Vegan Green Papaya Salad {Som Tum}

Healthy Vegan Thai Green Papaya Salad. A delicious, fresh, raw, Thai Som Tum. It takes just 10 minutes to make this beautiful salad. Enjoy all the flavors of Thailand in this bowlful of goodness.

History of Som Tam

Som Tum is a form of spicy Thai salad that is associated with coming from the Isaan province in North-East Thailand... These days you will find it all over Thailand and it is a comfort dish for many Thais.

Papaya salad is not only a signature dish in Thailand but also a popular one in Cambodia and Vietnam, though the Thai version is certainly the most famous. Food historians believe the dish originated in Thailand’s northeast neighbor of Laos, which might be why green papaya salad is one of the most popular dishes in Isaan, the northeastern region of the country. As the largest region in Thailand, many of the most remarkable dishes commenced their journey into the foodie scene from this rarely visited area.

Ingredients you will need for Thai green papaya salad

• Green papaya
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Cherry tomato
• Red chili
• Garlic
• Palm sugar
• Lime
• Soy sauce
• Roasted peanuts

Kitchen equipment and tools you will need

• Chopping board
• Chefs knife
• Peeler
• Thai vegetable peeler
• Mixing bowl OR Thai mortar and pestle

What to serve with

Traditionally Green Papaya Salad is served with sticky rice, here is a link to a recipe if you would like to try it.

Ingredient variations for Som Tum

Try changing up the vegetables, in Thailand hundreds of variations of this salad are available. There are shops and restaurants dedicated solely to making Som Tum! 

If you cannot source green papaya, you can try using some of the following vegetables:

• Turnip
• Daikon
• Radish
• Parsnip
• Celeriac
• Kohlrabi
• Cabbage
• Cucumber

Different types of Green Papaya Salad in Thailand

Som Tum Thai

This classic version made from grated papaya is the one you will find in most restaurants - especially ones overseas or catering to a Western audience. Often grated carrot will be added in addition to the papaya. You can make it as spicy as you want.

Green Mango - Som Tum Mamuang

Instead of papaya, this is made with slightly sour and hard green mango.

Mixed Fruit - Som Tum Polamai

You can use a variety of fresh fruits including apples, grapes, guava, and pineapple. In this version, the fruit is usually chopped into small chunks rather than grated.

Cucumber - Tum Teng

Using cucumber makes this a version you can easily make anywhere in the world. You can cut the cucumber think or cut it into batons/

Guava - Som Tum Farang

Use Guava instead of papaya. You can grate the guava or cut it into small chucks.

Woon Sen (Glass Noodles)

Use a normal som tum sauce but mixed with glass noodles, carrots and papaya.

Sen Chan (Pad Thai Noodles)

Use a normal som tum sauce but mixed with Sen Chan noodles and morning glory

Kanom Jeen (Fermented rice noodles)

Use a normal som tum sauce but mixed with kanom jeen and cucumber. Best extra spicy!

Lotus or Lily Stems

Lotus stems are readily available in Thailand, these make a lovely som tum variation

Som Tum Pu Pla Ra

Isaan version of som tum. Traditionally crab and anchovy are added, but I have sourced a Vegan Pla Ra

Tum Suo (with vermicelli noodles)

This is a noodle-based version

Som Tum Khao Pod - Use sweetcorn

This is a simple version that can be made anywhere in the world as sweetcorn is readily available in most places.

Som Tum Pa (Jungle)

This translates to "jungle" pounded and it includes a random mixture of all sorts of pungent ingredients including khanom jeen noodles, water mimosa, and mixed vegetables.

Nutritional benefits of green papaya salad

Green papaya is really a nutritional fruit, it's power-packed with essential nutrients that will help in digestive health and blood purification. Learn more about the health benefits of green papaya here.

Some more Thai Recipes to try

• Tom Yum Mushroom Soup
• Green Curry
• Red Curry
• Kanom Jeen Noodles
• Pomelo Salad
• Pad See Ew Noodles

Discover my top 9 Thai vegan recipes

• My Top 9 Vegan Thai Recipes

📋 Recipe