Authentic Thai Som Tum recipe makes a crunchy, tangy, and sweet Green Papaya Salad that's perfect for summer! Enjoy as an appetizer or light side dish.
Prep the Papaya: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the papaya. Then cut the hard flesh into long “julienne” slivers. Do this by using a julienne tool, or by tapping a large chef's knife rapidly over the surface of the papaya, making many slashes in the same direction. Then shave them off, perpendicular to the slashes. You will need 6-7 cups of julienne papaya total.
Place the papaya slaw in a large bowl. Then pile ice over the papaya and fill the bowl with cold water. Let the slaw soak in the cold water to firm for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Set out a mortar and pestle. Place the garlic cloves, the white ends of the scallions, and the chopped chiles in the bowl. Use the pestle to smash the ingredients until very soft and broken. Then add in the peanuts and lime zest. Smash and break the peanuts into fine pieces.
Now pour in the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, long bean segments and tomatoes. Mix and smash all the ingredients together.
Once the papaya has soaked for at least 10 minutes, drain off the ice and water. Move the papaya to a large salad bowl. Pour the dressing mixture over the papaya. Toss well to coat.
Chop the scallion greens and sprinkle over the salad. Sprinkle additional chopped peanuts over the top if desired. Chill until ready to serve.
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Notes
You can find green papayas, long beans, thai chiles, and fish sauce at all Asian markets, and many large grocery stores with a good “international” section.This salad can also be made with green mangos.This recipe is really great for making ahead of time. Kept covered in the refrigerator, Green Papaya Salad will keep well for at least a week.