Considering our recent book club selection—Jillian Cantor’s The May House— was set in SoCal, I knew avocado needed to figure into the menu somewhere. But I didn’t want to make guacamole.

Cue this mango-avocado salad.

Admittedly, the flavor combination sounded a little weird at first. After I found the perfect mangoes, however, there was no turning back. Combined with basil, super thin red onion, and a bright lemon-y vinaigrette, it surprised me how light, refreshing, and flavorful it was.

It’ll definitely be on repeat this summer.

I used this recipe from Urban Farmie with a couple of tweaks. I skipped the tomatoes. I also had some lemon olive oil on hand, so I used that for the lemon component of the dressing with champagne vinegar subbing in for the lemon juice. I kept the seasonings the same and was pleased with the result. I love a lemon vinaigrette as described here, too, so either will work marvelously in highlighting the mango and avocado.

Oh and you have the time, chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving. Loved the contrast with the chicken al pastor lettuce wraps I served.

How about you? What’s your go-to summer salad that doesn’t involve lettuce?