I love this green papaya salad! Have you ever had green papaya? If you’ve ever eaten at a Thai restaurant, you probably have. Green papaya is actually just unripened papaya. It has a super mild, almost tasteless flavor that becomes sweet and crispy once it’s massaged with dressing. It’s nothing like a ripe papaya, but has a very unique flavor!
My friend Ryan introduced me to this shredded green papaya salad recipe and I’ve been making it ever since. So clean and refreshing, it’s a great way to celebrate the warmer weather. The only thing you do need to get this salad going is a julienne peeler to shred the papaya, other than that, it’s simple city.
I also love that you can make it your own by adding in anything you have on hand. Today I mixed the green papaya with shredded carrots, chopped jicama, julienned cucumber and a bit of ginger. Then I tossed in a simple vinaigrette dressing. You really can’t mess this salad up, it always tastes great. It’s perfect for a BBQ, outside gathering or picnic.
This is exactly the kind of food I love eating all spring and summer long: fresh and delicious food is super easy to prepare. What’s better than that?
Green Papaya and Carrot Salad
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons nama shoyu or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce optional
- 1 red chili pepper thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 drops liquid stevia to sweeten optional
For the salad:
- 1 medium green papaya peeled and julienned
- 2 large carrots peeled and julienned (or use shredded carrots in the bag)
- 1 cup haricots verts sliced in half on a diagonal, optional
- 1 cup jicama peeled and diced
- Handful of cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- Handful of cilantro
- 1 dozen mint leaves
Instructions
- Prep all your vegetables. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. In a large serving bowl, toss the rest of the salad ingredients and add the vinaigrette.
