A Twist on the Mango Papaya salad

Was craving for Thai food today and looking for a bright salad to enlighten a dull rainy day in Singapore 🙂 Remembered how much I love the Mango Papaya salad but had no papaya …. Never mind, zucchinis were going to replace it, and I also wanted to make it vegan and GF so skipped the fish and soy sauce. Added some avocado for indulgence and health fats, and edamame to make it more nutritious and get some texture as zucchinis are not as crunchy as the papaya. Result turned out super yummy, and it was done in 10 min max ! So here it is below, for you to try. Let me know your thoughts !

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 2 large spiralized zucchinis (chose them organic to keep the skin ideally) If you don’t have a spiralizer, use a vegetable peeler to peel the zucchini into long strips. Once done, place your spiralized zucchini on a paper towel to absorb part of their water before you add them to your salad. 
• 1 mango cut in small dices or also spiralized (don’t chose it too ripe in that case)
• 3 tbsp edamame pods
• 1 medium avocado cut in cubes
• 1 handfull chopped thai basil leaves and same with chopped cilantro
• Dressing: 3 tbsp lime juice + 2 tbsp sesame oil + 2 tbsp coconut aminos (if using tamari, add 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar) + 2 cm fresh ginger bit grated + 1 crushed fat garlic clove + fresh chili or 3/4 tsp chili flakes (adjust to your tastebuds)
• Toppings: Large handful or roasted unsalted crushed peanuts (or cashews if you don’t like peanuts) + 1 tbsp black sesame seeds + more thai basil, salt and cracked pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all your salad ingredients. Prepare the dressing combining everything. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Add your toppings and serve ! If you are not going to eat it straight away, keep everything in containers in your fridge and assemble at the last min, as zucchinis will release water and avocado will quickly turn brownish.