Lao Papaya Salad Recipe

Lao Papaya Salad is a delicious and healthy dish popular in South Asia. And now, you can make your own at home with this easy Lao Papaya Salad recipe!
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What is Lao Papaya Salad?
The Lao Papaya Salad is a popular South Asian salad that is prepared cold. It features green papaya as its main ingredient, along with other fragrant ingredients.
To make the best Lao Papaya Salad, you’ll want to use mortar and pestle.
How Do You Eat Lao Papaya Salad?
The Lao Papaya Salad is best eaten as a side dish. I especially love serving this dish with fried rice and curries!
What You Need to Make Lao Papaya Salad
- 2 cups green papayas, shredded
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 red chilies
- 1/8 tsp crab paste, optional
- 2 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon padaek
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 cup long beans, cut into 1-inch strips
How to Make Lao Papaya Salad
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, chilies, crab paste, and shrimp paste together.
- Add the fish sauce, padaek, brown sugar, cherry tomatoes, and lime juice. Pound until well-combined.
- Mix in the shredded papaya and long beans. Adjust seasonings to taste, as needed.
- Serve cold. ENJOY!

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If you make this easy Lao Papaya Salad recipe, please drop a comment below! I’d LOVE to know what you think! Or take a picture and share it on Instagram by tagging @dwellbymichelle so I can repost it on my stories!
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Lao Papaya Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups green papayas , shredded
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 red chilies
- ⅛ tsp crab paste , optional
- 2 tsp shrimp paste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tbsp padaek
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 5 cherry tomatoes , halved
- 2½ tbsp lime juice
- 1 cup long beans , cut into 1-inch strips
Instructions
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, chilies, crab paste, and shrimp paste together.
- Add the fish sauce, padaek, brown sugar, cherry tomatoes, and lime juice. Pound until well-combined.
- Mixin the shredded papaya and long beans. Adjust seasonings to taste, as needed.
- Serve cold. ENJOY!
I had to go to my local Asian store to get some of the ingredients, but overall very easy to make and my mom especially loved this! Saving the recipe!