Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum) Recipe
Authentic Thai Green Papaya Salad, or Som Tum, is a vibrant, zesty dish featuring shredded green papaya, crunchy snake beans, cherry tomatoes, and a spicy, tangy dressing made from garlic, bird eye chillies, dried shrimp, palm sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. This refreshing salad is garnished with roasted peanuts and Thai basil leaves, delivering a perfect harmony of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy 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
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 500g / 4 cups green papaya, shredded, tightly packed (~1 medium or 2/3 large)
- 20 snake beans, cut into 5cm / 2″ pieces (raw)
- 3 cups grape tomatoes, halved (~400g / 14oz)
- 1 cup roasted peanuts, unsalted
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
Dressing Ingredients
- 2 tbsp garlic, roughly chopped (about 10 normal or 4 large garlic cloves)
- 6 bird eye chillies, roughly chopped with seeds (adjust for spice level)
- 6 tbsp dried shrimp
- 1 cup palm sugar, grated and loosely packed
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
Instructions
- Crush Peanuts: Place the roasted peanuts into a mortar and pestle and pound them lightly until they break into large pieces but aren’t powdered. Transfer the crushed peanuts to a bowl for later use.
- Prepare Garlic and Chili Paste: In the mortar, add the roughly chopped garlic and bird eye chillies, pounding them into a coarse paste. Then add the dried shrimp and gently crush them without grinding into a paste, allowing their flavor to infuse but keeping some texture.
- Make the Dressing: Stir palm sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce into the garlic, chili, and shrimp mixture until the palm sugar dissolves completely. Pour this dressing into a large mixing bowl.
- Braise Snake Beans: Add snake beans to the mortar in batches and pound them to bruise, split, and soften them because they are raw. Then transfer the bruised beans into the bowl with the dressing.
- Crush Tomatoes: Grab handfuls of halved grape tomatoes and crush them gently with your hands before adding them into the bowl with the dressing and beans. This helps release their juice and flavor into the salad.
- Add Papaya and Toss: Add the shredded green papaya and three-quarters of the crushed peanuts to the bowl. Toss everything thoroughly and evenly using two wooden spoons or tongs, making sure the papaya is well coated with the dressing and combined with the other ingredients.
- Serve Immediately: Once well mixed, promptly plate the salad. Spoon some extra dressing left in the bowl over the top, garnish with Thai basil leaves, and sprinkle with the reserved peanuts. Serve immediately to enjoy the fresh, crisp textures and vibrant flavors at their best.
Notes
- Adjust the number of bird eye chillies to suit your spice preference; fewer chillies will result in a milder salad.
- Dried shrimp adds a distinct umami flavor; it can be substituted with dried anchovies if unavailable but is integral to the authentic taste.
- Palm sugar can be found at Asian grocery stores and is preferred for its rich, caramel-like sweetness.
- Snake beans are traditional but can be substituted with green beans if necessary, though the texture will differ slightly.
- For shredding the papaya, a mandoline or julienne peeler can be helpful to get thin strips.
- Thai basil leaves add a fresh, slightly sweet, and licorice flavor complementing the salad.
- This salad is best served immediately after preparation to enjoy the crispness and vibrant flavors; it can turn watery if left to sit for too long.
Keywords: Thai green papaya salad, Som Tum, Thai salad, spicy papaya salad, gluten free Thai recipe, authentic Som Tum, fresh Thai salad
