Papaya Seed Salsa/Papaya Seed Dressing

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Sweet and sour, with a peppery kick, this versatile papaya seed dressing will make any dish you’ve made a little more special. It can dress your favorite salad, become a salsa for tortilla chips or a delicious vegan quesadilla, or perhaps be slathered on baked potatoes, bread, or tofu. It’s easy to make up and will store well in the refrigerator to be used any time you need a little papaya magic to brighten up your dish.

As spring has burst into bloom, I’ve been sharing a lot of foraged recipes with you all, from garlic mustard tartlets to a savory, amazing application for morel mushrooms. I even used wild ingredients to create an amazing Japanese knotweed salsa. But for those of you who do not have the inclination to head for the woods to start supper, I have been a little neglectful in my excitement from all of Spring’s bounty. So to all you non-foraging readers, this one’s for you- papaya seed dressing (or salsa, or spread).

I always try and use as much of an ingredient as possible. All of my vegetable scraps get frozen and later turned into vegetable stock. I was delighted when I learned of using chickpea brine as an egg substitute, and ingredients with largely inedible sections (like artichokes) break my heart a little. So when I was spooning creamy, sweet, rich papaya into my mouth all I could think about was how I could use the dark, shiny seeds from the center of the fruit. A quick google search got me the answer I wanted- these smooth, bead-like papaya seeds are edible, and taste a little like black pepper.

Aside from the papaya, the other slightly unusual ingredient I used in this recipe is the kombucha vinegar. I have been making my own kombucha for a couple months now, and it involves a certain amount of attention. About once a week you have to move the old, now fermented kombucha over and start a new batch of sugary tea to ferment. And sometimes that just seems too high maintenance for me, and my kombucha will sometimes sit for two, three, or more weeks. After a month or so, it becomes very acidic, and not at all tasty to drink. At that point, it’s re-designated as kombucha vinegar. If you don’t happen to be a lazy kombucha brewer, you can use red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar instead for this papaya seed dressing (although the kombucha vinegar does add a lovely flavor).

The best thing about this recipe is it doesn’t take a long series of instructions to achieve the desired result. I can describe the process in three words- blend it all. If you want to get a little more nuanced, we can mention that you can use a little water to achieve your desired consistency for a salad dressing, although I myself didn’t do that. Use it water-free as a salsa. If you leave it in the refrigerator for a day or so, it will take on a little bit of a jelly-like texture, perfect for spreading on bread or roasted tofu. This papaya seed dressing/salsa/jam is tasty, versatile, and brings that perfect sweet/sour peppery note to all sorts of meals.

Papaya Seed Dressing or Papaya Seed Salsa

Ingredients

• All the seeds from one papaya
• ¼ cup papaya flesh
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ¼ of a medium sized onion
• 3 tbsp. vinegar (I used kombucha vinegar, but red wine or apple cider would also be good)
• 1 jalapeno
• Pinch of salt
• A small amount of water, as needed (optional)

Steps

1.    Blend all the ingredients together. Thin with water to get desired consistency. For a thicker salsa, allow to set in the refrigerator. 

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