Refreshing Mango, Celery, Cucumber Salad

I’ve been talking about my need for crunchy things left, right and centre, to the point that I cave and head for the chip aisle. This is where scenes like this one, with my friend Kendra, usually play out:

(Standing side by side, staring at the chips…)

Me: I just really want something crunchy. I mean, I could have celery.

Kendra: There’s celery.

Me: Oooor not…(as I grab ALL the chips and put them in the basket…)

My friend Tami calls it the “crunch factor” — all meals must include it or you’ll feel like something is missing; for me, this has definitely been the case recently. Obviously celery is the responsible HEALTHY choice when it comes to crunch factor. When I mentioned this to my friend Matt, he sent me this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants salad recipe. It’s got celery for crunch, avocado for creaminess, mango for sweetness and I added red cabbage for colour, which all combine to make it quite satisfying and full of good-for-you vitamins, minerals and fibre. You can make enough for one or two days, just keep the mango and avocado separate to prevent sogginess.

Refreshing Mango, Celery, Cucumber Salad

1/4 of a cucumber, 1/4″ dice
1 stalk celery, 1/4″ dice
1 avocado, 1/4″ dice
1/2 a mango, 1/4″ dice
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2″ fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste

Toss everything in a large bowl and serve. Makes 2 large servings or 4 small. Keeps for one to two days.

Tags: celery, cilantro, crunch, cucumber salad, dinner salad, garlic, ginger, mango, red cabbage, spring salad, summer salad, vegetarian