20-Min Thai Green Papaya Salad Recipe
Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum) is a refreshing Thai salad made with crisp green papaya, tomatoes, green beans, peanuts, and a bold sweet, sour, salty, and spicy dressing.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2½ cups green papaya, julienned
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 green bird's eye chili
- ½ red finger hot pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon small dried shrimp
- 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, divided
- 2 green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar, or granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 medium lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- To prepare the papaya, julienne the green papaya using a knife or julienne peeler. For extra crunch, soak the papaya in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
- To pound the aromatics, in a mortar, combine the garlic, bird's eye chili, and red finger hot pepper, if using. Pound until coarsely crushed.
- To make the dressing, add the palm sugar, fish sauce, and juice from the lime wedges to the mortar. Reserve two lime peels. Pound and mix until the sugar dissolves.
- To add the crunchy ingredients, add the reserved lime peels, dried shrimp, half of the roasted peanuts, and green beans. Gently pound a few times to slightly break them up.
- To finish the salad, add the papaya and grape tomatoes. Lightly pound and toss until everything is evenly combined and slightly softened.
- To serve, transfer the salad to a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining roasted peanuts. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Use green papaya: Ripe papaya is too soft and sweet for this recipe.
- Soak for extra crunch: A quick cold-water soak helps keep the papaya crisp and refreshing.
- Pound gently: You're bruising the ingredients, not turning them into a paste.
- No mortar and pestle?: Use a large bowl and lightly crush the ingredients with a muddler, rolling pin, or the back of a wooden spoon. You can also finely mince the garlic and chilies.
- Taste and adjust: Balance the sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors to your preference.
- Vegetarian option: Omit the dried shrimp and fish sauce and use vegetarian alternatives.
- Serve fresh: Som Tum is best enjoyed immediately after it's made.