Get ready to confess your love to “Papaya Don’t Preach, Just Get Zesty!” This dazzling noodle salad is a lively, refreshing counterpoint designed to perfectly complement rich dishes like your “Island Time Tacos.” It features a dynamic base of crisp, unripe green papaya, crunchy jicama, and sweet shredded carrots, along with colorful red bell pepper, providing an exciting mix of textures. Adding to the delightful chew and freshness are slender rice vermicelli noodles, crisp mung bean sprouts, and the tangy bite of shredded green mango.
The fusion elements truly shine through with aromatic Thai basil, sweet-tart pomegranate seeds, and a truly innovative dressing. The star of the show is the creative dressing, which combines smoky charred pineapple, bright yuzu juice, and the deep aromatics of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. This complex base is balanced with savory notes from both fish sauce and soy sauce, sweet palm sugar, and a kick from fresh chilies. Adding a unique tangy fruitiness are the pickled gooseberries, providing a delightful pop and fulfilling your “pickled” preference. Finished with crunchy cashews, toasted coconut, and savory fried shallots, this vibrant creation is a symphony of textures and an explosion of tropical-fusion flavor that will undoubtedly leave you craving more.
Papaya Don’t Preach, Just Get Zesty!
Ingredients
For the Slaw Base & Toppings:
- 4 cups green papaya peeled, deseeded, and shredded (use a julienne peeler or a mandoline with a julienne blade for best results)
- 1 large green mango peeled and shredded or julienned
- 1 cup jicama peeled and shredded or julienned
- ½ cup carrots shredded
- ½ cup red bell pepper thinly sliced or julienned
- 2 oz approx. 1 bundle dried rice vermicelli noodles
- 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts rinsed
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup fresh Thai basil leaves roughly chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- ¼ cup roasted cashews coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup toasted coconut flakes unsweetened, large flakes preferred
- ¼ cup crispy fried shallots or garlic store-bought or homemade
For the Quick-Pickled Gooseberries:
- ½ cup fresh gooseberries halved or thinly sliced (depending on size)
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ cup rice vinegar unseasoned
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
For the Charred Pineapple, Yuzu, Lemongrass & Kaffir Lime Leaves Dressing:
- ½ cup fresh pineapple cut into ½-inch thick spears or chunks (about 1-2 slices of a pineapple ring)
- 3 Tbsp yuzu juice bottled is fine, or fresh if available
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce low-sodium preferred
- 1 ½ Tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely chopped or dissolved in a tiny bit of warm water
- 1 stalk lemongrass tender white and light green parts only, very thinly sliced (discard tough outer layers)
- 2-3 fresh kaffir lime leaves central vein removed, roughly torn or chopped
- 1-2 Thai bird’s eye chilies or serrano chilies, roughly chopped (adjust to your heat preference)
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tsp fresh ginger roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil like grapeseed or canola, optional
- 1-2 Tbsp cold water optional (to aid blending or adjust consistency)
Instructions
Prepare Quick-Pickled Gooseberries:
- In a small heatproof bowl, combine the prepared gooseberries.
- In a separate small saucepan, whisk together the warm water, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat gently until sugar and salt are fully dissolved.
- Pour the hot pickling liquid over the gooseberries. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use (can be made hours or a day ahead).
Prepare Green Papaya & Green Mango:
- After shredding the green papaya and green mango, place them in a large bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. This helps to crisp them up and remove any residual milky sap.
- Drain thoroughly and pat very dry with paper towels.
Prepare Rice Vermicelli Noodles:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the rice vermicelli noodles.
- Let them soak for 3-5 minutes, or according to package instructions, until tender but still slightly firm.
- Drain immediately and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside to drain well. You can lightly toss them with a tiny bit of neutral oil to prevent clumping if preparing ahead.
Char the Pineapple:
- Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until smoking.
- Add the pineapple pieces and char for 2-3 minutes per side, until deeply golden brown with some blackened spots. Remove and let cool slightly.
Prepare the Dressing:
- In a blender, add the cooled charred pineapple, yuzu juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, very thinly sliced lemongrass, roughly chopped kaffir lime leaves, chopped chilies, chopped garlic, chopped ginger, optional neutral oil, and optional cold water.
- Secure the lid and blend on high speed until the dressing is completely smooth and all aromatic ingredients are fully incorporated. This may take 1-2 minutes.
- Taste and Adjust Dressing: Taste the dressing! It should be a complex balance of sweet, sour, savory, smoky, and spicy with distinct aromatic notes. Adjust with more yuzu juice, palm sugar, fish sauce/soy sauce, or chilies to your preference.
Assemble the Noodle Salad:
- In a very large mixing bowl, combine the drained and dried shredded green papaya, shredded green mango, shredded jicama, shredded carrots, sliced red bell pepper, the drained cooked rice vermicelli noodles, and the rinsed mung bean sprouts.
- Add the drained quick-pickled gooseberries.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the noodle salad mixture. Toss vigorously to ensure all ingredients are well coated.
Add Final Toppings & Serve:
- Gently fold in the pomegranate seeds, chopped fresh Thai basil leaves, and roasted cashews.
- Transfer the “Papaya Don’t Preach, Just Get Zesty!” noodle salad to a serving dish. Garnish generously with the crispy fried shallots (and extra Thai basil/cashews if desired) just before serving to maintain their crunch. Serve immediately.
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