Week Night Yum Yum: Mango, Tangerine, and Avocado Salad

In my great Organic Basket of Produce Goodness of Life, I also got a few avocados, tangerines, and the sexiest cabbage you'd ever seen. Add to that a mango that had been sitting pretty on my counter top for the greater part of a week and a half, and I got inspired: Mango Citrus Salad.

Oh ya. Let the colorful games begin.

I love avocados. Seriously one of my favorite foods. But I get sick of the guacamole. I love doing different salads that incorporate avocado, some where it's playing supporting cast and some like this one where the creamy green goodness takes center stage. Add some sweet and tart tangerines for acidity, finely chopped red onion for crunch, cilantro and fresh mint for a cool and refreshing background flavor and you've got a wonderful little salad. I add the mango too because it was there, and added a great super sweet note to the whole thing. Don't have mango? Use pineapple or even pears!

This salad is very versatile: chop it all fine for a fresher take on a "salsa" or keep it chunky for a substantive salad. Or, add some finely shredded cabbage and marinated shrimp to do shrimp tacos:

Either way you slice it, you'll love this summertime salad.

Mango, Tangerine and Avocado Salad

1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced

3-4 tangerines, peeled, seeded and segmented

2 ripe Haas avocados, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

juice of 1 lime

drizzle of olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Drizzle with desired amount of olive oil (about a tablespoon or so will do you) and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 15 minutes for flavors to meld together, then serve.

*To make shrimp tacos, just grill up some shrimp simply seasoned with salt and pepper (and a pinch of cayenne if you like them spicy) until pink, about 2-3 minutes per side. Leave whole or chop up and place in corn tortillas. Top with shredded cabbage and lots of the mango-avocado salad, and serve with more lime wedges for garnish.