This is the recipe that you want to bookmark if you're on a multiple week camping trip in the middle of summer. It's so versatile that there's always something to switch out if you're missing an ingredient. It's a tried and tested favorite and works well for outdoor picnics or potluck lunches.
Equipment
- Large bowl or deep plate
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Spoon or Fork for mixing
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe tomatoes or two cups of small cherry tomatoes
- 1 small red onion
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1 large ripe mango
- 1/4 cup spring onions optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon concentrate or juice of a lemon
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce salsa picante
Instructions
Cut up the Veggies and Fruit
- Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and add them to the large bowl. You want the pieces of tomato to be about half an inch (roughly 1cm) in size. This means they'll still have a bit of structure, but be small enough to be easily incorporated into a salad.
- Dice the red onion so you have small pieces. The smaller the pieces, the less intense the taste of the onion overall. I try to cut up the pieces as small as possible and stop when I grow tired of cutting the onions. Add the onions little by little into the large bowl. I taste test to see how pungent the onions are before I add all of them in. Adjust to taste and go little by little.
- Dice the mango. The easiest way to do this is this: Make sure the stem is on top, then cut vertically, ΒΌ inch away from the midline. Make the same cut on the other side. This should give you two halves and the middle bit which has the seed. Pick up each of the two halves and cut a grid like pattern without going through the mango skin into each one of them. Then take one of the halves and push it "inside out." Slice the cubes off of the mango skin. Add the mango cubes into the large bowl.
Add the aromatics
- Wash the spring onions and mince. Add to the large bowl little by little. Use the same procedure as with the red onion: Some spring onions are more pungent than others, so make sure to taste test.
- Wash the cilantro well and mince it. Add the minced cilantro little by little to the salad bowl.
Seasoning and Sauce
- Add one teaspoon (or less) hot sauce to the large bowl with the vegetables. Toss well and taste to see if you want it a little more spicy.
- Once you're satisfied, add in the half cup of sour cream. Toss well and taste test to see if you'd like to adjust the hot sauce or add in more sour cream.
Finishing touches
- If you want a little more oomph, add a spritz of lemon juice concentrate.
- Finally sprinkle some salt to taste, toss well and enjoy.
Notes
Use small red onions if you can find them. The reason I suggest this because the recipe only requires half a cup of diced onions. If you use a large onion and keep the other half in a cooler box, it will leave an unpleasant smell. Cooking on the road is all about estimating proportions, because there is so little storage space.
Eat the leftovers as tortilla filling paired with roasted portabello mushrooms and black beans for a hearty breakfast to fuel a day of hiking or outdoors adventures.
Use full fat sour cream. If you are using dairy, make sure it's the full fat version. This makes a huge difference to the taste. If you're watching your dairy or fat intake and want to use low fat sour cream, I suggest you leave out the sour cream altogether. Using low fat sour cream really misses out on the taste.
This is a seasonal salad that depends on fresh and ripe ingredients for its taste. Make this recipe when the produce is in season and readily available and affordable. The absolute minimum you need for this salad is ripe tomatoes and fresh cilantro.