Som Tam (Thai Green Papaya Salad)
Forget everything you know about boring salads. This green papaya salad brings the spice, and the tangy kick you never knew you needed. With a tamarind-lime dressing and some serious attitude, it’s a flavor bomb in every bite. It’s crunch time, baby!
Servings: 11 cups
Calories: 82kcal
Cost: $8.50
Equipment
- Julienne peeler optional
- Grater optional
Ingredients
Dressing:
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar coconut sugar, or palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Salad:
- 1 lb. Green papaya skin and seeds removed (about 8 packed cups shredded)
- 1 cup carrot julienne cut or shredded
- 1 cup green beans cut in 1-inch sections
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 bird’s eye chili or to taste, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup shallot thinly sliced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 1 cup thai basil leaves chopped
- ⅓ cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts crushed
Optional Garnishes:
- Fried Shallots
- Additional crushed peanuts
- Additional sliced bird’s eye chilies
- Cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, tamarind concentrate, sugar, vegan fish sauce, garlic, white pepper, and salt until the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside.
- Julienne or shred the green papaya using a mandoline slicer, julienne peeler, box grater, or sharp knife.
- Place the cut papaya strips in a large bowl with the carrot, green beans, cherry tomatoes, bird’s eye chili, shallot, cilantro leaves, Thai basil, and crushed peanuts.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to ensure even coating. Squeeze and massage the salad to get the acids from the dressing to penetrate into the vegetables.
- Serve room temperature or chilled, optionally garnished with fried shallots, crushed peanuts, chilies and cilantro.
Notes
🥭 Gettin’ Green With It:
Unripe papaya brings the crunch this salad needs. A ripe one? Total mush. If you can’t find green papaya, swap in a sour, unripe mango for that same crisp bite.
🤲 Knead for Speed:
After tossing everything with the dressing, don’t just let it sit—massage it! A good squeeze helps the flavors soak into the papaya and carrots, making every bite hit just right.
🔪 The Julienne Identity:
Using a mandoline? Handle the papaya carefully, and be obsessively attentive unless you’re cool with adding “finger salad” to the menu.
Nutrition
Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2652IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg