recipe home and recreate it. It’s remarkably easy, packed with flavor and loaded with fiber. Doesn’t that check all the boxes and more?
The Ingredients
First up is our main star: jicama. Jicama is a crunchy root vegetable that is sort of like a cross between an apple and a potato. Or like a water chestnut. It also goes by other names like Mexican turnip, Mexican potato, or yam bean. It’s a phenomenal vegetable because it’s low in calories but high in nutrients. Just one cup of jicama has 6g of fiber and 43% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. It’s high in anti-oxidants, can help boost heart health by lowering blood pressure, and is really good for your gut health thanks to it’s abundant prebiotic fibers.
Next up is cucumber. You can use any cucumber your like. Personally, I like using the Persiana or mini cucumbers which are far tastier than their larger counterparts. Then we have mango. I love using yellow mango but the red will do just fine. Lastly, fresh cilantro which adds a huge punch of zippy flavor.
Lastly, to dress up the salad, I’m using lime juice, salt, chili powder, and the tiniest drizzle of avocado oil.
The jicama and cucumber provide the crunch. The mango provides the sweetness. The cilantro, lime and chili powder provide the zest and spice. Altogether, this crunchy jicama mango salad is a surprisingly fantastic concoction of ingredients that you didn’t know you needed.
If you’re a huge fan of healthy crunchy salads, then you’ll also need to check out my Crunchy Healthy Broccoli Chickpea Salad!
Jicama Mango Salad
Ingredients
- 1 jicama root
- 1 mini cucumber
- 1 yellow mango
- 1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp chili powder more or less, as needed
- 1 tbsp avocado or sesame oil optional
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Peel the jicama root with a paring knife or a vegetable/potato peeler. Cut into small cubes. Add to a medium-sized bowl.
- Peel and cube the mango. Slice the cucumber into rounds. Add them to the bowl with the jicama.
- Rough chop the cilantro and add to the bowl.
- Drizzle and season with the lime juice, salt, chili powder, and oil, if using. Mix until well combined and serve.
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