Som Tam Recipe (Thai Papaya Salad)
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This authentic som tam recipe shows you how to make Thai papaya salad at home in just 20 minutes. It’s perfect for beginners, healthy, and lets you adjust the spice and dressing to your taste.
What is som tam?
Som tam is a refreshing, spicy Thai salad made in a mortar and pestle with shredded green papaya, chilies, garlic, tomatoes, and yardlong beans. It’s dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar for a sweet, sour, salty flavor, and is usually eaten with other dishes like sticky rice and grilled chicken.
The name comes from the Thai words som (sour) and tam (to pound), referring to the salad’s tangy flavor and the pounding motion used to make it.
In Thailand, som tum comes in several versions:
- Som tam Thai, the version used in this recipe, includes peanuts and dried shrimp and is the most well-known outside Thailand.
- Som tam pla ra uses fermented fish sauce and is especially popular in Isan.
- Tam sua adds rice vermicelli for a softer, more filling texture.
About this recipe
This recipe teaches you the authentic way papaya salad is made in Thailand.
I’ve made it this way since childhood and served it professionally in Thai takeouts and my own Thai restaurant. It’s something I eat every week, usually with rice and grilled meats.
A couple of things you’ll really like about this recipe:
- Balanced dressing with clear control over sour, salty, sweet, and heat
- Tastes like the real deal you get at good Thai street stalls
- Fast, authentic, and beginner-friendly
- Crisp papaya, not soggy
Praew ♡
Recommended tool: mortar and pestle
Papaya salad is traditionally made in a mortar and pestle to release flavor while keeping the papaya crisp. A clay mortar with a wooden pestle works best and gives the most authentic result.
The earthenware clay has just enough grip to crush your garlic and chilies without turning them into a paste. Plus, since the pestle is wood rather than heavy stone, you can actually bruise the papaya to soak up the dressing without accidentally smashing it into mush.
Ingredient notes & substitutes
✱ Here you’ll find ingredient tips and possible substitutions. See the recipe card for the exact measurements
- Green papaya – Use unripe, firm green papaya with pale flesh; it should be crisp when shredded and stored in the fridge. It’s best to purchase these at Asian grocery stores.
- Fresh chili peppers – I use Thai Jinda chillies, a medium-heat chili, but bird’s eye chilies work too. Adjust the amount to control the spice level.
- Small tomatoes / cherry tomatoes – Adds juiciness and mild sweetness; larger tomatoes work if cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Yard long beans – Provide crunch and freshness; cut into short pieces (1 inch/2cm) so they bruise slightly without breaking down. If you can’t find these, use green beans.
- Roasted peanuts – Add nuttiness and texture.
- Garlic – Use fresh cloves for the best flavor.
- Lime juice – Fresh lime juice is essential for the bright, sour flavor.
- Palm sugar – Gives a smooth, caramel-like sweetness that balances the lime and fish sauce better than white sugar.
- Fish sauce – Provides saltiness and umami. I use Megachef brand.
- Dried shrimp (optional) – Adds depth and savory flavor.
Note: The flavor of this salad changes from region to region and cook to cook. This version is how I like it best, but it’s easy to adjust by dialing the chilies up or down and tweaking the dressing to your taste.
How to make Thai green papaya salad
- Prep the vegetables. Peel the papaya, then use a julienne peeler to shred it into thin, even strips (how to shred papaya). Halve the tomatoes, cut the yard-long beans into 1-inch (2 cm) pieces, and set aside.
- Pound the aromatics. Add the garlic and Thai chilies to a mortar and pestle. Pound just until broken down and fragrant; don’t turn them into a paste.
- Bruise beans & peanuts. Add the yard-long beans and peanuts, and gently pound until they are lightly bruised. The beans should release a little juice while staying crisp.
- Build the dressing. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice. Lightly pound and stir to dissolve the sugar and combine, using a large spoon to lift and turn the ingredients so everything mixes evenly.
- Combine and finish. Drop in the spent lime peels. Add the shredded papaya, tomatoes, and dried shrimp if using. Gently pound and toss until the papaya absorbs the dressing. Taste and adjust as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!
Recipe tips & tricks
❥ Use unripe papaya only. It should be firm, pale, and crisp; ripe papaya will turn soft and watery.
❥ Cover the mortar while pounding. Rest one hand lightly over the top to prevent ingredients from jumping out.
❥ Don’t over-pound. Gently bruise the ingredients to release flavor while keeping the papaya crunchy.
❥ Keep ingredients cold. Chilled papaya and tomatoes stay crisper once mixed.
❥ Always add papaya last!
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this without a mortar and pestle?
Yes, but the texture won’t be the same. You can mix in a bowl and lightly crush the garlic and chilies first, but a mortar gives better flavor.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Papaya salad is best eaten immediately. Once dressed, the papaya releases water and softens quickly in the dressing, losing its crunchy texture.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes. But make sure your fish sauce is labeled gluten-free, as a few brands may contain additives.
Learn Thai cooking step by step
My cookbook is a combination of authentic Thai recipes and Western dishes cooked with Thai flavors and ingredients. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to Thai cooking or want to cook it more often.
Som Tam Recipe (Thai Papaya Salad)
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Knife & cutting board
- Julienne peeler or papaya shredder
- Mortar & pestle
Ingredients
- 2 chilies, adjust to taste
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 yard long beans, cut into 1-inch sizes
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- ⅓ cup roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp palm sugar
- ¾ lime, sliced
- 3 cups green papaya, shredded
- 3 small tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp, optional
Instructions
- Prep vegetables: Peel and julienne the green papaya. Halve the tomatoes and cut the yard-long beans into 1-inch (2 cm) pieces.
- Pound aromatics: Add garlic and chilies to a mortar and pestle and pound just until broken down.
- Bruise beans & peanuts: Add the long beans and peanuts, and gently pound until lightly bruised but still crisp.
- Make dressing: Add fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice. Lightly pound and stir to dissolve and combine.
- Finish: Add lime peels, papaya, tomatoes, and dried shrimp if using. Gently pound and toss until coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
- For a vegetarian version, use a vegetarian fish sauce alternative.
- Adjust the amount of chilies to your spice level.
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