Easiest Papaya Salad |+Video| Vegan and Light

Portions: servings

Calories: 181kcal

Try this papaya salad, where vegetables combine with salty and sweet and a hint of spiciness in a plate that can be served as a salad or a light side dish that is just perfect for the warmer days of the year.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Video • Preparation

Cabbage and papaya salad.

Why I ❤️ it

When life gives me delectable, ripe, and sweet papaya, I make papaya milkshake. And when I pick papaya that looks just perfect but turns out not to be ready just yet, I make it into a fantastic summer papaya salad to serve these hot days.

This papaya salad is a play in contrast: crispy, cold, raw vegetables flavored with soy sauce combined with brown sugar and the kick provided by a sprinkle of chili flakes.

Papaya salad recipe

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Check out how to make this papaya salad loosely inspired on a Thai classic, a sweet, sour and spicy salad with complex and crisp flavors.

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Inspiration: Asian, Fusion

Category: green papaya salad, how to make a papaya salad, what is papaya salad

Author: Clara Gonzalez

Prep Time10

Cook Time4

Total Time14

Utensils and tools

Ingredients

Dressing

¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar or palm sugar
½ teaspoon chili flakes, double if you're a fan of spicy food
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, plus extra for garnishing
3 tablespoons sesame oil, plus 3 extra tablespoons for serving

Vegetables

1 large carrots, cut into thin strips
½ small papaya, peel and shred
⅓ small white cabbage, shred
2 small cucumbers, shred

Video

Preparation

Before you start, make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Mix dressing

Combine soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of water, sugar, chili flakes, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Step 2: Heating

Pour the dressing into a small saucepan heated over medium-low heat, and simmer until it has reduced to half the liquid.

Stir in the carrot, papaya, and cabbage, coating with the sauce, and cooking until it is heated through (2-3 mins) and reduced a bit in volume, but still has some crunchiness to it (about 2 mins).

Remove from the heat. Move the vegetables to a bowl (discard the liquid left in the pan) and let them cool to room temperature.

Step 3: Serving

Toss the cucumbers with the cooled vegetables. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of sesame oil.

Top tips

You need very firm papayas for this recipe. You definitely don't want the mushy ones. The one I got wasn't green in color inside, but it was very crunchy and only faintly sweet.
The easiest way to cut it into thin strips is with a mandolin.
You can also slice with a potato peeler and cut the strips with a sharp knife.
You can substitute minced roasted peanuts for sesame seeds.
For a crisp flavor, you can also drizzle with a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice.

Serving suggestions

It can be served as a salad, but more often than not I serve it as a side dish in the summer, same as some of my other favorite cabbage dishes, and if you love tofu, don't miss these fun tofu skewers.

Variations

We use them to make dulce en almibar (a dessert). In Asia, it's used in savory dishes, notably, the Vietnamese green papaya salads, and Thai green papaya salad recipe (som tam) green papaya salads.

You can substitute bean sprouts for cabbage for a crisp salad with a lovely taste.

Nutritional information

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FAQs

Can green papaya be eaten raw?

Eating raw unripe papaya is not advised for some people (like pregnant women, and people with certain allergies) [1]. In any case, this recipe includes the step of cooking it, though briefly so it doesn't turn mushy. Consult your doctor if you have any doubts.

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