Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)
Monday, June 08, 2026
"This bowl travelled further than my holiday plans."
Thai Green Papaya Salad, known as
Som Tam
or Som Tum, is a vibrant salad, that has become one of Thailand's
popular street food dishes. It’s known for its bold balance of flavours,; sweet, sour, salty and spicy, all coming together.
The star ingredient is
green papaya, which is
simply an unripe papaya. Unlike the ripe fruit that is soft and
orange, green papaya is firm with pale white inside, making
it perfect for shredding into crisp strands.
What makes this salad so irresistible is the contrast of flavours and
textures. The tangy lime dressing is balanced with sweetness and heat,
while the shredded papaya, crisp vegetables and toasted peanuts add layers
of crunch.
It’s also a fantastic way to get more vegetables into your meals while
levelling up your salad game.
The dressing alone is incredibly versatile. In fact, the next day I
topped up the remaining salad with extra cucumbers and more carrots
because the vegetables were running low, but there was still plenty of
that delicious dressing left and I didn’t want a drop to go to
waste.
Traditionally,
Som Tum
is made entirely in a large pestle and mortar, where the ingredients are gently pounded together gradually into the
dressing to release their flavours and lightly bruise the vegetables.
Since I didn’t have a large enough one,
I’ve shared a blend of the traditional method along with a quicker approach. You can make it the authentic way or save some time by using pre-prepared ingredients, either way, you’ll still end up with a bright,
flavour-packed Thai Green Papaya Salad.
TikTok
@spicyfusionkitchen Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum) 🤤 A vibrant salad that is one of Thailand's popular street food dishes. This recipe is in no way traditional, this is a slightly easier and quicker version, yet ever so delicious. Full Recipe on www.spicyfusionkitchen.com #salad #sidedish #foodtiktok #easyrecipe #food ♬ suara asli - Ibra
Ingredients
Salad
1 Green Papaya (Unripe)
2 Carrots - Ribbons
Green Beans (Blanched and Sliced)
Cherry Tomatoes (Sliced)
Dressing
1 - 2 Thai Red Chillies (adjust depending on heat preference)
2 - 3 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Lime Juice (1 Lime)
1 1/2 tsp Tamarind Concentrate
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Garnish
Toasted Peanuts
Chopped Spring Onions
Method With Pictures
1. Peel the unripe green papaya, then shred it using a shredding peeler
to create thin strands. If you don’t have one, you can carefully julienne it
with a knife, the firmer the papaya, the easier this will be. Place the
shredded papaya into a bowl of ice water to keep it crisp and chilled while
you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a pestle and mortar (the larger, the better), add the red chillies
and garlic cloves and pound until crushed. For a quicker, less traditional
method, you can use chilli flakes and crushed garlic instead, it saves time
while still delivering plenty of flavour.
3. Squeeze in the fresh lime juice and add the brown sugar to the crushed
chillies and garlic. Pound again until the sugar begins to dissolve and
everything is well combined.
4. If you’re using a small pestle and mortar, transfer the mixture to a
separate bowl before adding the soy sauce and tamarind concentrate. Mix
well, this forms your dressing. If your pestle and mortar is large enough,
simply add the soy sauce and tamarind directly into it and stir to
combine.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded green papaya, carrot ribbons,
sliced green beans and sliced cherry or baby tomatoes. Toss everything
together. Traditionally, these vegetables are added straight into the pestle
and mortar with the dressing and gently pounded, just enough to slightly
bruise and soften them so they absorb the bold Thai flavours.
6. Pour the dressing over the vegetables (if mixing separately) and toss
thoroughly, making sure everything is evenly coated in the sweet, sour,
salty and spicy dressing.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with toasted peanuts and serve
chilled.
Method
- Peel the unripe green papaya, then shred it using a shredding peeler to create thin strands. If you don’t have one, you can carefully julienne it with a knife, the firmer the papaya, the easier this will be. Place the shredded papaya into a bowl of ice water to keep it crisp and chilled while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a pestle and mortar (the larger, the better), add the red chillies and garlic cloves and pound until crushed. For a quicker, less traditional method, you can use chilli flakes and crushed garlic instead, it saves time while still delivering plenty of flavour.
- Squeeze in the fresh lime juice and add the brown sugar to the crushed chillies and garlic. Pound again until the sugar begins to dissolve and everything is well combined.
- If you’re using a small pestle and mortar, transfer the mixture to a separate bowl before adding the soy sauce and tamarind concentrate. Mix well, this forms your dressing. If your pestle and mortar is large enough, simply add the soy sauce and tamarind directly into it and stir to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded green papaya, carrot ribbons, sliced green beans and sliced cherry or baby tomatoes. Toss everything together. Traditionally, these vegetables are added straight into the pestle and mortar with the dressing and gently pounded, just enough to slightly bruise and soften them so they absorb the bold Thai flavours.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables (if mixing separately) and toss thoroughly, making sure everything is evenly coated in the sweet, sour, salty and spicy dressing.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with toasted peanuts and serve chilled.
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