Som Tam (Thai Papaya Salad)

Som Tam, also known as Thai papaya salad, is a refreshing and vibrant dish that’s popular in Thai cuisine. Made with shredded green papaya, tomatoes, peanuts, and a spicy and tangy dressing, this salad is bursting with flavor and texture. With this easy recipe, you can enjoy the delicious taste of Som Tam at home in just a few simple steps.

Papaya salad takes me back to the Southeast Asian countries where I have lived and traveled extensively for many years. Whenever I visited a restaurant, I always ordered this refreshing salad, along with Yum Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Salad).

I can’t quite pinpoint whether it was the flavor or texture that drew me in, but the salad always seemed to evoke memories of the hot and humid summers in Southeast Asia. In reality, it was always hot and humid, no matter the season, but this salad provided a much-needed respite.

What is Som Tam?

Som Tam, or papaya salad, is a well-known dish in Thai cuisine that consists of shredded unripened green papaya, tomatoes, snake beans, red chili, and dried shrimp.

The salad is known for its sweet-spicy-sour-salty flavor profile, which is achieved through a dressing made with fish sauce, lime juice, and other seasonings. Som Tam is typically served as a side dish or appetizer and is a refreshing and flavorful option for those who enjoy spicy food.

Although the dish originated in northeastern Thailand, it is now widely available throughout the region.

Green Papaya

Unripe green papaya is a key ingredient in the popular Thai dish. Unlike ripe papaya, which is sweet and soft, green papaya is unripe and firm with a pale white flesh. Its ability to hold its shape and texture even after being shredded or sliced thinly makes it an ideal ingredient for salads.

As papaya ripens, the skin turns yellow-orange and the fruit inside turns a deep orange, with little black seeds. When ripe, the fruit will be very soft, almost mushy, with very sweet taste.

Substitute: Green papaya is easily available in Asian markets these days. If you cannot find it, you can use green mango, another unripened fruit commonly used in Thai salads but typically found only in Asian stores. The next best option would be jicama, broccoli stem, carrot, radish, or green cabbage. (Try a mix of a few of them to find your favorite texture and taste.)

Som Tam Ingredients

• Green papaya — You will need to use unripened papaya. Make sure it has deep green color on the outside and is firm to the touch. Unripened papaya doesn’t have much flavor by itself, but it soaks up the savory, tangy dressing and turns it into delicious salad.
• Snake beans — As the name implies, these are very long, snake-like green beans with a slightly scraggly texture on the surface. They are great to enjoy raw. They taste similar to green beans, so substitute with green beans if snake beans are not available.
• Dried shrimp — another key ingredient to add umami (or savoriness) and a genuine Thai taste to the salad. You can easily find tiny dried shrimps in Asian stores.
• Cherry tomato — Adds a vibrant color and a refreshing taste to the salad.
• Cilantro — aromatic herb
• Roasted peanut — adds more crunchiness and a nutty taste. Another necessary ingredient when making Thai green papaya salad
• Fried shallot (optional) — savory addition to salad. You can find it easily in Asian market.

Papaya Salad Dressing

The dressing is a crucial element in creating the signature sweet, spicy, sour, and salty flavor profile of Green Papaya Salad. The dressing is made by combining fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar or granulated sugar, and fresh chili peppers in a bowl. Some variations of the dressing might include garlic, tamarind juice, or dried shrimp.

• Fish sauce — It’s a pungent sauce, and it adds depth to the taste. Do not substitute with soy sauce because in doing so you will lose the complex, unmistakably Thai flavor.
• Lime — must use fresh limes. No lemon!
• Palm sugar — It’s sugar extracted from the palm tree. It has a pleasant caramel flavor. Many Southeast Asian cuisines commonly use palm sugar as a sweetener. You should be able to find it at any Asian supermarket. Alternatively, you can even buy palm sugar on Amazon.
  • Light brown sugar is a general substitute but I highly recommend using palm sugar. You can taste the difference.
• Thai red chili (bird’s eye chili) — It’s very spicy chili so adjust the amount depending on your heat tolerance. Thai papaya salad is a slightly spicy salad, so if you want to enjoy authentic Thai salad, don’t be too shy.
• Garlic — savory ingredient for salad

Pounding Green Papaya

This simple Thai salad doesn’t require any cooking but does require some whacking and pounding. Pounding the strands of papaya is necessary to tenderize the fiber and help them soak up the dressing. I also becomes more flavorful.

While traditional Thai cooks use a large mortar, a zip bag and a meat hammer (or rolling pin) can do the job just as well.

• Cut unripe papaya in half lengthwise. Peel and remove the seeds inside. Shred the papaya, using a mandolin or vegetable julienne peeler, into thin strands.
• Put papaya stands in a large zip bag and pound with a meat hammer or rolling pin until slightly soft and tender, turning the bag back and forth.
• Add the snake beans slices to the bag and continue to pound until beans are soft and slightly bruised. Set them aside.

How to make Som Tam

• In a small mortar, put garlic and chili and pound until they become a chunky paste.
• Shave off palm sugar thinly with a knife and add it to the garlic chili paste. Add dried shrimp and continue pounding until shrimp are bruised.

• Add fish sauce, lime juice and stir everything in a grinding motion with a pestle until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust the flavor according to your preference.
• In a large bowl, combine papaya, snake beans, tomato, cilantro, and half of peanuts. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything well. Sprinkle the remaining crushed peanuts and fried shallot (if using) on top. Serve immediately.

5 Delicious Dishes to Serve with Papaya Salad

Green papaya salad is a refreshing and flavorful dish that pairs well with a variety of other Southeast Asian dishes. If you’re looking for some inspiration for what to serve alongside, try out these five delicious and easy-to-make dishes:

• Thai Red Curry Chicken – Tender chicken cooked in a creamy, spicy sauce made with red curry paste, coconut milk, and a blend of fragrant herbs and spices.
• Thai crab cakes – A crispy and flavorful appetizer made with fresh crab meat, Thai herbs and spices, and served with a tangy dipping sauce.
• Beef Massaman Curry – A rich and savory curry made with tender chunks of beef, potatoes, peanuts, and a flavorful blend of spices, including cinnamon and cardamom.
• Vietnamese Chicken Curry – A fragrant and flavorful curry made with tender chicken, lemongrass, coconut milk, and a blend of Vietnamese spices.
• Pineapple Fried Rice – A sweet and savory fried rice dish made with fresh pineapple, vegetables, and your choice of protein, all stir-fried to perfection.

Fresh and Flavorful Southeast Asian Salad Ideas

If you’re looking to add some bright and bold flavors to your salad repertoire, try out these four delicious and easy-to-make Southeast Asian salad recipes:

• Light Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)
• Best Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe (Ga Xe Phay)
• Asian Pineapple Cucumber Salad
• Classic Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua)
• Vietnamese Mango Shrimp Salad (Gỏi Xoài)