Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad

 
I saw a Vietnamese green papaya salad video on YouTube recently and decided to make a version of it. It looked simple and I've been in the mood for Vietnamese flavors, so it was a no-brainer. It's also super easy and perfect for the spring summertime weather that is hopefully coming along soon. You don't really need a recipe for assembling the salad portion since you can really add whatever veggies, proteins, etc. you want, but it is helpful to have a guide for the dressing in terms of the proportions.

One medium green papaya gives you two humongous bowls of shredded green papaya, so it will last you a while depending on how you're serving it. It's best to toss your salad ingredients together, but let others dress their own portions with dressing at the last minute to prevent it from getting soggy. You only need a few teaspoons for the bowl of salad I've shown, so not a lot. I think this salad really goes well with anything as a crisp refreshing accompaniment. Here, the salad was served with a seared, then roasted pork tenderloin that I marinated with some of the dressing, lemongrass, and fish sauce. You can add whatever veggies and herbs you want in this salad and the proportions are up to you, but I think the chopped roasted peanuts on top are a must.



Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad

Dressing
1/4 cup lemon/lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp chopped/roasted garlic
red chili flakes (optional)

Mix the ingredients together in a measuring cup and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Salad
1 Green Papaya
Carrot, peeled and shredded
English Cucumber, Chopped
Cilantro, Roughly Chopped
Mint, Roughly Chopped
Peanuts, roasted in a dry skillet and chopped

Peel and deseed the papaya. Shred by hand on a grater or mandoline or with a food processor. Rinse the shredded papaya three times in cold water until the water is somewhat clear. Drain and set aside.

To assemble, toss however much of the vegetables and herbs you'd like together. Dress a medium sized individual serving of salad with a few teaspoons of dressing. Serve immediately.

Keep the salad ingredients and dressing in the refrigerator, they will last a few days in the fridge.