Green Papaya Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

By DreiFromBK

Chef Lee Anne Wong loves the crunch of green papayas, an ingredient that's abundant in Hawaii. She spikes her healthy salad with green beans, grape tomatoes and plenty of herbs.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
• 5 small Thai chiles
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest and 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 lime zest
• 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 cups lightly packed julienned green papaya (from a 3-pound fruit)
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup Thai or regular basil, sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons
• 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a pie plate, toast the nuts until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
In a food processor, combine the chiles, garlic, lime zest and juice, fish sauce, honey and salt. Puree until smooth.
In a medium bowl, toss the papaya with the green beans, tomatoes, basil and cilantro. Add the vinaigrette and toss again. Fold in the nuts and serve.