Listed in CNN Travel’s Top 50 Foods of the World, Green Papaya Salad is everything you know and love about South-East Asian salads. This Thai salad – called Som Tum – is a riot of fresh colours and crunchy textures, brought to life with a signature sour-sweet-savoury dressing spiked with a whack of fresh chilli. Now THIS is what I call a salad!!!
And … welcome to THAI WEEK!
Welcome to THAI WEEK
Every now and then, I like to do a recipe theme week. This week it’s THAI week, with three classic recipes to make your very own Thai feast at home:
Thai Yellow Curry – Made from scratch, this is flavour you literally cannot buy in a jar!
Green Papaya Salad (this recipe) – Great as side, yet substantial enough as a starter.
Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding for dessert! It’s hard to believe you can make something so delicious that is fundamentally, made with just rice, water and sugar…
Green Papaya Salad (Thai)
This is a salad that’s about as far as you can get from Western salads. No mayo! No oil in the dressing!
It’s a zingy and spicy cold salad made with green papaya, a fruit which might be unfamiliar to most Westerners. Green papaya is simply unripened papaya, and has a juicy and slightly crunchy texture with a neutral taste. More on green papaya below, including a surprise substitution option!
When shredded, flavour clings to the green papaya. The tangle of threads becomes the perfect vehicle for carrying the kaleidoscope of tastes in the dressing: sweetness from palm sugar, salty savouriness from the fish sauce and dried shrimp, fresh tang from lime, and fiery pungency from a generous one-two punch of garlic and chilli.
Varieties and background
Originating from Laos, variations of Green Papaya Salad can be found in countries across South-East Asia including Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Salads can include everything from dried beef to pickled crabs. Here in Australia, the Thai version – called som tum – is probably the most well known and most widely available. So that’s the version I’m sharing today.
What goes in Green Papaya Salad
Here’s what goes into the salad. The dressing ingredients are shown separately below.
Green papaya
This is literally unripened papaya fruit that is the shape and size of a melon. The texture of the inside is like potato. It’s firm but moist (though not starchy like potato), and ideal for shredding like we do for Green Papaya Salad.
The taste is faintly astringent but overall fairly bland. You wouldn’t eat it plain like other fruit because it doesn’t have enough flavour.
Even though it’s considered a fruit, it’s not sweet at all in its unripened state.
How it’s prepared – Peel using a standard vegetable peeler (the skin is quite soft). You might see the peel weep a white liquid, just wipe it off. Now cut papaya in half and remove the seeds using a spoon. Then finely shred into matchsticks using a julienning shredder, as pictured above.
Where to find it – This is a bit of a specialty ingredient. You can find it at some Asian grocery stores (Thai and Vietnamese are best), and sometimes (sometimes!🤞🏻) at Harris Farm Markets in NSW and Queensland.
Substitutes – The best substitute is green mango, another unripened fruit used in salads in Thai cuisine but also an ingredient that would need to be sourced from an Asian store!
In terms of readily accessible vegetables, nothing is quite the same as green papaya. However funnily enough, de-seeded and shredded telegraph / English cucumbers are the closest!
Snake beans
Named as such for its length, these are like very long green beans only a bit firmer and a bit more scraggly looking. Snake beans have the same texture and a similar flavour to ordinary green beans, which can be prepared in the same way.
For this particular recipe, the snake beans are used raw. They are cut into bite size lengths then pounded to soften and absorb the flavour of the dressing.
Find it at Harris Farms (NSW/QLD), some large grocery stores (Coles/Woolies) or Asian stores.
Substitute green beans / French beans.
Cherry tomatoes
Just every day cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes! Ordinary large tomatoes sliced up will work ok from a flavour perspective, but I’ve never seen them used in this salad.
Thai basil
Thai Basil tastes like normal basil with a stronger aniseed and slightly minty flavour. Nowadays it’s fairly widely available in Australia in large grocery stores and green grocers (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms).
Best substitute for this recipe is coriander/cilantro. It brings a different flavour to this dish, but it’s not unheard of and the best alternative, in my opinion. The next best substitute is ordinary Italian basil.
What goes in Green Papaya Salad Dressing
Here’s what you need to make the dressing:
Dried shrimp – Found at Asian grocery stores, these are dried little shrimp. They are a key ingredient that are pounded and add a salty, shellfish umami to the Green Papaya Salad.
Can’t find it? If you skip the dried shrimp, you may find the dressing a bit one-dimensional. You can instead use the dressing in the Thai Beef Salad, which contains coriander to give it a boost. Quadruple it (ie. x 4)
Fish sauce – The other ingredient that adds depth and complexity to the dressing. Yes, it’s pungent straight out of the bottle, but it’s considerably diluted once mixed with everything else. If you substitute with soy sauce, you’ll find the dressing a bit lacklustre (in my opinion) so I really do urge you not to skip it. (If you’re really worried about it being strong, switch part of it with soy sauce).
Palm sugar – A sugar derived from palm trees, it’s a sweetener used widely in South-East Asian cooking that has a wonderful caramel flavour. Substitute with brown sugar.
Palm sugar comes in discs or in blocks, such as the cylindrical one pictured above. To ensure it dissolves easily into the dressing, it needs to be grated. I just use a standard box grater.
Limes – Fresh is the only way! If you don’t have fresh limes, I’d give this recipe a miss.
Garlic – Essential, for flavour!
Birds eye chilli – If you want the real deal, you can’t be shy with the chilli. The fact is, Green Papaya Salad IS spicy! Some are so screamingly spicy you’ll be banging your head against the table in agony. This one is not quite so brutal, but is still pretty high up on the spice-o-meter.
If you’re really concerned, feel free to dial it back to 1 chilli. If you skip it, you’ll have yourself a fine salad, but it’s not a Thai Green Papaya Salad!! 😂
Peanuts – A good handful of peanuts is an essential part of the Green Papaya Salad experience. They’re mostly tossed through the salad as part of the dressing, some reserved for sprinkling.
How to make Green Papaya Salad
Traditionally, Green Papaya Salad is made in mortars that are large enough to hold the entire salad. The dressing ingredients are pounded first, followed by the remaining salad components.
The steps in this recipe have been adapted for everyday folk like myself who only have an ordinary-sized mortar and pestle. We pound the components separately and bring it all together in a plain old bowl!
1. How to make Green Papaya Salad Dressing
Garlic and chilli paste: Pound the garlic and chilli in the mortar first until it’s a paste.
Crush shrimp: Add shrimp and pound to crush them. No need to grind into a paste, just break them up.
Dressing liquids: Stir in palm sugar, lime and fish sauce until sugar dissolves – it only takes a 10 seconds or so.
Transfer Dressing into a large bowl. Now, we’ll use the mortar for other components of the salad.
2. How to make Green Papaya Salad
Once the dressing is done, it’s on to the salad components!
Bruise snake beans: The snake beans are used raw in this dish so they needed to be pounded to soften so they are easier to eat. It also makes them split open a bit so the dressing seeps inside, and the bean flavour oozes out.
Add snake beans to the mortar (in batches if needed), then use the pestle to pound them a bit so they bruise, split and soften.
Transfer to bowl: Now add them to the bowl with the Dressing. The dressing will further soften the beans given a little time. This is why we do them before the tomato and papaya.
Crush tomato: Grab handfuls of tomato, and lightly crush with your hands then add into the bowl.
Traditionally, the cherry tomatoes are lightly bruised in a giant mortar and pestle so they “meld” in with the salad better and absorb the dressing. Because this recipe is adapted for everyday home cooks with standard size mortar, I simply crush then lightly in my hands before dropping into a large bowl to toss with everything else.
Add papaya to the bowl. As with the cherry tomatoes, the papaya is traditionally very lightly bruised in a mortar and pestle with the dressing. But honestly, shredded papaya is so delicate anyway this step isn’t necessary. And in fact, you prolong the already short shelf life of this salad by NOT pounding the papaya!
Peanuts: Then add about 3/4 of the peanuts.
Toss: Working quickly, toss well with 2 wooden spoons or tongs. It’s important to work quickly once the papaya comes into contact with the Dressing because the papaya will start to wilt and leach water which dilutes the dressing.
Serving bowls: Transfer the salad into serving bowls. Pile it up nice and high for a good visual effect!
Garnish and serve: Spoon some dressing over the salad. There will be a bit of dressing still left in the bowl because the recipe needs quite a lot of dressing to ensure all the papaya gets coated nicely.
Garnish with Thai Basil leaves, sprinkle with remaining peanuts, then serve immediately.
How and what to serve with Green Papaya Salad
This is a salad that qualifies as a “meal salad” in my world, being one that you can eat in vast volumes as a meal. The extreme tastiness is a big factor here, as is the slaw-like form of the salad which makes it easy to devour large quantities with speed (wait, is that just me?).
A popular fixture of Thai menus here in Australia, you’ll see it offered as a side salad, as a starter or as a lunch salad. As part of Thai Week here at RecipeTin Eats (see top of post!), I’m offering this up as a refreshing side salad to accompany the Thai Yellow Curry I shared on Monday.
(You can easily refashion this into a main course by adding a protein. Try sliced medium-rare beef or tuna steak, barbecued chicken, pork, fish (try crispy skinned salmon!) or shellfish. I’d stick to fairly plain treatments, since the salad is not short on flavour as it is.)
For more side options, or starters to kick off your Thai feast, have a browse of my Thai recipe collection. Some suggestions for Thai starters:
Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce – A firm reader favourite! (Or try Beef Satay).
Thai Fish Cakes – The secret is red curry paste!
Thai Lettuce Cups (Larb Gai)
To all my fellow lockdownees, I hope this inspires you for Thai night … IN! I’ll be back Friday to serve you up dessert! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2 tbsp garlic , roughly chopped (10 normal or 4 large garlic cloves)
- 6 bird eye chillies, , roughly chopped with seeds (use fewer for less spicy, Note 1)
- 6 tbsp dried shrimp (Note 2)
- 1 cup palm sugar , grated using standard box grater, loosely packed (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
Green Papaya Salad:
- 1 cup roasted peanuts , unsalted
- 20 snake beans , cut in 5cm/2″ pieces (raw, Note 4)
- 3 cups grape tomato , cut in half (~400g / 14oz)
- 500g / 4 cups green papaya , shredded, TIGHTLY packed cups (~1 medium, 2/3 large, Note 5)
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves (Note 6)
Instructions
- Crush peanuts: Place peanuts in a mortar and pestle. Pound lightly to break them up into largish pieces, not into powder. Transfer to bowl.
- Garlic and chilli paste: Place garlic and chilli in the mortar. Pound into a paste. Add shrimp and pound to crush them – no need to grind them to a paste.
- Dressing: Stir in palm sugar, lime and fish sauce until sugar dissolves. Pour Dressing into a large bowl.
- Bruise snake beans: Add snake beans to mortar (in batches if needed). Pound to bruise, split and soften (they are raw, so they need to be bashed to soften). Add to Dressing.
- Crush tomato: Grab handfuls of tomato, crush with your hands then add into the bowl.
- Add papaya: Add papaya and 3/4 of the peanuts. Toss well with 2 wooden spoons or tongs.
- Serve immediately (Note 7): Once everything is coated in Dressing, immediately pile up onto plates. Spoon over some dressing (there will be a bit of dressing still left in the bowl, that's normal). Garnish with Thai basil leaves, sprinkle with remaining peanuts. Serve immediately (Note 7).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Watch how to make it
Life of Dozer
Yes, Dozer. This entire Flan Pâtissier is for you, not for the builders at our home. I’m going to put it down on the ground and you can devour the whole thing, all by yourself. (Dream on Dozer. Dream on.)
Hi Nagi, I was surprised and somewhat shocked at the letter that you received from one of your US followers. I think his comments are more reflective of the general standard of food cooked in the US.
I eagerly look forward to your recipes each week and cook approx 70% of them for my family. Only 1 or 2 recipes did not work out as expected, but the hundreds of others were enjoyed a great deal by my family.
I enjoy your cooking lessons and do not have any problems in purchasing the ingredients having lived in Sunnybank Hills, Brisbane for many years.
I feel sad that someone would write these comments to you – just demonstrates how rude they are.
We have had a Labrador as our first dog and she was a much loved family members. Seeing your photos of Dozer reminds all the family on how much our labrador (Chewie) loved food.
Please keep up the high standard of your recipes – love the layout, in particular the history of food and the video plus notes.
Best wishes, Peter
Thank you so much for the kind words Peter, that truly means a lot to me!!! ❤️ N x
Hi Nagi! We used to live in Thailand for long and miss Thai food everyday. I saw your video and happened to find green papaya at local shop! Can’t wait to make this dish. our family are huge fan of you, I love your recipes and my husband adores you as a blogger. Kids make your desserts. You rock!! Stay safe. xx
Love Thai week and looking forward to the dessert recipe.
Whilst in Thailand we particularly enjoyed a piece of charcoal BBQ chicken with our som tam.
Here on Vancouver island I don’t have ready access to green papaya, so sometimes substitute with zucchini…… julienne outer flesh, not the softer seed part.
Love trying so many of your recipes.
Thanks Nagi
Sounds perfect Lindy – any BBQ protein would be delicious here!! N x
Probably won’t try this one because I’ve never been a fan of papaya but I LOVE your recipes! I’m from the states and everyone I know is limiting their ground beef consumption. What a strange comment to make!
Hi Gloria, you can always try using one of the subs listed in the notes if you don’t like papaya! N x
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga
We call rutabaga a swede here in NZ! Can you find them where you are?
And yes, after you boil the rice vermicelli, refresh them under cold water and then portion them into little swirls with your hands (like in the photos here https://th.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%99)
And I am going to correct myself, it’s not uncommon to serve with khanom jeen. And these days I hear people are enjoying their som tam with boil prawns/shrimps to increase the protein.
Hope this helps!
Hi Nagi, my mum used to use grated carrot back in the 90s in NZ, but now she has upgraded to grated raw swede and carrot as the swede has no taste and the carrot just adds some sweetness. If I make som tum this is what I opt for!
Also, I have never had som tum with Thai basil or coriander, so if anyone doesn’t have those things.. it doesn’t need it!
And lastly, it’s common in Thailand to make this into a stand alone meal by adding in kanom jeen noodles, the rice vermicelli that’s used in bun Cha. We just serve a plate on the side so people can help themselves to it – it also helps cool the spiciness if someone can’t handle the heat!
*shredded not grated, sorry I always shred my cheese so I think these two are the same but they not!
Thank you Jasmine for clarifying for me! I love shrimp and seafood in general, great idea I’m going to do this!
Can you further explain what swede is please. I love Thai food and am learning about making it the last few years. I love the idea of noodles on the side! Are the noodles chilled?
Sorry, a swede is a rutabaga!
And the rice vermicelli is boiled then refreshed under cold water then swirled into portions with your hands or a a fork like in these photos on wikipedia: https://th.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%99
So, yes they are cold! These days in Thailand people are also eating their som tum with boiled prawns/shrimp for extra protein, it’s pretty good!
Hi Nagi
I do not understand how anyone could complain about not finding any good recipes on your site. I LOVE it and recommend it to my friends – a HUGE thank you. Everything is fabulous. thank you, thank you 🙂 My sanity in lockdown is deciding which of your recipes I will make next 🙂
I agree with Deborah. Unhappiness with the site content is so confusing to me. Recipetineats is jam-packed and the recipes WORK! It’s my absolute ‘go-to’.
When I would like to make something, I think, hmmm…Nagi will have a version! And she always does!
Thanks so much Deborah!! N x
Hi Nagi, I’m always looking forward to your emails. Your recipes are always very detailed and easy to follow and you always mention substitutes! Keep up the good work and don’t let ignorant people discourage you!
Thanks so much for the kind words Hermien!! N x
Americans wouldn’t like this – it isn’t tasteless and there isn’t anything canned in the recipe. Looks good to me.
I know my American friends would love this – what’s not to love ☺️ N x
I became addicted to this salad when travelling in Thailand. It’s tangy, yummy and good for you! Thanks for the recipe. I can buy pawpaw but green pawpaw is harder to source. Can I use semi-ripe pawpaw?
Hi Gwen, it’s not quite the same unfortunately – but you can use one of the subs listed in the recipe notes 🙂 N x
Hi Gwen, I’ve lived in Thailand for a decade so seen a fair few Som Tum’s. My wife tells me that the crispness is greatly reduced & that it can mush up in the pounding. Tam tua is a sister dish made by pounding chopped snake beans in the same sauce. Hope that helps
If people don’t like your content, why follow and complain? Life is too short to be mean to each other.
I love your content and I especially love Dozer!
I couldn’t agree more Lynn!!! 👏 N x
Ive never tried papya but In my wee town in the country this is far too exotic I think but I may have to go on a search once restrictions are lifted. We also have no Asian grocery☹. So this may have to wait till. Its a shame that some people can be rude – obviously having a bad day and couldn’t find the delete or unsubscribe button☹😉. As to the job – if I was a qualified chef I’d take the job just to be around Dozer😀. Keep up the good work Nagi!
I hope you get to try it Ailsa, it’s so worth it!! And thanks for your kind words, I also think of Dozer as one of the perks of the job 😉 N x
I’m from the states and I sure don’t need or want ground beef recipes. I can find them here if I want. I love that your site is different and that I can try anything you put out there and have something different. My family is certainly enjoying some of the different dinners I’ve cooked and I usually get a “that’s a keeper”. So continue to put out those “recipes I wouldn’t feed my dog” because that will leave more for me! Although my dog would eat them in a ❤️ beat! This is why the ones that love you, love you.
Thanks so much Mary!!!! N x
Repeating my comment and apologize if my 1st one comes thru(It didn’t appear to work). Mary, I also live in the USA and that ladies comment does not relate to American cooks what-so-ever! I also LOVE Nagi’s website and her diverse recipes from all over the world. Loved your comment Mary and totally nailed it!
I totally agree Mary!! I live in the USA also and that lone, sad, definitely in the LOW minority comment is not what the MAJORITY of “want to learn new food, techniques and ingredients” Americans are about. Keep up the fantastic work Nagi, WE LOVE YOU!!! 🙂
Love your newsletters, your website, your sense of humor, the way your group your recipes makes it so easy to make meal plans! Totally appreciate all that you do! Glad you’re hiring some help! Ignore the negative! You’re amazing!
Thanks so much Patricia – N x
We have a Pinoy version of this called ‘achara’ with the green papaya, carrot and resins. The dressing is made with vinegar and brown sugar. After grating the papaya we usually press the threadlike vegetable to squeeze out the juice. The salad is kept in jars and last for several weeks unless used up and eaten fast. Served with fried fish.
Oooh! I love hearing that, I actually did not know there was a Pinoy version 🙂 N x
Well, I for one am absolutely thrilled that you cook the world for us. I love trying out the various recipes you post. As a South African expat living in the states (33 years) – allow me to apologize for the twit – ugliness always seeps out from the heart to the surface.
I love hearing this! Thanks Zita! N x
Hi Nagi! I want to make this for someone who is allergic to prawns. Is it possible to make this without it? Please do let me know!
Hi Nikita! Check the recipe notes in the dried shrimp section – I’ve added a link to an alternative Thai dressing which I think is a better option rather than making this without the dried shrimp. Hope that helps! N x
Thanks so much Nagi! Really appreciate your quick response!!
The individual who commented on curry is an [diliberately left blank]. Some people would not be happy in heaven. Apparentaly this is one of them. I like curry in any color. All he/she has to do is unsubscribe. Keep up the good work.
Most definitely Carmine! N x
Shame on that person, Nagi – please ignore the negative comments. He or she likely wakes up in a bad mood and goes to bed the same way. I have made a ton of your recipes and love them and your emails bring a bright spark to the lives of many during a very bleak time. I’m a naturalized American and ashamed at that behavior.
Thanks so much Amanda!! N x
Womderful papaya salad🥰
Thanks Gillian, I hope you try it and love it! N x
As an American/ Texan, I want to apologize for the H.B. Helper Person. Why people want to dish hate and anger out on others…. I will never understand. The good news is that if a person googles any cut of meat, they will get hundreds of recipes that they want As for you and Dozer… please keep on with the wonderful recipes! I love all that I have tried. I am making this for dinner.
Don’t apologise for them – that’s their issue, and I would never stereotype any American to be like that. I’m so glad so many people have much nicer things to say ❤️ N x
Ah well, thanks for all the time and effort you, and Dozer, put in to bring such wonderful recipes to the world. Stay safe. The papaya salad was wonderful tonight.