Enjoy a Refreshing Green Papaya Salad this Summer

I first had green papaya salad when I was in the Seychelles some 20 years ago. I had never heard of green papaya salad but it quickly became a favorite of mine and I ordered it almost every day for the two weeks I was there. There are many different versions of green papaya salad. Some contain peanuts, tomatoes, and other vegetables and toppings. The recipe below is a simple version with just papaya and a chili lime dressing. The lime gives it a real tang and the chilis spice it up a bit. A little fish sauce and sugar round out the flavors. This salad is light and refreshing. It can be served as an entrée and is also really good to take to a picnic or BBQ because the more it sits, the better it gets!

Serving Size: 1 bowl Number of servings: 4 Calories per serving: 63 Ingredients Calories 1 large green papaya (approx. 400 grams) 156 2 Tbsp lime juice 3 2 Tbsp fish sauce 0 2 Tbsp brown sugar 90 1 tsp minced Serrano chilis 0 1 tsp lime zest 3

Peel the papaya. Leaving the papaya whole, shred the papaya flesh into strips using a mandolin.

In a large bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar and minced Serrano chili. Stir until combined and the sugar is dissolved.

Add the shredded green papaya to the dressing. Mix the salad until the papaya is well coated with the dressing. Let the papaya sit and marinate in the dressing for 10 to 15 minutes, mixing it every few minutes to ensure the papaya is evenly coated with the dressing.

Place ¼ of the papaya salad on a plate. Sprinkle the salad with some lime zest.

Serve.

Barbara's Tips

	Green papaya is simply an unripened papaya. Look for a papaya that has a dark green exterior with no yellow or orange spots. Unlike a ripe papaya, green papaya is very crunchy and not sweet. It doesn’t have a strong flavor which makes it a a good vehicle for the flavors of the dressing. And because it’s crunchy, it holds up well to the dressing.
	Let the papaya salad sit and marinate in the dressing for at least 10 minutes. The more it sits, the better it tastes.
	You can use any chilis you like. (e.g. Jalapeños, Thai chilis, etc.) If you don’t like spicy food, reduce or omit the chilis. Removing the seeds before mincing the chili lessens the intensity of the chilis.
	If you don’t have a mandolin, you can use a serrated vegetable peeler to shred the papaya into strips. Be careful not to cut through to the center of the papaya. You don’t want any seeds to get in the salad as they have a bitter, peppery taste.

Essential Flavors

	Lime is a small green citrus fruit. Similar to lemons, limes are sour and rich in vitamin C. Lime juice adds a little zing to this dish.
	Serrano Chili is a chili pepper common in Mexican cuisine. It has mild to medium heat. It makes this dish a little spicy.
	Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish that has been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is widely used as a staple seasoning in Southeast Asian cuisine. It imparts a complex salty flavor to this dishes.