Healthy Recipe: St. Bart’s Tangy Tomato, Mango & Avocado Salad

St. Bart’s cuisine draws inspiration from French cuisine, but also incorporates flavors from West Indian cuisine, Italian cuisine, and Asian cuisine. This recipe celebrates the simplicity and freshness of St. Bart’s cuisine, using only a handful of ingredients and highlighting their best qualities. This delicious produce also offers an array of health benefits. Tomatoes, full of lycopene, help bolster the eyes and skin, and can lower blood pressure and cholesterol and protect the heart. Mangos have enzymes that protect against cancers, and also lower cholesterol and help alkalize the body’s pH. Avocado is loaded with heart- and skin-healthy monounsaturated fats, which help your body absorb the vitamins in the tomatoes and mango.  This simple salad packs a big health and flavor punch- you don’t want to miss it!

Serves: 4 as a side
Total Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 10 small tomatoes, or 1 large tomato, halved or roughly chopped
• 1 medium size shallot, peeled and thinly chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small handful fresh basil, thinly sliced
• Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. On a medium size platter, arrange the avocado, mango, and tomatoes in an even layer.
2. In a small bowl, scrunch together the shallot, red wine vinegar, and salt. Let this sit for a few minutes until the shallot softens.
3. Sprinkle the shallot evenly over the platter, and drizzle the vinegar over as well. Pour the olive oil over everything, and sprinkle with a bit more salt. Crack over some fresh black pepper, and sprinkle over the basil.