Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)

This plant-based Thai salad replaces fish sauce with soy sauce and incorporates baked tofu for a light, crisp, protein-rich dish.

Ingredients

Calories next to each ingredient are for that ingredient across the whole recipe (4 servings), not per serving.

• 400 g (about 4 cups) shredded green papaya (or carrot and cucumber mix) · 172 kcal in the whole recipe
• 150 g (about 1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved · 27 kcal in the whole recipe
• 100 g (about 1 cup) fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces · 31 kcal in the whole recipe
• 100 g firm tofu, baked and thinly sliced · 144 kcal in the whole recipe
• 15 g (about 1 tbsp) roasted unsalted peanuts, lightly crushed · 88 kcal in the whole recipe
• 2 cloves garlic (8 g) · 12 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1-2 fresh hot Thai chilies (5 g) · 2 kcal in the whole recipe
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (32 g) · 18 kcal in the whole recipe
• 2 tbsp lime juice (30 g) · 8 kcal in the whole recipe
• 4 g (about 1 tsp) brown sugar · 15 kcal in the whole recipe

Method

1. Slice the firm tofu and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12-15 minutes until golden, then let cool.

   

2. In a mortar, lightly pound the garlic and hot pepper to crush them.

   

3. Add brown sugar, lime juice, and low-sodium soy sauce to the mortar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

   

4. Add green beans and cherry tomatoes, pounding gently with the pestle to release their juices.

   

5. In a large bowl, combine shredded green papaya, baked firm tofu, and roasted peanuts; toss with the dressing and serve.

   

A Besly kitchen recipe — portions, macros and step photos by Besly.