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Crunchy Thai Green Papaya Salad with Carrot and Long beans

Crunchy Thai Green Papaya Salad with Carrot and Long Beans

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Large mortar and pestle Traditional for making som tam, helps to bruise the ingredients and release their flavors.
  • Julienne peeler or box grater For shredding the papaya and carrot into fine, noodle-like strips.
  • Mixing bowl For combining the salad if you’re not using a mortar and pestle.
  • Cutting board and sharp knife Essential for prepping vegetables and chopping chilies.

Ingredients
  

For the Salad

  • 2 cups shredded green papaya firm, unripe papaya
  • 1 medium carrot peeled and julienned
  • 1/2 cup long beans also called yard-long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts lightly crushed
  • 2 tablespoons dried shrimp optional, but authentic
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 –2 Thai bird's eye chilies finely chopped (adjust to heat preference)
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar or substitute with brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste optional but recommended for tang

Instructions
 

Prepare the Green Papaya

  1. Start by peeling the green papaya and cutting it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and use a julienne peeler or box grater to shred the flesh into thin, noodle-like strands. Place the shredded papaya in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to enhance the crunch. Drain and set aside.

Prep the Vegetables

  1. Julienne the carrot and chop the long beans into 2-inch segments. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Set all prepped veggies aside.

Make the Dressing

  1. In your mortar and pestle, combine garlic and chilies. Pound until they form a coarse paste. Add the palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. Pound gently to mix and dissolve the sugar. Add the tamarind paste if using. This dressing should be spicy, tangy, and just slightly sweet.

Add the Flavors

  1. Add the dried shrimp and long beans into the mortar. Lightly bruise them to soften and infuse them with the dressing. Then toss in the shredded papaya and carrots. Pound lightly while turning the mixture with a spoon to coat everything in the dressing without breaking the vegetables.

Mix and Finish

  1. Finally, add the cherry tomatoes and crushed peanuts. Give it one last gentle mix. Serve immediately for maximum freshness and crunch.