Green Papaya Salad (Vietnamese-Inspired!)

Ingredients

• 1 medium green unripe papaya
• 1 medium carrot (julienned)
• 1 small Persian cucumber (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup Thai basil
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 1/3 cup roasted peanuts (whole or slightly crushed)
• 1/4 cup fried shallots
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1/4 Thai chili (finely minced)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp vegan fish sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel and slice the papaya. Start by peeling the papaya skin using a vegetable peeler. Then, slice it in half lengthwise. Using an ice cream scoop or a regular spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard them.

2. 2

   Let it soak. Transfer the green papaya halves to a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let it soak for about 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Grate it into thin strips. Next, drain the papaya well and pat it dry using kitchen paper towels. Using a vegetable grater or a food processor fitted with the grating disk, grate the papaya into long and thin strips (also called julienne).

4. 4

   Soak the papaya strips. Transfer the papaya strips to a large bowl, cover with ice-cold water, and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes (this step helps crisp up the papaya by extracting some of the water, as well as more latex). Drain and squeeze firmly with your hands to remove excess water. Transfer the drained papaya strips to a large mixing bowl.

5. 5

   Slice the other vegetables. In the meantime, julienne the carrot (grate it into long strips) and thinly slice the cucumber. Transfer to the mixing bowl.

6. 6

   Mince the aromatics. Finely mince the garlic and chili. Alternatively, you can crush them in a mortar and pestle.

7. 7

   Combine everything. Add the minced garlic, chili, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce to a small bowl. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.

8. 8

   Toss the salad with the dressing. Finally, toss the green papaya and carrots with the dressing. Incorporate the fresh herbs, peanuts, and fried shallots, and toss again. Serve immediately!

9. 9

   Papaya salad tastes best on day one. Leftovers can be stored for up to 1 day in the refrigerator.