Cashew Chicken Mango Salad

This salad combines sugary-sweet mangoes with simply seasoned-then-sauteed chicken, buttery avocado, and creamy cashews in a hearty, healthy salad drizzled with homemade Honey-Lime Vinaigrette. This is totally a salad I would pay good money for at a cafe, but it’s so easy to make at home.

Start the Cashew Chicken Mango Salad by brushing 1lb chicken breasts (about 3 small ones) with extra virgin olive oil then seasoning with salt & pepper on both sides. Saute for 4 minutes per side, or until done, or fire up the grill and give those babies a nice sizzle. Still waiting for Ben to make sure ours is good to go for the season. Sistah don't mess around with propane tanks! Set the cooked chicken aside to cool for a bit, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

While the chicken's doin' its thang, turn your attention to zee mangoes. As I mentioned, I used Ataulfo mangoes which are small and sweet, and unique not only for their s-shape and honey-colored hue, but also because their pit is a lot thinner than traditional mangoes which means you get more yummy mango flesh for your buck.

Look for ataulfo mangoes that are deep golden or honey-colored vs bright yellow, and press with your thumb to determine ripeness. If they're soft, you're good. If they're mushy, they're overripe.

After prepping the mangoes, pit then chop a couple avocados. I feel like avocados are exploding in popularity right now. Case in point, my parents went through 20 last week. TWENTY. To be fair they went through a bunch on Easter Sunday when the whole fam was over, but still. Right?!

Pile plates high with baby spinach, or the lettuce of your choosing, then top with the mangoes, avocados, chicken, and a sprinkling of salty cashews. Drizzle with homemade Honey-Lime Vinaigrette (ingredients in the recipe below) and enjoy!