The saltiness of the queso dressing with the smoky, crunchy bacon accentuate the creamy avocado and sweet mango like you wouldn’t believe. Sitting on top of soft butter lettuce, it is tropical heaven on your plate.
By Dianna Muscari
This salad recipe that I’m sharing today is a total knock off of one that is served at Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar — one of the 5 spots I mentioned in “My Hometown Guide” back in March. Steve and I stopped by for a casual evening out last weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised at the deliciousness of this salad! {Though to be completely honest, anything tart, fresh and juicy appeals to me these days — fruits and veggies galore!} 
Anyway, I would never think to combine avocado and mango in a salad, but it works extremely well. The saltiness of the Queso Fresco Dressing with the smoky, crunchiness of the bacon accentuate the creamy avocado and sweet mango like you wouldn’t believe — all atop soft butter lettuce.
Could we get anymore South Florida? I grew up with mangoes and avocados growing in my yard, so I can attest to the fact that these flavors are authentic and representative of the region.
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Avocado, Bacon and Mango Salad with Queso Fresco Dressing
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Description
The saltiness of the queso dressing with the smoky, crunchy bacon accentuate the creamy avocado and sweet mango like you wouldn’t believe. Sitting on top of soft butter lettuce, it is tropical heaven on your plate. Inspired by Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar
Ingredients
For Salad:
- 1 head butter lettuce, or any soft lettuce like Boston Bibb
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled & sliced
- 1 mango, peeled & sliced
- 4–5 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
- Queso fresco for garnish {if you can’t find queso fresco, any salty crumbly cheese should do}
For Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons queso fresco
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Place lettuce in a large serving bowl. Top with avocado and mango.
- Drizzle dressing, if desired, then sprinkle with bacon and extra queso fresco for garnish.
Dressing
- In a mixer or food processor, process all ingredients together until smooth. Season to taste. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Category: Salad
