Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)
Updated April 21, 2023
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1large or 2 small cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼teaspoon salt
- 1tablespoon dry-roasted salted peanuts, more for garnish
- 2fresh bird chilies or serrano chilies, sliced
- ½teaspoon raw sugar or white sugar
- 1tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
- 2tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 to 2tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla), to taste
- 2plum tomatoes, 1 large round tomato, or 8 grape tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- ½pound long beans, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch lengths (optional)
- 1small to medium green (unripe) papaya (see Note)
- Lettuce for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
177 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 385 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a blender or mortar, blend or pound garlic, salt, peanuts, chilies, sugar and shrimp (if using) into a paste. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in lime juice and fish sauce. Use a spoon (or the mortar) to lightly crush tomatoes and beans (if using), then add to bowl and mix lightly.
- Step 2
Peel and coarsely grate or shred papaya, discarding seeds and inner membrane. There should be 4 to 6 cups.
- Step 3
Add papaya to bowl and lightly but thoroughly toss together. Taste for seasoning. Mound in a bowl (if desired, line bowl with lettuce leaves beforehand). Sprinkle with peanuts and serve.
- If green papaya is unavailable, use an equivalent amount of coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots).
Private Notes
Comments
This is also a suitable fate for that canteloupe you opened that was hard as a rock.
I have made this many times using a hard very green mango and it was great.
Kohlrabi can also be subbed for the papaya
What can I substitute for fish sauce to make it vegetarian. Also, what is the best substitute for long beans since I live in a small town and can't get them.
This dressing is really delicious! I had given away my ‘official green papaya julienner” that a chef in Thailand gave me, so after trying to julienne by hand, I switched to shredding on my grater. Ugh! The grated pieces turned to unpleasant mush while the julienned sticks were delightfully crunchy, even when eaten the next day. Now I’ve found that julienner —it looks like a hand held peeler but the blade is not flat!—at a local Thai grocery store for $5.
Very good recipe, I just made it and took the suggestion for 2T of the fish sauce. However, the instruction to coarsest shred the papaya are not instructive enough. Using the coarse side of a box grater yielded shreds which did not hold up. I resorted to the web and got instructions there how to cut the papaya satisfactorily. After that everything came together. Great recipe.
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