Green Papaya Salad

Loaded with umami and a most satisfying crunchiness

Green Papaya Salad

I first tasted this classic Thai salad on Hawaii Island many years ago and the memory of it has been with me for as long as I can remember. Shredded green papaya—crunchy and bland of flavor—when dressed with lime juice, palm sugar, fish sauce, garlic, peanuts and chopped dried shrimp—jostles my taste buds into Wow! Mode. Some chili, cherry tomatoes, and blanched long beans add welcome color and a contrast of textures.

There are two main types of papaya—Hawaiian and Mexican. The Hawaiian papayas are the ones eaten when orange and ripe. Mexican green papayas—also called Maradol papayas—are much larger than the Hawaiian papaya we eat at breakfast. Do not use a green Hawaiian papaya for this dish. Their flesh is much too soft. Only green Mexican papayas will do.

Large green papaya for salad. Each weighs at least two pounds.

You’ll find many recipes for green papaya salad in books and online. I’ve adapted one from the serious eats website, Som Tam Thai, by Derek Lucci. The traditional way of making the salad involves lots of pounding in a wooden or clay mortar and pestle. Because I am without such an apparatus, I perform much of that work in a mini-chopper. I also use a gadget called a Kiwi Shredder to prepare the green papaya. You can buy one online for not much money and you’ll be happy to have it.

If you don’t live where green papaya grows, you can substitute white cabbage. Cut this firm vegetable into fine shreds with a chef’s knife and follow the rest of the recipe.

I have also seen online sources for Mexican green papaya, but the cost of overnight shipping may be quite high.

Supporting ingredients for green papaya salad: Fish sauce, palm sugar, lime, cherry tomatoes, dried shrimp, garlic, peanuts, and long beans.

I begin by peeling the green papaya and shredding it with a Kiwi shredder.

The Kiwi shredder makes quick work of shredding the green papaya. Have space on your work surface and let the shreds fall where they may.

Put the shredded papaya into a bowl where you’ll add all the remaining ingredients.

Next step: chop the dried shrimp.

A few dried shrimp—they’re rock hard—ready to be chopped.

Here are the shrimp reduced to a fine chop in about 30 seconds.

Add the garlic cloves and peanuts to the chopped shrimp and pulse chop to a coarse texture. If you want some heat, add a Thai chili to the mix before chopping.

Shrimp, garlic, and peanuts all together in a medium-fine chop

Palm sugar dissolved in freshly squeezed lime juice with fish sauce stirred in. This is the salad dressing.

Cut a few long beans into 2-inch sections and parboil them for 2 minutes in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside. Cut cherry tomatoes in half to make about 1 cup.

Time to assemble the salad.

The shredded papaya is covered with the shrimp, garlic, and peanuts and the tomatoes and beans scattered on top. To complete the salad, add the dressing and toss well. Serve at room temperature.

After dividing the salad into serving bowls, top each with more peanuts and serve.

If you want to make this salad hours ahead and refrigerate it, do not add the tomatoes until serving time.

Here are the ingredient amounts for 2 to 4 servings:

7 ounces shredded green papaya

8 dried shrimp

3 garlic cloves

4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, half for chopping and the remainder for serving

1 or 2 fresh thai chiles, stems removed (if you want some heat)

2 tablespoons palm sugar (40 grams)—break it up with your fingers

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

4 ounces cherry tomatoes, halves

4 ounces long beans, ends trimmed, cut beans into 2-inch lengths

And that’s about it. Have fun!