Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum) Recipe
Thai Green Papaya Salad, also known as Som Tum, is a vibrant and refreshing Thai dish that combines shredded green papaya with fresh vegetables, spicy chilies, and a flavorful dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, and dried shrimp. It is garnished with crunchy peanuts and fragrant Thai basil, delivering a perfect balance of spicy, sweet, sour, and salty flavors in every bite.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 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)
- 6 tbsp dried shrimp
- 1 cup palm sugar, grated using standard box grater, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
- 1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 20 snake beans, cut in 5cm/2″ pieces (raw)
- 3 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half (~400g / 14oz)
- 500g / 4 cups green papaya, shredded, tightly packed (~1 medium or 2/3 large)
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Crush peanuts: Place the roasted unsalted peanuts in a mortar and pestle. Lightly pound them until broken into large pieces, but not powdered. Transfer these crushed peanuts to a bowl for later use.
- Make garlic and chili paste: In the mortar, add the roughly chopped garlic and bird eye chilies. Pound them into a coarse paste. Add the dried shrimp and pound again to crush and combine, but do not grind into a complete paste.
- Prepare the dressing: Stir palm sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce into the mortar with the garlic, chili, and shrimp mixture until the palm sugar dissolves completely. Pour this dressing into a large mixing bowl.
- Braise snake beans: Add the snake beans to the mortar in batches if necessary. Pound them to bruise, split, and soften the beans, which are raw, to enhance texture and flavor. Add the bruised beans to the bowl with the dressing.
- Crush tomatoes: Grab handfuls of the halved grape tomatoes and crush them lightly by hand before adding them to the bowl with the dressing and beans. This releases their juices and blends flavors.
- Add papaya and peanuts: Add the shredded green papaya and three-quarters of the crushed peanuts to the bowl. Toss everything thoroughly using two wooden spoons or tongs to evenly coat the ingredients with the dressing.
- Serve immediately: Once the salad is well mixed and coated in dressing, pile the salad onto serving plates. Spoon over some of the remaining dressing left in the bowl. Garnish each portion with the remaining peanuts and Thai basil leaves. Serve immediately to enjoy the freshest flavors and crisp textures.
Notes
- Adjust the number of bird eye chillies to control the spiciness of the salad.
- Dried shrimp gives the salad an authentic umami flavor but can be omitted for a less intense taste.
- Use palm sugar for the best traditional sweet flavor; brown sugar can be a substitute but will alter the flavor slightly.
- Snake beans add a crunchy texture and slight bitterness that balances the sweetness and spice; if unavailable, green beans can be used as an alternative.
- Use a firm, unripe green papaya for shredding to achieve the right crisp texture typical of Som Tum.
- Thai basil adds a fresh herbal note; if unavailable, other fresh herbs like cilantro or mint can be used though the flavor will differ.
- Serve immediately after preparation to maintain the crispness of the papaya and freshness of the ingredients as the salad can become soggy if left to sit.
Keywords: Thai Green Papaya Salad, Som Tum, Thai Salad, Green Papaya, Spicy Salad, Thai Cuisine, No Cook Salad
