Green Mango Salad Mixed With Shredded Squid (Gỏi Xoài Xanh Trộn Mực Xé)

Green mango salad mixed with shredded squid (Gỏi Xoài Xanh Trộn Mực Xé) (Serves 2)

• Gỏi = salad
• Xoài xanh = green (unripe) mango
• Trộn = mixed
• Mực xé = shredded squid

It’s a popular Vietnamese dish—fresh, tangy, slightly sweet, and often a bit spicy.

“Gỏi Xoài Xanh Trộn Mực Xé” is a variation of gỏi xoài—a Vietnamese green mango salad—with shredded (usually dried or grilled) squid added.

• It’s crunchy, tangy, salty, sweet, and spicy all at once
• Built around julienned unripe mango, which gives a sharp sour bite
• Tossed with herbs, chilli, fish sauce, lime, sugar, and often peanuts

Adding squid (mực xé) is especially common in street-food versions, giving a chewy, umami-rich contrast to the crisp fruit.

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Where it’s from in Vietnam

This dish doesn’t belong to just one city, but it’s most strongly associated with southern Vietnam, especially places like:

• Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon street food culture)
• Coastal regions where dried seafood is common

Why the south?

• The warmer, tropical climate produces abundant mangoes
• Southern cuisine leans heavily into fresh salads (gỏi) and bold sweet–sour flavours

Today, you’ll find it all over Vietnam, often sold as a snack with beer or at street stalls, especially popular with younger people .

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Recipe (serves 2)

Time

• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 5–10 minutes (for squid, if needed)
• Total: ~30 minutes

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Equipment

• Sharp knife or julienne peeler
• Cutting board
• Mixing bowl
• Small bowl (for dressing)
• Tongs or chopsticks
• Pan or grill (if cooking squid)

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Ingredients

Salad

• 1 large green (unripe) mango, julienned
• 1 small carrot, julienned
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small cucumber (optional), julienned
• 30–40 g dried or cooked squid, shredded
• Handful fresh herbs (mint, coriander)
• 1–2 tbsp roasted peanuts

Dressing

• 1½ tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small chilli, sliced

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Preparation

1. Prepare the mango
   • Peel and cut into thin matchsticks
   • Soak briefly in cold salted water (5 minutes) to keep it crisp, then drain
2. Prepare vegetables
   • Julienne carrot and cucumber
   • Slice onion thinly
3. Prepare squid
   • If dried: lightly toast or grill for 1–2 minutes, then shred
   • If fresh: quickly grill or pan-sear, then shred

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Dressing

1. In a small bowl, mix:
   • Fish sauce
   • Lime juice
   • Sugar
   • Garlic
   • Chilli
2. Stir until sugar dissolves

This creates the classic Vietnamese balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy

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Assembly

1. In a large bowl, combine:
   • Mango
   • Carrot
   • Onion
   • Herbs
   • Squid
2. Pour over dressing
3. Toss gently until evenly coated
4. Top with peanuts

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Serving

• Serve immediately while crisp
• Often eaten as:
  • A starter
  • A beer snack
  • Or alongside grilled meats

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What to expect when you eat it

• First bite: sharp sour mango + salty fish sauce
• Then: sweetness and chilli heat
• Texture: crunchy + chewy squid + nutty peanuts

It’s a perfect example of how Vietnamese cuisine builds contrast and balance into every bite—nothing is flat or one-dimensional.