Description
This Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum) is a fresh, crunchy, and zesty salad that balances spicy chilies, sweet palm sugar, tangy lime juice, and savory fish sauce, all tossed with shredded green papaya, cherry tomatoes, green beans, and roasted peanuts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups shredded green papaya
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup long green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 to 4 bird’s eye chilies (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
- 1 tablespoon grated palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons dried shrimp (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your mortar and pestle by giving it a quick rinse and dry.
- Pound garlic and chilies in the mortar until crushed. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. Mix into a chunky dressing.
- Set up a large mixing bowl or use your mortar if it’s big enough for mixing.
- Add shredded papaya, halved tomatoes, and green beans. Lightly pound and mix until just combined. Stir in peanuts and dried shrimp if using.
- Let the salad sit for a few minutes to absorb the flavors.
- Top with extra crushed peanuts and lime wedges. Add chili flakes if desired.
- Serve fresh, ideally with sticky rice or grilled meats.
Notes
- Use a julienne peeler or mandoline for perfect papaya strips.
- Taste the dressing as you go to adjust for balance.
- To make it vegan, substitute soy sauce for fish sauce and omit shrimp.
- Store shredded papaya in water in the fridge to keep it crisp until ready to use.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 510mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 10mg