Recipe: Tropical Cabbage Salad

I was first introduced to this concoction by my Dad, who makes it as a topping for fish tacos. We couldn’t find the original recipe, so it’s based off of the ingredients he listed at the dinner table and a couple extras I thought would be tasty. And as good as fish tacos are, I personally enjoy this salad all on its own or as a simple side dish for many other meals.

Ingredients:

Small head of green cabbage, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

Half a jalapeño, chopped (seeds or no seeds is up to you!)

Handful of cilantro, chopped

1 fresh mango, cubed

1 avocado, chopped with a sprinkle of salt

1-3 limes, depending how juicy they are

Salt to taste

Hedgehog, anyone?

Directions:

In case you didn’t notice, chop everything! Except for the mango, I just looked it up and you will be very happy to know that cutting a mango like this is called the “hedgehog method”. You’re welcome.

Combine the cabbage, bell pepper, jalapeño and cilantro. Mix together. Pause here…if your appetite is hearty enough to eat this whole salad, or you have company coming, carry on. If you are prepping more than you can eat a once, set aside some of this mixture for your future salad and only carry on preparing your serving size. It tastes best when it is fresh.

For a full size salad, use the whole mango and avocado. For a smaller portion, adjust accordingly. I used half a mango and a quarter of the avocado for my single serving. Don’t forget to salt your avocado lightly before mixing it in. Dress with fresh lime juice to taste. I used half a lime for the single serving. Salt lightly to taste and mix all together. The salt helps bring out all the flavors and cuts the tanginess just a smidge.

Enjoy, my tropical winter lovers!