Paw Paw Salad With Ripe Red Papaya, Mint & Lime (Vegan)

Paw Paw Salad With Ripe Red Papaya, Mint And Lime.

A Fresh, Vegan, Gluten Free Salad With Herbs, Capsicum And A Little Chilli.

Toss It, Chill It For An Hour, And Enjoy A Top Taste Of The Tropics.

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Introduction to paw paw salad

This paw paw salad is ripe red papaya cut into cubes and tossed with mint, coriander, red capsicum, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, ginger and a little chilli, then dressed with lemon and lime juice and olive oil. It’s vegan and gluten free. Chill it in the fridge for at least an hour before you serve it.

In Darwin, most people call it paw paw, even when it’s the red papaya you see in my pictures. I prefer red papaya because it’s a tad sweeter and maybe more juicy. But yellow paw paw is delicious too, and it works just as well here.

I’d never seen a red papaya until my early 20s, when I went to Papua New Guinea. Now I love them. At the Flametree Bali yoga retreat, we’re regularly served wonderful red papaya dishes. Papaya from tropical islands like Bali or PNG tastes even better than what I’ve found in Darwin!

If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.

Paw paw salad, ready to eat

Ripe red papaya salad made with Chris Lalor's paw paw salad recipe

My ripe red papaya salad. Call it paw paw salad or papaya salad, it’s just as good.

Ingredients for paw paw salad

Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio dish.

The fruit and vegetables

A medium red paw paw or papaya (you could use a yellow paw paw if that’s all you can get)
One cucumber
One red capsicum
6 cherry tomatoes, ideally organic
Half a red onion
One small, mild to medium chilli

The herbs and spices

Half a cup of mint
Half a cup of fresh coriander
2 cloves of garlic
One dessert spoon of minced ginger
Half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Half a teaspoon of smoky paprika

The paw paw salad dressing

A third of a cup of lemon juice and lime juice mixed together, and possibly a little more
2 tablespoons of good quality olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

In Darwin, I get red papaya at the markets, organic suppliers and Asian shops. Papaya and paw paw can look alike on the outside, so double check with your supplier whether it’s red or yellow inside. If you can get an organic NT papaya, it’s even more scrumptious.

An NT Darwin papaya

The NT Darwin papaya I used for this paw paw salad. Of course, you can tweak the recipe to your own liking.

Red papaya or yellow paw paw?

A longer shaped red Darwin papaya for ripe papaya recipes

A longer shaped Darwin papaya. Ask your supplier whether it’s a red papaya or a yellow paw paw.

How to make paw paw salad

Use these steps to make this ripe paw paw salad.

Step 1: Prepare the fruit and vegetables

Cut the paw paw or papaya into bite sized cubes.
Halve the tomatoes and slice the red capsicum.
Finely slice the red onion.
Chop the cucumber into pieces, and chop the chilli.

Step 2: Prepare the herbs

Chop the mint and coriander.
Mince the garlic and ginger.

Step 3: Combine

Combine everything in a bowl, then add the cayenne pepper and smoky paprika.

Step 4: Dress the salad

Add the lemon and lime juice mix. Taste it, and add a little more if you think it’s needed.
Mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Don’t overdo it.
Add black pepper and salt.

Step 5: Toss and chill

Toss the salad and leave it in the fridge for at least an hour.

Paw paw salad with baked tofu shashliks

Paw paw salad served with tofu, eggplant and mushroom baked shashliks

My paw paw salad with tofu, eggplant and mushroom baked shashliks. You could just as well call it a vegan papaya salad.

Is paw paw salad vegan and gluten free?

Yes. Every ingredient is a fruit, vegetable, herb or spice, plus olive oil and citrus juice. There’s no dairy, egg, wheat or soy sauce, so this paw paw salad is vegan and gluten free.

Are papaya and paw paw the same fruit?

Yes. The NT Government lists papaya and pawpaw as names for the same plant, Carica papaya, and says papaya is grown around Darwin.

In Darwin, people often say paw paw for the yellow fleshed fruit and papaya for the longer, red fleshed one. That’s why so many of us search for paw paw salad, even when we’re after a red papaya salad.

The mix up may also come from North America, where pawpaw is the name of a completely different fruit.

Is ripe paw paw salad the same as green paw paw salad?

No. Green paw paw salad, like Thai som tam, uses unripe fruit that’s firm and crunchy. Darwin loves a green paw paw salad too! This one uses ripe red papaya, so it’s soft, juicy and sweeter.

Paw paw salad with a pink grapefruit salad

Vegan papaya salad with a pink grapefruit salad alongside

My vegan papaya salad, with a pink (ruby red) grapefruit salad alongside.

A simple papaya dessert with NT limes

Red papaya with fresh NT limes, a simple dessert after paw paw salad

For dessert, red papaya with local NT limes. Thank you to the yoga student who brought delicious backyard limes for all of us in class!

Paw paw salad: quick questions answered

How long should paw paw salad chill before serving?

Toss the salad and leave it in the fridge for at least an hour before you serve it.

Can I use yellow paw paw instead of red papaya?

Yes, if that’s all you can get. I prefer red papaya because it’s a tad sweeter and maybe more juicy, but yellow paw paw is delicious too.

What is in the paw paw salad dressing?

A third of a cup of lemon and lime juice mixed together, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Taste it and add a little more juice if you think it needs it.

What goes well with paw paw salad?

I serve it with tofu, eggplant and mushroom baked shashliks, or with a pink grapefruit salad. Then I have red papaya with fresh NT limes for dessert.

Where can I buy red papaya in Darwin?

Try the markets, organic suppliers or Asian shops. Papaya and paw paw can look alike on the outside, so ask whether it’s red or yellow inside.

More Flametree papaya recipes

Got more papaya? Try my baked papaya with cinnamon and lime, my papaya tapioca pearl dessert with tropical fruit, or my Darwin mango salad.

Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?

Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.

Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.

Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.

Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat

By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.

Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.

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Meanwhile, start or re-start yoga or meditation with one of the HALF price deals below, or check out the retreat deals.

Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.