Gỏi đu đủ is one of my favorite salads in the Vietnamese cuisine.  It is a very simple and refreshing dish to make, especially in the summer.  The traditional gỏi đu đủ is made with green papaya and beef jerky.  Vietnamese beef jerky is different from American beef jerky in that the jerky is spicier, sweeter and chewier.  I have tried this recipe with American beef jerky that I get from Costco and it still tastes great.  If you do not like beef jerky, feel free to top it with your choice of protein.  This salad is typically made as an alcohol accompaniment for late night drinking in Vietnam.

Try this recipe for a quick week night dinner or for your next BBQ.

Ingredients

1 green papaya (about 2 cups of shredded green papaya)

1 small carrot (about ¼ cup of shredded carrots)

Approximately 1/2 cup of Vietnamese basil (Rau Thom Que) or Thai basil

Beef jerky (enough for at least 1/2 cup or as much as you prefer)

½ of a yellow onion

Sriracha

Roasted peanuts for topping

Fried shallots for topping

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

½ teaspoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 ½  tablespoon of vinegar or equivalent in limes

1 teaspoon of red garlic chili paste

Directions

Peel the first layer of the papaya.

Using a grater, shred about 2 cups of green papaya.

Put the shredded papaya into a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes.

Peel the first layer of the carrots and shred approximatelyh 1/4 cup of carrots.

Put the shredded carrots into a bowl of water.

Thinly slice 1/2 cup of onion and soak it in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of vinegar, 4 teaspoons of cold water, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar.  This will remove the bite from the onion.

Cut up 1 large piece of beef jerky into smaller pieces or approximately ½ cup of beef jerky.  You can add more to your preference.

Julienne ½ cup of basil.

In a large bowl, add the strained carrots, papaya, beef jerky and thai basil to the bowl.  Top the bowl with fried shallots and crushed peanuts to your taste.

Add a few drops of sriracha depending on your spice tolerance.

This dish is served with the sauce on the side. Pour the sauce over the salad when ready to be eaten.

Sauce

In a bowl, mix the following ingredients together:

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of water

1 ½ tablespoon of vinegar

1 teaspoon of chili garlic

½ teaspoon of soy sauce

Enjoy this light and easy salad for your next meal.

For more recipes, visit our EAT page or Recipe Index.

Author:  Susan Tran and Chau Hoang