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Mike's Favorite Papaya Recipes

Recipe

Tropical carrot salad with papaya

Grated carrots and ripe papaya in a honey, coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar dressing, with fresh ginger and dried coconut. Mike's go-to side.

Prep
15 minutes
Serves
2–3 as a side

Ingredients

  • 2–3 carrots (depending on size), grated lengthwise
  • 1 cup ripe papaya, cubed or cut into matchsticks
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey (raw if you have it)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2cm / 1in piece of fresh ginger, finely grated or crushed
  • A couple pinches of dried shredded coconut
  • Any other fruit you have on hand (optional)
  • A pinch or two of coarse salt (optional, to taste)

Steps

  1. Peel the carrots and grate them lengthwise into long strands.
  2. Gently warm the coconut oil with the honey until they combine. If your honey is runny enough, you can skip the warming and just stir them together.
  3. Cube the papaya, or cut it into matchsticks.
  4. Toss the carrots, papaya, and any other fruit you're adding into a large bowl.
  5. Peel the ginger, then grate or crush it over the bowl.
  6. Stir the apple cider vinegar into the coconut oil and honey.
  7. Drizzle the dressing over the bowl, add the salt and the dried coconut, and mix vigorously.
  8. Best eaten right away. It keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Papaya is more than the app’s namesake. Here’s why it’s good for digestion.

This is the one I make when I want something that isn’t heavy: carrots for crunch, ripe papaya for sweetness, and a dressing that’s mostly pantry (warmed honey and coconut oil, sharpened with apple cider vinegar and fresh ginger). It’s forgiving, too. Whatever other fruit is sitting in the kitchen can usually go in.

Published August 13, 2026