Thai Papaya Salad with Crab
A bright, tangy Southeast Asian salad with tender shredded papaya, sweet crab, and a punchy lime-fish sauce dressing. Ready in 20 minutes with minimal cooking.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 185
- Protein
- 15g
Ingredients
- 1 medium (about 1.5 lbs) green papaya, unripe
- 8 oz lump crab meat, fresh or canned
- 2 whole (juiced) lime
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 whole (optional; omit if heat-sensitive) Thai bird's eye chilies or red jalapeños
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed
- ½ cup (combined) fresh cilantro and fresh mint leaves, torn
- 1 whole garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- 1
Cut the green papaya in half from tip to root, then scoop out seeds with a spoon and discard them.
- 2
Place one papaya half flat side down on the cutting board and peel away the thin green skin with a vegetable peeler, then repeat on the other half.
- 3
Thinly shred the peeled papaya using a box grater or microplane held at a 45-degree angle, making long strands like matchsticks, until you reach the hard center core.
- 4
Pick through the crab meat with your fingers and break apart any large clumps; discard any bits of shell, then set the meat in a small bowl.
- 5
Mince the garlic until pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about pencil-tip dots in size.
- 6
Cut each cherry tomato in half lengthwise from the stem end, then set them in a separate bowl.
- 7
If using a fresh chili, slice it crosswise into thin rings, removing seeds if you prefer milder heat, then place in a small bowl.
- 8
Squeeze the limes until you have roughly 3 tablespoons of juice in a small bowl, then pour in 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 1 tablespoon palm sugar.
- 9
Stir the dressing with a spoon for 15 seconds until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture looks uniform and slightly cloudy.
- 10
Place the shredded papaya in a large serving bowl or on a platter, then scatter the crab meat on top in the center.
- 11
Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes around and over the papaya and crab in a loose, natural pattern.
- 12
Pour the dressing evenly over the entire salad, then toss gently with two forks or your hands (holding the crab loosely so it doesn't fully break apart) until everything is coated.
- 13
Sprinkle the crushed peanuts evenly over the top, then scatter the torn cilantro and mint leaves across the surface.
- 14
If using chili, distribute the rings over the top as a final garnish, then serve immediately while the papaya is still crisp.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- vegetable peeler
- box grater or microplane
- small bowl (for dressing)
- small bowl (for crab)
- small bowl (for chili)
- spoon
- large serving bowl or platter
- two forks (for tossing)
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