Green Papaya Salad Recipe
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 349kcal
This light and refreshing Thai green papaya salad (som tam) taste just like the one you tasted at one of the restaurants in Thailand. Check out my post for lots of tips and tricks to make this in the most authentic way in your kitchen (gluten-free, can be easily made vegan).
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Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups shredded green papaya
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- 2-3 long beans or 4-5 green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup crushed toasted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce skip for vegan
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 finely chopped Thai bird's eye chili
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the papaya and carrot juliennes in ice water for 10-15 minutes until they are firmer.
- Add chopped long beans (or green beans) to a mortar and pestle and gently bruises them.
- Drain the soaked papaya and carrot well and place in a plate lined with 2 layers of paper towel to absorb excess water. You want to have as little water on the papaya and carrot as possible so as to not dilute the dressing.
- Transfer the papaya and carrot to a large mixing bowl along with bruised beans, bean sprouts, and chopped cilantro and toss well.
- Stir together vegetable oil, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, finely chopped Thai bird’s eye chili, and salt in a small bowl to make the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat the vegetables with the dressing.
- Sprinkle the crushed toasted peanuts on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Double or triple the recipe if you are making it for a gathering.
Chopped dried shrimp gives a very unique flavor to this salad and they are traditionally added to this recipe. I am personally not a fan of dried shrimp so did not include them but you must definitely add a tablespoon of chopped dried shrimp along with the veggies.
If Thai chilies are not easily available, use red pepper flakes instead.
For a vegan papaya salad, skip adding fish sauce and chopped dried shrimp, and to make it gluten-free, replace soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos. For a healthier salad, replace brown sugar with honey or maple syrup.
Nutrition
Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 6872IU | Vitamin C: 121mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg