You guys asked for more salads, so there you go! And more are coming!

It might not be summer yet, it’s getting warmer and I’m craving lighter and greener dishes these days. Here comes this super fresh papaya salad that is packed with raw crunchy veggies, roasted peanuts, fried onions, and a citrucy lime dressing.

This salad takes just a few minutes to prepare, no baking or cooking required. You chop the vegetables, mix in the dressing and it’s ready.

Instead of using green papaya that is not very sweet and a bit hard to find, I went with orange papaya to add freshness as well as sweetness. It goes very well with the slightly spicy lime dressing that brings even more freshness. For more flavor, we have herbs: cilantro, and mint.

The dressing is citrusy, sweet, and a bit spicy thanks to the addition of chili paste. I went with sambal badjak which is a bit spicier than sambal oelek. You can use your favorite chili sauce or paste here: sriracha, harissa, or even some gochujang will make good substitutes.

This salad is refreshing, crunchy, packed with flavor, and very easy to make.

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

Easy Vietnamese Papaya Salad

Fresh Vietnamese-style salad packed with vegetables, roasted peanuts, and served with a lime dressing. Delicious, healthy, and light!

Author: Full of Plants
Yield: 3 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup (~70g) shredded carrots
1 cup (~50g) shredded cabbage
1/2 cup (~50g) sliced red peppers
1/4 (~70g) of a medium papaya, sliced
2 cups (~60g) chopped lettuce (or other greens)
1/4 cup fresh mint, lightly packed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, lightly packed
toppings: 1/4 cup fried onions and 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Dressing

1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice
2 tbsp (30ml) maple syrup
1 tbsp (15ml) oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp sambal badjak (or other chili paste)
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Prepare all the veggies: shred the carrots and cabbage using a grater, or a food processor using the shredding tool. Slice the red bell pepper and papaya, and roughly chop the lettuce.
Add all the vegetables to a large mixing bowl and add the mint and cilantro.
Prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, maple syrup, oil, garlic, chili paste, and salt. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir to coat.
Serve topped with fried onions and roasted peanuts. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for one hour before serving.