Thai Food Really Can Eat Like a Meal
One of my favorite dishes when I go to a Thai restaurant is their Papaya Salad. It’s great as a starter but can also eat like a meal.
That being said, it is typically made with fish sauce, so I have to ask them to make is sans that ingredient. They are quite obliging to do so; however, there is then a part of the flavor profile that is missing, or at least, I would think that is the case as I’ve only ever eaten Papaya salad since becoming vegan, so I wouldn’t know what it is supposed to taste like with the fish sauce.
Being vegan is not what it used to be. With the advent of the plethora of vegan ingredients on the market today, you can pretty much get a substitute for almost any non-veg ingredient. Thus, at least, is the case with fish sauce. The company, Tofuna Fysh, LLC, based in Portland,
Oregon, has come out with Vegan Fysh Sauce, which is made with organic seaweed. The perfect swap out for fish sauce.
Now, you can certainly make this recipe without Vegan Fysh Sauce; however, I have to tell you that it definitely is the difference between great and mouth-watering, can’t-get- enough-of- this-dish fantastic. So, if you are going to go through the effort of shredding papaya and carrots, I’d like to encourage you to score the Fysh Sauce. You will thank me for pressuring you to do so, I have no doubt. I scored my through my answer to almost all purchases, Amazon.com; but check with your local health food store as they might carry it or be willing to add it to their grocery aisles if they don’t already stock it.
You want to use green papaya for this salad. Now, shredding it can be a bit daunting; but give it a go. If you have a local Asian market nearby, you might be able to score a bag of it already shredded in the fresh produce department.
Papaya Salad is sort of like soup. While it makes for great eats as soon as it’s done, it also takes on an even more homogenous flavor the next day.
My recipe makes quite a large batch as I entertain quite often. It is also a very light yet substantially satisfying dish, so it’s not all that difficult to eat a larger-than- you-might- expect portion. I know that’s true for me.
So, if you feel that this recipe is too much volume for you, you can half it. You can also adjust the portion of the different ingredients, although I think that the proportions are just right for my taste.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Linda Voorhis - Veganification
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 cups green papaya, shredded
- 3 cups carrots, shredded
- 3 cups bean sprouts
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (4 Romas quartered and sliced)
- 1 cup scallions
- 1 large bunch cilantro (leaves only, use the stems for a chutney or other use)
- 1 poblano chili, air-fried or roasted, peeled, and thinly sliced [insert poblano chili]
- 2-3 jalapenos, minced
- 5 tablespoons lime juice
- 3-4 tablespoons Vegan Fysh Sauce
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar (vegan, of course)
- 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 cups peanuts (or a mixture of fresh peanuts and Thai Peanuts in soy sauce* – you can find these in a glass jar in almost any Asian market)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together the papaya, carrots, bean sprouts, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, and poblano chili. Set aside.
- In a large mason jar, add the jalapenos, lime juice, Fysh Sauce, sugar, and garlic. Close the lid and shake well to blend.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables; and using your clean hands, toss well to combine.
- Transfer to a serving platter.
- Garnish with the peanuts.
- Calories 1824
- Total Fat: 119 g 183.08%
- Saturated Fat: 22 g 110%
- Cholesterol: 0 mg 0%
- Sodium: 844 mg 35.17%
- Potassium: 2732 mg 78.06%
- Total Carbohydrate: 157 g %
- Sugar: 73 g
- Protein: 66 g
- Vitamin A: 666.6%
- Calcium: 348 mg 34.8%
- Iron: 10 mg 55.56%
