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Mango Salad Dressing

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Looking for a delicious salad dressing that is a total summer crowd-pleaser (kids included)? Look no further this Mango Dressing is just the thing!

Jar of mango dressing

Summer means Sun, Being Social & Salad

For me as a grown up, summer means sun, socialising and salad for dinner with friends. My kids are down with the sun part, totally down with the social part, the salad partโ€ฆ well we are working on that!

Iโ€™m a big believer in my kids being part of the family meal, so I try not to make a separate kids meal, but instead, try to make the family meal accessible to all. 

So if we are having a salad for dinner, there are 2 things I keep in mind to ensure it is accessible, delicious and ok for everyone; these are:

  1. The way I plate it
  2. The dressing I serve with it

(Iโ€™ll discuss both these in a just a little bit so that hopefully your kids will also become salad eating kids)

Mango salad dressing being drizzled onto a colourful salad

Summer also means On-line Supermarket Shopping

Iโ€™ve teamed up with Countdown to create and share this Mango Salad Dressing recipe, but first I just want to add a third little summer salad hack to this post. And that hack is doing grocery shopping online! Oh My Gosh, Countdownโ€™s online shopping service & delivery has totally revolutionised my holiday this year. 

Instead of lugging loads of groceries away with us to the bach, or sending some poor soul off to do the grocery shopping, to a crowded supermarket quite some drive away when they could have been relaxing on the beachโ€ฆ 

This year I ordered online and had the magical people at Countdown pick my produce, pack my groceries and deliver everything to my bach without me needing to do anything more than order online while enjoying a wine! You should totally give it a go, it is life-changing!

During summer, they deliver to beaches and baches all over NZ so you can continue to enjoy your holiday. Full list of hotspots are here:  https://shop.countdown.co.nz/shop/content/summer

How I plate a salad for kids

There is quite a craze on Instagram and Pinterest to plate a salad so that you can see all the individual ingredients, almost like a piece of art, rather than tossing it all together.

Hereโ€™s the thing, I have been plating salad like this for my kids for ages. Not because it will get lots of likes on Instagram, but because it really is a practical way to plate a salad for children especially if they are a little fussy

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Keeping the ingredients separate, means kids (and adults) can build their own salads in their own bowls (avoiding any bits that they really donโ€™t enjoy) and then add the dressing themselves. 

This means that a kid who may have looked at a salad and said โ€œI donโ€™t like itโ€ now has all the individual components to choose from. 

So yes they may not like red onion and spinach, but they may love mango, cucumber and avocado, and if that is all they choose to have in their salad.. Well that is totally fine.

How I built my Mango Avocado Salad

Salad of Avocado Mango and Macadamia nuts dressed with mango dressing

  • Sliced Iceberg lettuce for crunch and itโ€™s also mild flavoured for kids
  • Baby spinach leaves, for the dark green colour, and itโ€™s so easy to grab a bag from Countdown
  • Cucumber
  • Red Onion: I soak my sliced red onions in a little orange juice before adding them to a salad, it really makes them more kid-friendly, milder in flavour but still delicious
  • Avocado to add some fat and creaminess
  • Mango to add some sweetness (check out the little video which shows a great hack for slicing mango
  • Macadamias and Hemp Hearts both add texture, crunch, protein and fats

To make it a real filling crowd-pleaser, I also grabbed a Hot Cooked Macro Free Range Chicken from the supermarket and some bread rolls.

Macro Organic Roast Chicken

Salad served with sliced roast chicken and bread rolls

Salad Dressings For Kids

I have found that choosing a kid-friendly salad dressing can really encourage kids to try salad. The Mango Salad Dressing I used on this salad is super simple, 4 ingredients, (5 if you count seasoning) that you just blitz together

When Mangoes are in season itโ€™s delicious with fresh mango

Ingredients for mango salad dressing with fresh mango

But when they are not, defrosted frozen Mango is also perfectly fine

Ingredients for Mango Salad Dressing with frozen Mango

If you are on the hunt for a slightly more savoury dressing, then you can't go wrong with my quick homemade mayo or sriracha aioli.

Mango salad dressing being poured onto a colourful salad

Mango Salad Dressing

So easy, this healthy Mango Salad dressing can be made in a matter of minutes, an absolute crowd pleaser with vegan ingredients, makes any salad kid-friendly
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Cuisine: Family Friendly
Keyword: Mango Salad, Mango Salad Dressing, Vegan Salad Dressing
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 49kcal
Author: Stacey

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4.41 from 136 votes

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Ingredients

  • 1 Cup cubed chopped mango
  • 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Blitz all the ingredients together, you will end up with a thick creamy salad dressing. I use a Nutribullet to do this, but any blender will be fine

Notes

You can adjust the ratio of vinegar, and honey if you prefer a more acidic or sweet dressing
A little chili can be a delicious added to the dressing if you like it sweet and spicy
Works with fresh or frozen/defrosted Mango
Depending on your palate you may find Virgin Olive Oil to strong, a milder tasting oil is an option. Macadamia oil is delicious in this recipe
Stores for 3-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container or jar, make sure you use a clean spoon when serving it, this will stop it being contaminated by other foods and means it will last longer

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 Tbsp | Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 12mg | Sugar: 4g
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @my_kids_lick_the_bowl or tag #MyKidsLickTheBowl!

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4.41 from 136 votes (136 ratings without comment)

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