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Authentic Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum Thai)

A close-up shot of a vibrant green papaya salad featuring shredded papaya, bright red cherry tomatoes, and green beans.
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Make a fresh, spicy, and balanced Thai green papaya salad at home using a mortar and pestle for the best texture and flavor.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups shredded unripe (green) papaya
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup long beans (or green beans), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
  • 1 tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 to 4 Thai bird’s eye chilies (adjust to your spice preference)
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste (optional, for extra sourness)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dressing base: Place the garlic and chilies into a mortar. Pound them lightly with the pestle until they are crushed but not completely smooth.
  2. Add the palm sugar and tamarind paste (if using). Pound gently until the sugar dissolves into a rough paste with the garlic and chilies.
  3. Pour in the lime juice and fish sauce. Stir well to combine the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust for the sweet, sour, and salty balance you prefer.
  4. Add the long beans and peanuts to the mortar. Lightly bruise them by pressing and turning the pestle a few times. You want them slightly broken, not mashed.
  5. Add the shredded green papaya and dried shrimp (if using). Use the pestle to gently pound and toss the ingredients against the sides of the mortar. Work quickly for about 1 to 2 minutes until the papaya softens slightly and absorbs the dressing. Do not over-pound, or the salad will become watery.
  6. Add the halved cherry tomatoes last. Gently toss them in with a spoon or the pestle just enough to coat them without crushing them.
  7. Transfer the Som Tum Thai to a serving plate. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can finely chop the garlic and chilies and mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Use a large bowl and a potato masher to gently bruise the beans and papaya, though the texture will be different.
  • For the best results, buy firm, bright green papaya that is completely unripe.
  • You can substitute regular sugar for palm sugar, but palm sugar provides a richer, caramel flavor.
  • This salad is best eaten right after preparation to maintain the crunch of the papaya.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://blissbatter.com/green-papaya-salad-recipe-som-tum-thai/