Name: Green Mango, Cabbage, and Jicama Salad
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 2 cups packed thinly sliced green cabbage leaves; ½ small jicama, peeled and cut into medium-thick matchsticks; One 16-ounce unripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into thick matchsticks (double the width of the jicama); 1 lime; Unseasoned rice vinegar as needed; 1½ to 2 Tbsp. sugar; 1½ to 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, or 1½ Tbsp. soy sauce plus ¼ tsp. fine sea salt; 1 small garlic clove, put through a press or minced and mashed; 1 Thai or small serrano chile, finely chopped, with seeds intact; ¼ cup packed coarsely chopped fresh mint or basil; ⅓ cup finely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts or cashews

Green mango cabbage and jicama salad in bowls.

Photo by Aubrie Pick

Many people assume that an unripe mango is not ready for prime time, but to me, it’s an opportunity to make gỏi xoài (mango salad). The traditional rendition includes cooked shrimp and fatty pork, but I’ve found that dropping the proteins not only makes the salad less fussy (read: faster to make) but also shifts the focus to the produce and highlights the tropical flavor combinations that are central to Vietnamese cooking. The decluttered version is lighter, brighter, and easily adapted for vegan diners.

At the store, choose a rock-hard, unripe mango (one with all or mostly green skin). Store it in the fridge to prevent ripening. When you’re ready to make the salad, peel it with a knife or vegetable peeler, removing all vestiges of the firm green skin. The remaining flesh sweetens slightly and softens in the salad. For the jicama, choose a small, blemish-free one (ideally no larger than a grapefruit); it will be sweeter and less starchy than older, bigger ones.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Vietnamese Food Any Day' by Andrea Nguyen. Buy the full book on Amazon.