Dominican Mangú with Pickled Red Onions
Silky mashed green plantains, a Dominican breakfast staple, topped with a tangle of quick-pickled red onions for brightness.
Mangú is what a Dominican breakfast table is built around, and the technique is simpler than it might look: green plantains boiled until very tender, then mashed with a splash of their own cooking water until the texture turns smooth and almost creamy, no cream or butter required. Traditionally it's topped with "los tres golpes" — fried cheese, salami, and eggs — but the mash itself, piled with tangy pickled red onions, is a satisfying dish on its own.
Made here with olive oil instead of butter, this version is naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, and it's entirely plant-based, so it fits a vegan way of eating without needing any substitutions. The pickled onions aren't just a garnish — that acidity is what keeps a plate of starchy mashed plantain from tasting flat.
Ingredients
For the mangú
- 4 green plantains, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.5 cup reserved cooking water
- salt, to taste
For the pickled onions
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 0.5 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 0.25 cup water
Most ingredients here are everyday market staples across West Africa. A handful of specialty items may be easiest to find at a local open-air market or an African grocery store if you're elsewhere.
Instructions
- 1Combine vinegar, salt, sugar, and water; pour over the sliced red onion and let pickle while you prepare the plantains.
- 2Boil the plantain chunks in salted water 18-20 minutes until very tender. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
- 3Mash the hot plantains with olive oil and reserved cooking water until smooth and creamy, adding more liquid as needed.
- 4Season with salt to taste.
- 5Top the mangú with the pickled red onions and serve warm.