Shrimp and Mango Salad with Cashews
Chilled shrimp tossed with juicy mango, roughly chopped cashews, romaine and red cabbage in a bright lime, ginger and cilantro dressing.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is a cool, no-cook-assembly bowl for a warm-weather lunch, the kind of plate you want when you are hungry for something bright and filling but do not want to stand over a stove. It leans on chilled shrimp, sweet mango and a sharp lime-ginger dressing, so it feels light on the palate while still carrying real substance. It suits anyone who wants a quick midday meal that tastes fresh rather than heavy, and it comes together fast enough for a workday lunch or a relaxed weekend spread.
Lime and ginger set the terms. The dressing is built on lime juice and grated fresh ginger, which give it acidity and a warm, peppery bite, while avocado oil rounds it out so the whole thing clings to the leaves instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Against that sharpness, ripe mango brings honeyed sweetness and shrimp bring a clean, mild savoriness. The romaine and red cabbage supply crunch and hold up to the dressing without wilting instantly, and the cashews, added at the very end, stay toasty and crisp.
Sweet, sour, salty, and rich all at once, and every forkful has something to chew. Shrimp make it a protein-forward meal that keeps you full, cashews add richness and a good fat, and the mango, romaine and cabbage bring fiber, vitamin C and color. It is the rare salad that eats like a full lunch rather than a side, and it leaves you refreshed instead of weighed down.
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked shrimp, chilled
- 1 large mango, diced
- 2/3 cup cashews, roughly chopped
- 6 cups chopped romaine
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cook the shrimp: If your shrimp are raw, bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil, add the peeled and deveined shrimp, and cook just until they turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose C shape, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of ice water, since shrimp left hot keep cooking in their own heat and go from tender to rubbery in under a minute. Once cold, drain well and pat dry. If your shrimp are already cooked, keep them chilled until needed.
- Prep the produce: Peel the mango, slice the flesh from the pit, and cut it into small dice, so that the sweetness is spread through the bowl rather than turning up in two large mouthfuls. Chop the romaine into bite-size pieces and shred the red cabbage thinly. Chop the cilantro. Roughly chop the cashews. Peel and finely grate the fresh ginger.
- Whisk the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, avocado oil, grated ginger and salt until the dressing looks emulsified and slightly thickened, because the oil is what carries the lime and the ginger across the leaves rather than letting them sink.
- Build the salad: In a large bowl, combine the romaine, red cabbage, shrimp, diced mango and cilantro.
- Dress and finish: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is lightly coated, doing it at the table rather than in advance, since salt and lime draw water out of cabbage and the bowl goes limp within a quarter of an hour. Top with the chopped cashews and serve right away while the greens are crisp and the shrimp are cold.
Variations
- Add avocado: Fold in diced ripe avocado just before serving for a creamy, buttery contrast to the crunch. This adds another source of healthy fat and makes the bowl even more filling.
- Turn up the heat: Whisk a minced fresh chili or a pinch of red pepper flakes into the dressing for a warm kick that plays off the sweet mango.
- Swap the crunch: Trade the cashews for chopped macadamia nuts or toasted almonds if you prefer a different nut. All three keep the crisp, rich texture the salad relies on.
- Add fresh herbs: Stir in torn fresh mint or Thai basil alongside the cilantro for an even more fragrant, cooling result.
- Make it a wrap: Spoon the dressed salad into large butter lettuce leaves and eat it as handheld cups, which turns the same components into a fun, portable lunch.
Storage & Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. The greens will soften once dressed, so undressed components keep noticeably better than a fully tossed bowl.
This salad is meant to be eaten cold and does not need reheating. If it has been sitting, give it a gentle toss to redistribute the dressing, and add a squeeze of fresh lime to wake it back up before serving.
To make ahead, cook and chill the shrimp, chop the romaine, cabbage and cilantro, and whisk the dressing, then keep each element separate in the refrigerator. Dice the mango and chop the cashews close to serving, and toss everything together only when you are ready to eat so the leaves stay crisp and the cashews stay crunchy.
Notes & Tips
- Pick a ripe mango: Choose a mango that gives slightly to gentle pressure and smells fragrant at the stem end. A firm, underripe one will be starchy and sour, which throws off the sweet-and-sharp balance the dressing depends on.
- Dry the shrimp well: Pat the chilled shrimp completely dry before they go in. Excess water dilutes the dressing and keeps it from clinging to the greens.
- Toast the cashews if you like: For deeper flavor, warm the chopped cashews in a dry skillet over medium heat until they smell nutty and turn a shade darker, then cool them before adding. This step is optional but rewarding.
- Dress at the last minute: The lime juice softens the romaine and cabbage quickly, so toss with the dressing right before serving to keep the leaves crisp. Undressed, the salad holds much better.
- Balance the dressing to taste: Taste the dressing before it goes on and adjust: more lime for brightness, a little more salt to round it out, or extra grated ginger if you want more heat and warmth.
- Serve it cold: Keep the shrimp and greens chilled until the moment you plate up. This salad is at its best cold, when the shrimp are firm and the leaves are refreshing.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- Romaine and cabbage give this salad its structure, mango gives it sweetness, cashews give it weight, and the shrimp on top make it lunch.
- Cashews toasted until they smell like popcorn go creamy in the mouth while staying crunchy at the edge. They carry monounsaturated fat, magnesium and a little plant protein, and they are the thing you keep going back for.
- Shrimp are seared quickly and cooled just enough to sit on the greens, firm and faintly sweet. The protein in them is doing most of the work that lets a plate of leaves hold you through a long afternoon.
- Mango cut in thick pieces goes soft and floral against the cold romaine, and its color comes from carotenoids your body converts into vitamin A. It is the ingredient that makes the dressing taste sweet before the lime arrives.
- Fresh ginger grated into the lime and avocado oil is what gives the dressing its heat, warm and prickling at the back of the throat, and the cilantro scattered over the top keeps the whole plate smelling green and cold.
- As you eat, listen for the cashew crunch against the soft mango and let the ginger warm the back of your mouth, then put the fork down now and then to see how full you already are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or under cold running water, then cook from raw as directed, or if they are pre-cooked, simply chill them. Either way, drain and pat them dry before adding.
How do I keep the salad from getting soggy?
Toss the dressing in only right before serving. The lime juice wilts the romaine and cabbage within an hour or so, so keep the components separate until you are ready to eat, and add the cashews last so they stay crisp.
My mango is too firm. What can I do?
Let it ripen at room temperature for a day or two until it gives to gentle pressure and smells sweet. If you must use it firm, dice it small and add a little extra lime to the dressing to balance its tartness.
Can I make this a full dinner?
It is already a protein-forward meal on its own, but you can bulk it up by folding in diced avocado or serving it alongside a cup of chilled soup for a more substantial evening plate.