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    Home » Recipes » Salads » Pad Thai Salad with Spiralized Green Papaya and Spicy Peanut Dressing

    LAST UPDATED: July 2, 2018 • FIRST PUBLISHED: June 1, 2015 By Toni Dash 27 Comments

    Pad Thai Salad with Spiralized Green Papaya and Spicy Peanut Dressing

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    pad Thai salad

    I have a favorite summer salad from Thailand which is a Spicy Green Papaya salad (Som Tum).

    It’s refreshing with strings of green papaya, carrot, cherry tomatoes and a spicy light dressing.

    I wrote about it when my blog is very new (along with a tale of chasing around Bangkok looking for a ‘perfect Buddha’ for a friend). I would happily eat that salad all summer long but as I’ve seen green papaya lately at my favorite Asian grocery store, I decided there must be more I could do with it.

    I have not created a new Spiralizer recipe for awhile and decided green papaya would be great spiralized. Unlike its salmon-fleshed ripe self, green papaya is firm, lightly flavored and very refreshing. It isn’t sweet, has a pleasing crunch and is also flexible to mesh with other flavors.

    Pad Thai Salad with Spiralized Green Papaya and Spicy Peanut Dressing  in wood bowl

    Perhaps because I’d just made Grilled Chicken Thigh Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce I was still thinking in the Asian genre and decided to turn one of our favorite family meals of Pad Thai into a salad. Instead of using noodles however, this recipe uses green papaya ‘noodles’, as well as spiralized carrots. It’s a fresh, raw salad resembling a cole slaw in texture but with a slightly spicy, peanut-based dressing which folds in the key flavors found naturally in Pad Thai.

    Along with the green papaya and carrots, cilantro, red cabbage, mung bean sprouts round out the greens. The dressing is made with smooth peanut butter (unsweetened), rice vinegar, a bit of fish sauce (don’t be afraid), crushed red chile flakes and other seasonings making a flavor-layered salad that is simply irresistible.

    Pad Thai Salad closeup

    A note on Spiralizers. I’ll confess I suspected them to be a fad when they began to become popular. I bought one about a year ago loving the notion that I could swap out pasta with vegetable noodles to bump up the nutrition and flavor of my family dinners. I immediately fell in love and have used it for almost every firm fruit and vegetable you might imagine. They cost around $30 (here is the Spiralizer I use) so won’t break the bank either. When summer produce is at its height using a Spiralizer is a perfect way to make fun dishes that are healthy as well as delicious.

    Having said all of that, if you don’t own a Spiralizer there are other ways to make similar noodles. I purchased a hand held tool for about $5 when first making the green papaya salad I mentioned that makes quick work of creating strands of firm vegetables. A julienne slicer is another option though it tends to make smaller strings of vegetables.

    Pad Thai Salad with Spiralized Green Papaya and Spicy Peanut Dressing

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    Pad Thai Salad with Spiralized Green Papaya and Spicy Peanut Dressing

    Pad Thai Salad with Spiralized Green Papaya and Spicy Peanut Dressing

    A fun version of classic pad thai made wtih spiralized green papaya instead of traditional noodles.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6 -8 servings
    Calories: 121kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    Ingredients for Pad Thai Salad:

    • 4 cups spiralized Green Papaya (peeled, seeded using a 1/8 inch or 3mm blade; approximately ½ large green papaya)*
    • 1 large Carrot , scrubbed with top removed, spiralized (using 1/8 inch or 3mm blade)
    • 1 cup thinly sliced and chopped Purple Cabbage
    • 4 Scallions , sliced on the diagonal, white into the start of the dark green section of the scallion
    • 1 cup Mung Bean Sprouts
    • ¼ cup fresh Cilantro , chopped
    • 1 Lime , cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
    • Optional: ¼ cup chopped peanuts for garnish

    Ingredients for Spicy Peanut Dressing:

    • ¼ cup Smooth Peanut Butter (use a brand with peanuts as the only ingredient)
    • 3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
    • 1 ½ teaspoon fresh Ginger Root , peeled and chopped
    • 1 extra large Garlic Clove , rough chopped
    • 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce
    • ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

    Instructions

    Instructions for Spicy Peanut Dressing:

    • Add all ingredients into a blender or food chopper and blend until smooth. Set aside.

    Instructions for Pad Thai Salad:

    • Note: the spiralized green papaya and carrot ‘noodles’ can be very long making them cumbersome to eat. I recommend cutting them roughly into 6 inch lengths with kitchen shears before creating the salad.
    • In a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, combine all the salad ingredients (except lime wedges and optional chopped peanuts). Toss to combine fully.
    • Add the dressing and toss again to coat the salad with the dressing. Sprinkle the top of the salad with chopped peanuts (if desired) and serve with lime wedges.

    Notes

    *To spiralize the green papaya: cut a large green papaya in half lengthwise. Peel the green papaya and cut the half into quarters. Cut the pointed ends to make a flat surface and fit the sprizalier with the largest end of a quarter on the 1/8 inch or 3mm blade. Spiralize!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2955IU | Vitamin C: 76.1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.9mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

    Pad Thai Salad with Spiralized Green Papaya and Spicy Peanut Dressing with tongs

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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. makesushi says

      October 25, 2015 at 1:55 pm

      Woaaaah! Pad Thai salad that sounds very good. This is a winning recipe. Applause!

      Reply
    2. Shannon Gurnee says

      June 11, 2015 at 11:45 am

      Your recipe looks and sounds amazing! I would love try making that sometime.

      Reply
    3. Amanda says

      June 07, 2015 at 8:35 pm

      This looks so yummy! I love pad thai!!! Pinning this for later!

      Reply
    4. Carly Brydon says

      June 06, 2015 at 1:12 pm

      This Pad Thai Salad looks amazing! I bet the spicy peanut dressing is really delicious!

      Reply
    5. Christie says

      June 05, 2015 at 3:10 pm

      I am HUGE fan of Pad Thai and all Thai food. That papaya sounds amazing too. Great pics

      Reply
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    About Toni Dash

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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