Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)

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Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)

Som Tam, or green papaya salad, is a popular Thai dish that features shredded unripe papaya mixed with a vibrant combination of ingredients, most commonly cherry tomatoes, green beans, carrot, cucumber and roasted peanuts. The salad is dressed with a tangy mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar, creating a delightful balance of sour, salty, and sweet flavours. Often spiced with fresh or dried chilies, Som Tam is known for its refreshing crunch and is commonly served as a side dish or appetizer, complementing grilled meats and sticky rice.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole green papaya (approx. 1kg) julienned, equivalent to approx. 4 cups lightly packed
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp lime juice approx. one lime (see Note 1)
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar substitute with brown sugar or golden syrup
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup roasted peanuts roughly chopped or crushed, substitute with roasted cashews
  • 1 dried or fresh chilli chopped, adjust to desired spice level
Optional additions
  • 1 carrot julienned
  • 1 cucumber julienned
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes or one whole tomato chopped
  • 1 handful green beans or snake beans cut into small pieces, raw or blanched
  • 1/4 cup coriander, Thai basil or mint chopped, to garnish

Method
 

  1. Prepare and julienne the green papaya (see Note 2) and any other fresh vegetables of your choice.
  2. Prepare a bowl of lightly salted ice water. Submerge the papaya and vegetables in the bowl for at least 10 minutes. This step is optional but will improve the fresh, crunchy texture of the papaya and vegetables.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, chopped chilli, lime juice, fish sauce, salt and sugar to make the dressing. Mix until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust the balance of sweet and sour as desired.
  4. Removing any undissolved ice cubes, drain the papaya and vegetables and squeeze out the excess water (a salad spinner will also do the trick).
  5. Add the papaya, vegetables and crushed roasted peanuts (save some aside for garnishing) into a separate bowl and pour the dressing on top. Mix well to thoroughly coat all the vegetables with the dressing.
  6. Before serving, garnish the salad with more roasted peanuts and optional herbs, and enjoy!

Notes

  1. If you don't have access to limes, you can substitute the lime juice with the equivalent of vinegar (preferably rice vinegar). Although the flavour will be different, you can still achieve a similar balance of the sweet and sour flavour profiles to make a refreshing salad.
  2. See our 'how to' instructions on preparing and cutting green papaya.
  3. You can make this salad with only green papaya if that's all you have, otherwise you can add other fresh vegetables of your choice (in addition to the ones mentioned) such as capsicum, radish, cabbage etc. I added julienned yacon into mine which worked well with the dish.