Salads
Som Tam: Thai green papaya salad
Make Som Tam with green papaya, carrot, cooked green beans and peanuts. Follow clear steps for a balanced lime, garlic, chili and fish sauce dressing.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Thai, home adaptation
Ingredients
Vegetables
Dressing
To finish
Method
Cook the green beans
Wash and trim the beans. Cut into 2–3 cm pieces and add to a saucepan of plenty of boiling water. Boil for at least 10 minutes after the water returns to the boil, until tender; follow any longer cooking time on the package. Do not use them raw or merely blanched for a few seconds.
Prepare the green papaya
While the beans cook, wash, peel and halve the papaya. Scrape out the seeds and inner membrane with a spoon. Weigh 250 g of flesh and shred with a julienne peeler or coarse grater. The flesh should be firm and pale, not orange and soft.
Cut the other vegetables
Wash the carrot, tomato, chili and cilantro. Peel and grate 100 g carrot; cut 120 g tomato into small wedges. Peel the garlic, chop the chili and dry the cilantro. Use less chili or remove its seeds for less heat. Keep the ingredients separate.
Cool and drain the beans
Drain the cooked beans and place in a bowl of cold water and ice for 1–2 minutes, until cool. Drain thoroughly again and gently pat dry with kitchen paper. Excess water would dilute the dressing.
Crush the garlic and chili
Put 6 g garlic and up to 5 g chili into a mortar. Pound to a coarse paste rather than a smooth purée. Without a mortar, finely chop them and crush with the side of a knife on a board.
Make the dressing
Add 25 g sugar to the garlic and chili paste. Stir in 30 ml fish sauce and 30 ml lime juice until the sugar dissolves. Taste a drop: it should be sour, sweet and salty. Adjust with a few drops of lime if needed; do not automatically add salt.
Mix the salad
Put the papaya and carrot in a large bowl. Add the dressing and mix with two spoons, pressing gently for 1 minute to coat the strands without breaking them down. Add the tomato and cold beans and fold gently. Avoid crushing the cooked beans.
Finish and serve
Divide the salad and dressing between two plates. Roughly chop 20 g peanuts and scatter over the salad with the cilantro leaves. Serve immediately while the papaya is crisp; no resting time is needed.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
Texture and dressing
- Choose firm, unripe green papaya: ripe papaya changes both flavour and texture. Drain the vegetables well. Ordinary green beans are served cooked in this home adaptation of the original recipe.
Variations and allergens
- Contains fish and peanuts. For a fish-free variation, use soy sauce or tamari to taste, checking allergens; the flavour will change. Peanuts may be omitted. Adjust the chili before mixing, as it is difficult to remove afterwards.
Making ahead
Keep the prepared vegetables and dressing separately, covered and refrigerated at 4 °C or below, until the following day. Mix and add peanuts just before serving. Dressed salad loses its crispness; refrigerate leftovers promptly and eat the next day.
Reference sources: USDA FoodData Central; FSAI — Advice on eating legumes.
Illustrative images generated with AI for this recipe.
Nutrition facts
One of two salad portions, including dressing and peanuts.
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 42 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Saturated fat
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
Approximate values. Generic raw papaya is used as a proxy for green papaya; ripeness and fish sauce brand affect the result. Sides and extra adjustments are excluded.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy (2018)
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
This homemade version of Som Tam keeps the green papaya, carrot, tomato and peanuts from the original recipe. Lime, garlic, chili, sugar and fish sauce make a dressing that balances sour, salty and sweet flavours with adjustable heat. We use thoroughly cooked and cooled ordinary green beans, a home adaptation in which pounding does not replace cooking. Choose firm, unripe papaya for the crisp texture that defines this salad. The recipe makes two portions and is best served as soon as it is mixed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ripe papaya?
It will make a sweeter, softer salad. Use firm green papaya for this recipe. Strips of firm cucumber can make a variation, but will not reproduce the texture of green papaya Som Tam.
Do I need a large mortar?
No. Crush the garlic and chili in a small mortar, then mix the rest in a large bowl with two spoons. Use gentle pressure to preserve the strands.
Why are the beans cooked?
This adaptation uses ordinary green beans, which are cooked before eating. Brief blanching or pounding does not replace the stated cooking time. Cool and drain them so they do not warm or dilute the salad.
