With its light and tropical flavour, this Mango and Cucumber Salad is a great addition to any summer BBQ.

Although often done as a salsa, I think the combination of mango and cucumber makes a great summer salad. A few weeks ago I saw a Mango and Cucumber Salad in a magazine while I was on a flight, and the idea has stuck with me ever since. Not only did I think the recipe idea was clever and unexpected, but I thought it was a really fresh and fun side dish for a summer BBQ, so I decided to give my own recipe a go! As it turns out, the flavours and texture contrast between the mango and the cucumber are perfectly balanced making it highly addictive. The best part about this dish is that it is really easy to prepare, you just need the ingredients and a good knife.

This Mango and Cucumber Salad recipe calls for a scotch bonnet, and if you have never used one before, I need to warn you that they are very hot! Scotch bonnet, also known as Caribbean red peppers, is one of the hottest peppers and, for reference, is 12 to 140 times hotter than your standard jalapeño. Fortunately, the preparation method of soaking the sliced scotch bonnet in lime juice and sea salt helps to tame its heat, so it’s not as fiery as you might think, plus the mango and cucumber make the salad quite cooling in the end. However, if you are one to stick on the mild side, simply use a small amount of the pepper or opt for a red chilli instead.

The cooling nature of this Mango and Cucumber Salad is a great match to a piece of spicy charcoaled chicken or anything off the BBQ, so try it to your next summer BBQ for a crowd-pleasing side dish.