If you’ve ever had the classic Thai Som Tam, you already know it’s one of those dishes that smacks your taste buds from every angle, sweet, sour, salty, spicy, crunchy. But if you’re cutting carbs, that green papaya is a bit of a problem. Here’s the fix: swap in chayote. Yep, that weird-looking green veggie you’ve probably walked past a hundred times in the grocery store.

Why chayote?

Because it’s low in carbs, has a neutral taste, and soaks up flavor like it was made for Thai salads. Think of it as green papaya’s keto cousin who just got a glow-up. It has crunch. It has vibe. And it won’t boot you out of ketosis.

This salad isn’t just another sad bowl of lettuce with olive oil. It’s got layers. It’s got fire. It’s refreshing and wild at the same time. You can eat it alone, toss it next to grilled chicken, wrap it up in lettuce cups—whatever you’re into.

What You’ll Need (Ingredients)

This recipe serves 2 to 3 people as a side, or one person with zero regrets.

Main Salad:

1 medium chayote (peeled, seed removed, and julienned)
1 small carrot (optional if you’re strict keto, but it adds nice color)
8 cherry tomatoes (halved)
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts (crushed, or sub with sunflower seeds if nut-free)
1 to 2 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 Thai chili (or more if you like pain)
1/2 cup shredded green beans or snake beans (cut into 1-inch pieces)

Dressing:

2 tablespoons fish sauce (or coconut aminos for a milder, less funky version)
1 tablespoon lime juice (fresh is best)
1 teaspoon powdered monk fruit or erythritol (or a couple drops of liquid stevia)
1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste (optional, but it adds that “something’s happening here” feeling)

How to Prep the Salad (Without Losing Your Mind)

Peel the chayote. You can use a veggie peeler or a sharp knife. It gets a little slippery, so hold on tight. Once peeled, slice it thin into julienne-style matchsticks. If you have a spiralizer or mandoline, even better.
Salt it a little. Toss your chayote in a pinch of salt and let it sit in a colander for 10 minutes. This draws out extra water and softens it slightly. Rinse off the salt and pat dry.
Smash garlic and chili. You can use a mortar and pestle if you’re feeling traditional. Otherwise, just mince it super fine and mash with the back of your knife.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix fish sauce, lime juice, sweetener, and tamarind paste. Give it a taste. Adjust according to your mood. More lime if you’re feeling tart. More sweetener if you need balance.
Mix it all. In a big bowl, toss chayote, tomatoes, green beans, peanuts, garlic, chili, and dressing. Get your hands in there if you want everything coated like it should be. Warning: you might want to eat it straight outta the bowl.
Let it sit. Give it 5 to 10 minutes to rest. That’s when magic happens and everything melds together.

Why This Salad Works

Low carb without tasting like cardboard. Chayote brings texture without guilt.
It kicks. Thai chili + garlic + lime juice = flavor explosion. You won’t miss sugar. Promise.
Easy to prep. No stove, no oven. Just chop, mix, and vibe.
Flexible. Toss in grilled shrimp, shredded chicken, or tofu and you’ve got a meal. Use it as a topping for lettuce wraps or spoon it over cauliflower rice.

A Few Tips to Get It Right

If you’re totally new to chayote: it can feel weird raw but don’t worry—that crisp bite gets better once it mingles with the dressing.
Can’t do fish sauce? Use soy sauce or coconut aminos, but understand: the flavor will shift.
Want to make it ahead? You can. Just leave the peanuts out until you’re ready to eat so they stay crunchy.

How to Store Leftovers (If You Have Any)

Put the salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay good for up to 2 days, but it’s best on day one when everything’s still got that pop. The chayote won’t get soggy like regular lettuce, so it actually holds up.

My First Time Making This

I was craving Thai food so bad but was knee-deep in keto and couldn’t go near a noodle. I found a half-dead chayote in the back of my fridge, didn’t know what to do with it, and thought “what if?” That salad? Changed my whole week. It hit that street-food vibe, but my blood sugar barely moved.

Now I make it once a week minimum. Sometimes I even toss in bits of pork crackling or boiled egg on top when I’m feeling extra.

What to Serve With It

Grilled satay-style chicken skewers
Sliced boiled eggs with chili oil
Pan-seared tofu with sesame seeds
Lettuce wraps with ground pork

It’s one of those recipes that acts like a side but eats like a main. Add a protein and you’re sorted.

Quick Ingredient Substitutes

No chayote? Try zucchini or cucumber. Just remove the seeds and julienne them. Not as crunchy, but still good.
No Thai chili? Use serrano or red pepper flakes. Or go wild with jalapeño if that’s what you got.
Nut allergy? Toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds work just fine.

Is This Really Keto? Yep.

Here’s a rough carb count for one serving:

Chayote: 4g net carbs
Tomatoes (8 halves): 2g net carbs
Green beans: 2g net carbs
Dressing + extras: around 1g net carbs

Total: around 9g net carbs, give or take depending on your ingredients.

Totally doable if you’re keeping it under 20 to 25g a day. And way more fun than another fat bomb or boiled egg.

Make It Your Own

Once you try the base version, mess with it. Add mint. Toss in cilantro. Throw in shredded cabbage or chopped kale. If you’re into meal prepping, this is a good one to keep rotating through with slight tweaks so it never feels like a repeat.

Conclusion

This isn’t some trendy low-carb fake-out. It’s a real-deal Thai-style salad that just happens to fit your macros. It doesn’t try too hard. It doesn’t taste like it’s trying to be something else. And it brings that spark back to your meal routine when you’re starting to feel like keto is a long walk through blandsville.

So yeah. That forgotten chayote? Time to give it the spotlight.

Make it. Eat it. Repeat. And maybe… don’t tell your non-keto friends it’s low carb. Just watch them ask for seconds.