Thai green papaya salad is one of my favourite dishes of all times. I simply love the combination of spicy, sweet, sour, savoury and umami flavours. It is so complex, you can omit anything you do not like and you will still have a delicious salad. Make it mild for the spice adverse or omit the dried shrimp for vegetarians or vegans.
The amounts below are for a strong, spicy salad. Adjust to your preferences so you arrive at the perfect blend of ingredients.
Traditionally, it is served with rice. I prefer to eat it with steamed potatoes or organic sweet potato noodles. The choice is yours!
I usually buy one green papaya and I use 1/4 to 1/3 of the papaya for each salad. This will make 1 large, 2 moderate or 4 small servings.
Thai Green Papaya Salad
Ingredients
14/-1/3 green papaya, washed, quartered, seeds and skin removed (or thinly sliced green cabbage)
handful of fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed
handful of cherry tomatoes, washed
1 heaping tbs dried shrimp (available at Thai and Asian stores)
1-6 Thai red chillies, washed and trimmed (adjust to you heat tolerance)
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 fresh dates (pits removed)
3 tbs fresh lime juice
2-3 tbs No fish sauce (see post dated 2 January 2026) (or 1 tbs Redboat/Son fish sauce)
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt (do not add if using fish sauce)
handful of activated cashew nuts
steamed potatoes or noodles (for serving)
Method
Wash and steam the potatoes in an instant pot or a pot on the stove. Or if using noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions.
Peel and slice the garlic, trim the chilli stalks, slice and add to a large mort and pestle, On a wooden cutting board, cut the dried shrimp into small pieces. Add them to the mort and pestle. Pound the ingredients until the shrimp, garlic and chilli are completely broken down and make a paste. Add in the dates and continue to pound until they are fully incorporated. Add in the lime juice, No fish sauce and salt if needed. Set aside.
Wash the outside of the green papaya. Cut into quarters and carefully remove the seeds. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the green skin off one quarter of the papaya. Store the remainder in the refrigerator for later use. Using a mandolin with the middle blade, julienne the papaya into small pieces. Add the papaya into the dressing and pound and mix. Set aside.
Wash the beans and tomatoes. Trim the ends off the beans and cut into one inch lengths. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. First add the beans to the salad and pound for a minute. Then add the tomatoes, mix and pound them a few times.
Serve the salad on plates or in a bowl. Clean and dry the mort and pestle. Add a handful of activated cashews to the mort and pestle and pound them until they are smaller pieces. Sprinkle the cashews over the salad.
When the steamed potatoes (or noodles) are ready, place a serving on each plate. Spoon the green papaya salad alongside. Enjoy!!
