Oh. My. Yumms! If you haven’t tried nuóc châm yet, now’s the perfect time. It takes our Kale, Mango and Avocado salad to a whole new level! This sweet, salty, spicy and savory dressing brings in the soothing depth of umami, adding both flavour and dimension. I promise, once you’ve had it once, you’ll have it on repeat!

The Flavour Affair:

Kale + Mango + Avocado + Nuóc Châm + Sesame Seeds + Cilantro

This salad proves you don’t need tons of ingredients to build big flavours! Just some fresh produce, a few pantry staples and a set of basic ‘building guidelines’ will help you create beautiful dishes, every time.

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Basic Building Guidelines:

It’s all about the balance. When creating a dish, a salad in particular, we want to include all major taste components as well as a variety of textures. Think sweet, spicy, salty, fatty, sour/tangy, savory/bitter/astringent; for textures, consider soft and creamy, firm and crunchy, juicy and dry. Aim for 3-4 different textures and most of the flavours. It may sound like a lot, but in reality it’s easy! Let’s take a closer look at this Kale, Mango and Avocado salad:

Kale: slightly sour, subtly bitter, when massaged, kale becomes very soft and pleasant to the bite.

Mango: some varieties have a little tang and/or are smooth in texture, but for this dish we want a firm, juicy, sweet mango – Thai or R2E2 are my favourite options.

Avocado: go for nutty and subtly sweet ripe avocados for that silky creaminess.

Sesame Seeds: also nutty and earthy, they are great with avocado and bring in a nice crunch.

Cilantro: fresh and citrusy for a bright, invigorating finish.

Now, we’ve got a great selection of textures! Also quite a few flavours, but some of the important ones are still missing. And that’s when a dressing comes in super handy. Nuóc châm here has all the missing components:

• Salty and savory fish sauce, with an added benefit of umami to make it extra special;
• Tangy, acidic lime juice;
• Hot and spicy red chili flakes;
• Sweet brown sugar.

This is a basic set for nuóc châm. Some versions also include white rice vinegar and minced garlic, but even without those, all the bases are now covered! Except for the fatty bit – but adding a little oil when massaging the kale will help with that.

Preparation Tips for Kale, Mango and Avocado Salad with Nuóc Châm Dressing:

• Start with the dressing. Whisk together 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add 2 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp rice vinegar (optional, can be swapped with 0.5 extra tbsp lime juice – but is helps balance acidity without the extra sourness). Leave the chili flakes out for now.

• Wash the kale and pat it dry. Remove the leaves off the stems and tear them into smaller bits. For 2 persons, you will need about 4-5 stalks, which will yield around 80g of leaves. Place them into a large bowl.
• Add 2 tbsp of the dressing to the bowl with kale. Gently massage the leaves until they start to soften. Add 1 tbsp neutral oil and continue to massage until all leaves gave darkened and softened.
• Cut mango and avocado into small-ish cubes and add into the bowl. Gently toss to combine and transfer onto a serving plate.
• Add 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes to the remaining dressing and pour over the salad.
• Quickly toast sesame seeds on a sry pan until they turn golden brown. You can use a mix of white and black seeds. Scatter them over together with fresh cilantro.

Alternative Ingredients and Variations:

If you don’t have fish sauce, or simply aren’t a fan, substitute it with dark soy sauce or the unpronounceable Worcestershire sauce. Use lemon in place of lime, and swap white rice vinegar for apple cider vinegar. You can also use honey in place of sugar. If you can’t find mango, try pineapple or nectarine instead.

This salad does very well with more crunchy, slightly pungent additions, such as red radish or daikon, scallions or red onions. And that can add a nice pop of color:

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Serving Suggestions for Kale, Mango and Avocado Salad with Nuóc Châm Dressing:

I served it as a side to salmon teriyaki bites, and it was a-ma-zing. There was also white rice, and I drizzled whatever was left of the dressing over it – soooooo good.

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Alternatively, you can quite simply add some poached salmon, fried prawn, seared scallops or tuna directly into the salad bowl – that would make a fabulous dinner! It will work equally well as a side to savory chicken, such as adobo or teriyaki. Or maybe duck breast marinated with soy sauce and orange. Lots of options to get creative improvise!

Check some of the below recipes for more inspiration:

Asian Style Cucumber and Kale Salad

Fried Prawns with Mango, Avocado and Spicy Lime Dressing

Kale Salad with Avocado, Roasted Peppers and Parmesan

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