Som Tam (Thai Green Papaya Salad)
Sugar-free | No shrimp | Crisp, spicy & refreshing
Serves
- 3 cups total
- 1 cup per serving = 95 calories
Ingredients
The Base
- 2 cups green papaya, peeled and shredded into long julienne strips
- 1/2 cup carrot, shredded
- 1/4 cup cabbage, shredded
- 5–6 cherry tomatoes, halved or red bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 4 long beans / green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces or 1/4 cup green capsicum, thinly sliced
We often use green capsicum instead of beans because beans can sometimes become a little stringy.
The Dressing
- 2–3 bird’s eye chilies
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp fresh lime jui
- 1.5–2 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegan version)
- 1 tbsp erythritol
Topping
- 2–3 tbsp roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
MEDHOD
01
Prep the papaya
- Soak the shredded papaya in ice-cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- This keeps the salad extra crisp.
02
Make the dressing
- In a mortar and pestle, pound
- garlic and chillies (non-spicy red chilli) into a rough paste.
Add:
- lime juice
- fish sauce/soy sauce
- erythritol
- Mix until dissolved.
03
If using beans
- Add the green beans to the mortar.
- Lightly bruise them — do not crack or break them.
- The idea is just to soften them slightly so they absorb the dressing while retaining texture.
- Sometimes we skip beans altogether because they can get stringy, and use green capsicum instead for a cleaner bite.
04
Add the vegetables
- papaya
- carrot
- cabbage
- tomatoes/bell peppers
- capsicum (if using instead of beans)
- Toss gently and lightly bruise so the dressing coats everything well.
05
Finish
- Top with roasted peanuts and toss once.
- Serve immediately while chilled.
Calories
- 95\times 3 = 285
- Per 1 cup serving = 95 calories
- Total recipe = 285 calories
This is a beautiful, clean, crunchy, low-calorie salad bowl for your retreat menu