Goi Du Du
This salad is crisp, bright, and deeply refreshing, with cool green papaya and carrot tossed in a sharp-savoury nuoc cham dressing. Sweet shrimp, fragrant herbs, chili heat, and crunchy peanuts make it lively, light, and satisfying.
Ingredients
Salad
- 300 ggreen papaya, peeled and julienned
- 80 gcarrot, peeled and julienned
- 160 gcooked peeled shrimp
- 10 gmint leaves
- 10 gcoriander leaves
- 30 groasted peanuts, roughly crushed
- 1 small (8 g)red chili, thinly sliced
Nuoc cham dressing
- 30 mlfish sauce
- 30 mllime juice
- 18 gcaster sugar
- 1 clove (5 g)garlic, finely minced
- 15 mlwater
Instructions
- 1
Prepare all produce: peel and julienne the green papaya and carrot, pick the mint and coriander leaves, thinly slice the chili, mince the garlic, and roughly crush the peanuts. If the papaya seems very wet, gently squeeze it in a clean towel so the salad stays crisp instead of watery.
- 2
Make the dressing by stirring together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and water until the sugar dissolves. Taste it: it should be bright, salty, sweet, and sharp. Adjust with a few extra drops of lime or water if needed.
- 3
Place the green papaya and carrot in a mixing bowl. Pour over about three-quarters of the dressing and toss well for 30 seconds to lightly soften the vegetables while keeping crunch.
- 4
Add the cooked shrimp, mint, coriander, half of the peanuts, and as much chili as you like. Toss again just until evenly combined. Do not overmix once the herbs go in, or they will bruise and darken.
- 5
Transfer to a serving plate or shallow bowl. Spoon over the remaining dressing, scatter with the rest of the peanuts, and serve immediately while the papaya is cold and crisp.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For a true 15-minute beginner version, use ready-cooked peeled shrimp and shred the papaya and carrot on a coarse grater or mandoline instead of hand-julienning.
- •If you prefer a milder salad, remove the chili seeds or use only half the chili.
- •Serve on its own as a light lunch or alongside grilled fish, rice crackers, or steamed jasmine rice.
- •If making a few minutes ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss just before serving so the salad stays crunchy.
Background
Goi Du Du is a Vietnamese papaya salad that highlights the country's love of fresh herbs, balanced dressings, and contrasting textures. Unlike the sweeter Thai-style versions, Vietnamese papaya salads often lean on nuoc cham, combining fish sauce, lime, sugar, and garlic for a light but punchy finish.
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