Description
A vibrant and zesty Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum) packed with crunchy green papaya, fresh vegetables, and a tangy, spicy, umami-rich dressing. A refreshing dish that’s bold, colorful, and incredibly addictive.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups green papaya, peeled and julienned
- ½ cup carrots, shredded
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–3 Thai bird’s eye chilies, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ cup crushed peanuts
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare your papaya and vegetables by peeling, shredding, and cutting them to size.
- In a mortar, gently pound garlic and chilies until fragrant. Add green beans and lightly crush.
- Add papaya, carrots, and cherry tomatoes to the mortar and pound gently to bruise and soften.
- In a small bowl, mix together fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the dressing over the papaya mixture and toss everything to coat well.
- Top with crushed peanuts and dried shrimp if using. Toss once more to combine.
- Let sit for 5–10 minutes before serving for maximum flavor.
Notes
- Use unripe, firm green papaya for the best texture.
- Adjust the number of chilies to your heat tolerance.
- Make vegetarian by substituting fish sauce with soy sauce and omitting dried shrimp.
- Prep ingredients in advance but toss just before serving to maintain crunch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: thai salad, green papaya, som tum, spicy salad, healthy thai recipe, asian salad