Short answer: To make green papaya salad, shred an unripe green papaya, then pound garlic and chilies with palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce, and toss with the papaya, carrot, green beans, cherry tomatoes and crushed peanuts. It takes 20 minutes with no cooking and makes 4 side servings of about 136 calories each. Use soy sauce instead of fish sauce for a vegan version.
Green papaya salad, known as som tam in Thailand and tam mak hoong in Laos, is one of Southeast Asia’s most popular street foods. Unripe papaya has crisp, mild white flesh that works like a vegetable, and it soaks up a dressing that hits every note at once: sour lime, salty fish sauce, sweet palm sugar and fiery chili. It’s light, crunchy and ready in minutes.
For more on the fruit itself, see our papaya nutrition guide and how it compares in papaya vs mango, or browse our other recipes.
Green papaya salad at a glance
- Servings
- 4 side servings
- Time
- 20 minutes, no cooking
- Calories
- About 136 per serving
- Fiber
- About 4 g per serving
- Diet
- Gluten-free, dairy-free; vegan with soy sauce
- Equipment
- Box grater or julienne peeler; mortar and pestle helps
How to choose and shred green papaya
Look for green papaya in Asian and Latin American grocery stores. It should be firm all over, with smooth, deep green skin and no yellow patches. Inside, the flesh should be pale white or very light green, and the seeds small and white. A papaya that has started to turn orange inside is too ripe for this salad.
To shred it, peel the skin with a vegetable peeler, halve it and scoop out the seeds. Then use a julienne peeler or the large holes of a box grater to make long, thin strands. The traditional method is to hold the papaya and make many shallow cuts with a heavy knife, then shave off the strips, but that takes practice. Many Asian stores also sell bags of pre-shredded green papaya, which saves time.
Tip: green papaya releases a sticky white sap when cut. Rinse your hands and board as you go, and wear gloves if your skin is sensitive.
Why this recipe works
- Pounding, not just tossing: lightly bruising the papaya, beans and tomatoes in a mortar helps them absorb the dressing and releases tomato juice, which becomes part of the sauce.
- A cold-water soak: 10 minutes in cold water makes the papaya extra crisp.
- Dressing first: dissolving the sugar in the lime juice and fish sauce before adding the vegetables gives an even, balanced flavor.
- Taste as you go: limes, chilies and fish sauce vary, so adjusting at the end is what makes the salad taste right.
Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)
Ingredients
Method
- Wearing gloves if your skin is sensitive, peel the green papaya with a vegetable peeler, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out any small white seeds. Shred the flesh on the large holes of a box grater or with a julienne peeler.
- Soak the shredded papaya in cold water for 10 minutes to crisp it, then drain well and pat dry.
- In a large mortar, pound the garlic and chilies to a rough paste. If you do not have a mortar, mince them finely and mash with the side of a knife.
- Add the sugar, lime juice and fish sauce and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the green beans and lightly pound for a few seconds to bruise them.
- Add the tomatoes and pound gently once or twice to release their juice. Add the papaya and carrot and mix, using a spoon and the pestle to lightly bruise and toss everything so it absorbs the dressing.
- Taste and adjust: add more lime for sourness, fish sauce for saltiness, sugar for sweetness or chili for heat. Transfer to a plate, top with crushed peanuts and herbs, and serve right away.
Notes
Swaps and variations
- Vegan: replace the fish sauce with soy sauce or a vegan fish sauce, adding a squeeze more lime to balance the flavor.
- No green papaya? Use shredded kohlrabi, jicama, green mango, cucumber or a mix of carrot and cabbage. Our guide to kohlrabi explains how to prepare it.
- No mortar and pestle: mince the garlic and chilies finely, whisk the dressing in a large bowl, and squeeze the vegetables with your hands as you toss.
- Peanut allergy: top with toasted sunflower seeds or roasted pumpkin seeds instead.
- Make it a meal: serve with grilled chicken, shrimp or tofu and sticky rice for a classic Thai lunch.
- Traditional add-ins: a tablespoon of dried shrimp pounded with the garlic adds savory depth.
- Heat level: one chili gives a gentle kick; three or more is street-food spicy. Remove the seeds for less heat.
Nutrition per serving
USDA FoodData Central doesn’t list green (unripe) papaya, so we used ripe papaya as a stand-in, along with USDA values for every other ingredient. Green papaya is less sweet than ripe papaya, so the true carbohydrate count is probably a little lower, and we’ve left sugar and vitamin values out of the table rather than overstate them.
| Per side serving | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 136 | – |
| Protein | 4.1 g | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g | 8% |
| Fiber | 4.1 g | 15% |
| Fat | 4.9 g | 6% |
| Potassium | 474 mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 612 mg | 27% |
Estimated from USDA FoodData Central: papayas, raw (FDC 169926, stand-in for green papaya); carrots (170393); green beans (169961); tomatoes (170457); garlic (169230); lime juice (168156); fish sauce (174531); brown sugar (168833); dry-roasted peanuts, unsalted (173806).
Most of the fat comes from peanuts, which also add protein. Most of the sodium comes from fish sauce: 2 tablespoons contain more than 2,000 mg. To cut sodium by about a third, use 4 teaspoons of fish sauce and an extra squeeze of lime. The fresh lime, tomatoes and papaya also make this a good source of vitamin C; see our vitamin C guide for why that matters.
Safety notes
Who should be careful
- Pregnancy: unripe papaya contains latex and the enzyme papain, and many health traditions advise pregnant women to avoid it. Evidence in people is limited, so it’s sensible to skip green papaya salad during pregnancy or ask your doctor.
- Latex allergy: green papaya latex can trigger reactions in people allergic to latex. Avoid it if you’ve reacted to latex, banana, kiwi or avocado.
- Sodium: if you’re watching your blood pressure, reduce the fish sauce as described above.
- Allergies: this salad contains peanuts and fish. Use the swaps above if needed.
Storage and serving
- Best fresh: serve within 30 minutes of mixing. The salt in the dressing draws water out of the papaya, so it softens and turns watery over time.
- Make ahead: shred the papaya and carrot and store them in a sealed container with a damp paper towel in the fridge for up to 3 days. Mix the dressing separately and keep it for up to 5 days, then combine just before serving.
- Serving ideas: serve with sticky rice, grilled meat or fish, or alongside our tropical fruit salad for a Southeast Asian spread.
Green papaya salad FAQ
Can I use ripe papaya for papaya salad?
Not for this recipe. Ripe papaya is soft and sweet and turns to mush when pounded. Use firm green papaya with white flesh.
What does green papaya taste like?
Green papaya is mild, slightly bitter and very crunchy, a bit like cucumber or kohlrabi. It mainly carries the flavor of the dressing.
Is green papaya salad healthy?
Yes, it’s low in calories and provides fiber, potassium and vitamin C. The main thing to watch is sodium from the fish sauce.
How do I make som tam less spicy?
Use one chili with the seeds removed, or leave it out and add a little black pepper. You can always add more chili at the end.