Last Updated on June 22, 2023 by Chef Mireille
Thai Papaya Fish Salad – This salad with a Papaya Dressing and Fried Fish is perfect for seafood lovers.
A delicious tropical themed salad with pineapple, papaya and peanuts is perfect for the heat of summer as a complete meal.
I love papaya flavored foods like juice, jam and pastries. However, it has an unpleasant mouthfeel to me. Like persimmons, I never eat the fresh fruit as it leaves a dry, chalky feeling due to enzymes inherent in the fruit that disappears when cooked or diluted as in juice.
Last Sunday, it was a Thai inspired chowder and today it’s a Thai inspired salad. Looks like it’s a Thai Sunday month. To keep the theme going, guess I’ll have to come up with something Thai again for next Sunday. I had some leftover papaya puree after a failed attempt at a Papaya Tea Cake and made a salad dressing with it.
I’ve been on a seafood kick this month, so I added some seasoned fried fish and fresh greens and you have a delightful dinner salad.
Do you love Thai food as much as me? Well if you do, check out some of my other Thai recipes.
Thai Recipes
- Butterfly Pea Flower Sticky Rice & Mango
- Massaman Chicken Curry
- Lemongrass Ice Cream
- Thai Ice Cream Sandwich
- Classic Method Thai Sticky Rice
- Thai Fried Omelette
- Khao Soi – Chicken Curry Noodle Soup
- Jasmine Thai Coconut Custard
- Khao Neow Dum Sung Khaya – Thai Black Rice Pudding Custard
- Peranakan Pancakes with Banana Sauce
How to Make Papaya Salad
- Fry the Fish
- Make the dressing.
- Mix everything together and toss the salad with the dressing.
Spicy, salty, sweet….this salad has all of the multi-layered flavors we all expect from Thai food. However, this light salad is half the calories of a rich coconut milk curry. If you love Thai food but not the calories, this is the perfect salad for you!
Thai Papaya Fish Salad is the perfect summertime meal!
Thai Papaya Fish Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves firmly packed
- 1 1/2 cups baby arugula leaves firmly packed
- 2/3 cup pineapple chopped small
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
- 4 tablespoons dry roasted peanuts
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves finely chopped
Salad Dressing Ingredients
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 2 bird’s eye chiles finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pureed papaya
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Fish Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon lemongrass powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Toss the fish with the ginger, coriander, salt and lemongrass powder. Heat enough oil for deep frying.
- Toss the seasoned fish with the rice flour. Dust off the excess and place in the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
- To make the dressing, combine all ingredients except the oil. Mix well. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly.
- To make the salad, combine all salad ingredients with the fish. Add 6 tablespoons of the papaya dressing and toss well.
Notes
Nutrition
Don’t forget to visit the RECIPE INDEX with over 1000 recipes from around the world including lots of Vegetarian Recipes and Gluten Free Recipes!
Very colourful, I have made a veggie version of this before.
the fish can easily be replaced with tofu to make it vegetarian.
This Thai Papaya fish salad is divine. I love the flavors you used here. Glad I found your blog via Chef Dennis Littley of A Culinary Journey. Cheers!
Delicious thai papaya fish salad Mirelle.
This looks so fabulous–love the Thai flavors and the combination of the fish and papaya. Mmm! Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays this week. 😉
I am drooling!!! looks great…
wow very refreshing Salad… looks very cool…
Looks very refreshing & healthy
Wow, this looks different and a refreshing take on papaya salad! And I do love a good fish dish, too!
I am sure you would love it then
This salad is just up my street. I love Thai food and papaya, although the latter is hard to find here in Italy. But I come across them occasionally and next time I do, I’ll give this salad a try!
well hopefully you will get the chance to try it soon
I actually love eating papaya and persimmons.But I can see what you mean. This looks so good, I have only ever tried sweet dishes with papaya!
lots of fruits work well with both sweet and savory dishes and papaya is definitely one of those
Yum! I am always on the lookout for new delicious salads! This looks great!
I love Thai flavors. This is the kind of dish we crave for in summer . The only change I might make is to have the fish grilled .. Loving it .
It would be just as delicious and healthier with grilled fish too
This looks so delicious! I absolutely love having papaya in Dallas, I might have to make this the next time family is in town!
I am sure you all would love it
This salad looks delicious. Love papaya salad. What a great version with the fish. Yum.
thanks – yes its a great summer salad