Som Tam (Thai green papaya salad)
Crisp, fiery Thai salad of shredded green papaya, tangy lime, fish sauce and crushed peanuts — bright, quick and utterly moreish.
Som Tam is the cheeky, punchy salad that says "I mean business" — crunchy green papaya dressed with lime, fish sauce and a hint of palm sugar. It’s perfect as a sharp starter, a cooling side to grilled meats or the star of a light supper.
The classic method uses a mortar and pestle to bruise flavours into life; if you don’t have one, a sturdy pestle or a rolling pin in a bowl will do. Make it exactly as hot as you dare and serve immediately — it loses its crispness if left too long.
Ingredients
- 700 g green papaya — peeled and shredded (use a julienne peeler or box grater)
- 3 garlic — cloves
- 3 bird's eye chillies — use 1–4 to taste
- 30 g palm sugar
- 45 ml fish sauce
- 2 limes — juice
- 200 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 100 g long beans — trimmed and cut into 3 cm lengths
- 50 g roasted peanuts — lightly crushed
- 15 g dried shrimp — optional
- 5 g tamarind paste — optional, about 1 tsp
Equipment
- mortar and pestle
- julienne peeler or box grater
Instructions
Toast the roasted peanuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant and just golden. Transfer to a plate to cool, then crush lightly with the side of a knife or in a mortar.
Peel the green papaya, remove the seeds, then shred into thin strips using a julienne peeler or the large holes of a box grater. Put the shredded papaya into a large bowl or plate.
In a mortar, pound the garlic, bird's eye chillies and palm sugar until the sugar starts to dissolve and the garlic is crushed, about 30–60 seconds.
Add the fish sauce, lime juice and tamarind paste (if using) to the mortar and lightly bruise together so the sugar dissolves and the dressing is well combined.
Add the long beans, cherry tomatoes, dried shrimp (if using) and three-quarters of the crushed peanuts to the mortar. Lightly pound and toss — you want the beans and tomatoes bruised to release flavour but not smashed.
Transfer the dressing-and-veg mixture into the bowl with the shredded papaya. Toss thoroughly with a spoon and by pounding gently in the mortar (or with a pestle) for 1–2 minutes until the dressing coats the papaya. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve immediately on a platter sprinkled with the remaining crushed peanuts and a lime wedge.
Tips
- Use a firm, unripe green papaya — it should be pale and crisp. If you can’t get one, shredded carrot makes a decent, noticeably-different substitute.
- If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, toss and bruise the ingredients in a large bowl using the back of a wooden spoon or a rolling pin; avoid electric blending which turns it mushy.
- Toast peanuts just before serving for best flavour and crunch; cool them completely before crushing to avoid a peanut butter finish.
- Make the dressing a few minutes ahead and keep it chilled — add to the papaya only when ready to serve so the salad stays crisp.
- Leftovers keep for 24 hours in the fridge but the papaya softens and the salad will lose its characteristic crunch.
Substitutions
palm sugar → soft light brown sugar, same weight
Stays closefish sauce → tamari plus 1 tsp finely chopped nori (seaweed) for umami
Noticeably differentroasted peanuts → lightly toasted cashews, same weight
Stays closegreen papaya → shredded carrot in a pinch
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 225
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 23 g
- Sugar
- 750 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
What is green papaya and where can I buy one?
Green papaya is the unripe, firm version of papaya with a neutral, crunchy texture. Check Asian supermarkets, large greengrocers or specialist fruit stalls.
Can I make Som Tam vegan?
Replace fish sauce with tamari plus a little seaweed or mushroom seasoning for umami, and omit dried shrimp — the result is tasty but noticeably different from the fish-sauce version.
How do I control the heat?
Use fewer bird's eye chillies or remove the seeds. Start with one chilli, taste the dressing, then add more if needed — you can’t take the heat back out once added.
Can I prepare elements ahead?
You can toast and crush peanuts ahead and make the dressing, but shred the papaya and assemble only just before serving to preserve crunch.
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