Instant tropical vibes with this papaya coconut island salad. Featuring papaya (obviously), shredded coconut, avocado, toasted cashews, and a sweet-savory orange-coconut-ginger dressing.
My parents always say I was raised in the wrong country based on my intense love for tropical fruit (papayas, lychees, guavas!) and they’re probably right. But I always say work with what you have and what I have is the ability to make salads that make me really really happy and temporarily transport me to an island.
This salad is incredibly easy to make and surprisingly filling. I’m usually never a salad-as-my-entire-meal kinda gal, but I made an exception for this one. Two days in a row too, so you know it’s good.
I was pretty proud of this dressing, so I sent it over to my friend Lee from theroguebrusselsprout.com. The ginger balances the sweetness of the orange juice and the rest of the salad perfectly.
Papaya Coconut Island Salad
Ingredients
- bed of greens I used kale, but anythign works
- ¼ papaya
- ½ avocado
- 1 tomato
- ¼ cup toasted cashews
- 1 tbsp shredded coconut
- 1 tsp hemp seeds
Orange-Coconut-Ginger Dressing (makes enough for 3)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 3 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Toast cashews over stove if starting with raw cashews.
- Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Start with a bed of greens, then add papaya, tomato, avocado, cashews, hemp seeds, shredded coconut, and finally, toss with the dressing.
If you like this tropical papaya coconut island salad, you’d also love:
Watermelon fig mozzarella salad
Indian-Mexican street corn salad
