Vibrant Thai Cucumber Salad (Som Tum Tang) Recipe
My grandmother made this for me at her farm when I was a young child, keeping it mild so the flavors could find me without the heat getting in the way. Fresh cucumber, cherry tomatoes, julienned carrots, mint, crushed peanuts, and a dressing that was salty and sour and perfectly balanced. I loved it immediately and I have never stopped. My mother always kept cucumbers in the house and found them fresh at the street markets, and this salad was always a part of our table. It is simple and light and completely satisfying. Make it today, taste it, and adjust the dressing until it tastes exactly right to you. That is the whole recipe. That is all it needs.
Ingredients
- 2 large Cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved( optional)
- 1 Carrot julienned
- 1 small Red Onion thinly sliced
- 2-3 Thai Bird's Eye Chilies finely chopped
- 2 clovea garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup Fresh Mint
- 1/4 cup Crushed Peanuts
- 3 tbsp Lime Juice
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp Palm Sugar grated
- 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables
- Wash the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and red onion under cool running water and pat dry.
- Thinly slice the cucumbers into even rounds using a knife or mandelin . Halve the cherry tomatoes (if using) , and julienne the peeled carrot into matchstick-sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion into half-moon shapes.
- Combine all the prepared vegetables in a large mixing bowl, ensuring an even distribution for a balanced salad.
Make the Dressing
- Mince the garlic cloves finely and chop the Thai chilies.
- In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, chopped chilies, lime juice, fish sauce, grated palm sugar, and rice vinegar.
- Stir the mixture until the palm sugar is completely dissolved, ensuring a smooth and well-blended dressing. This will create the perfect tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor that complements the fresh vegetables.
Toss the Salad
- Pour the prepared dressing over the mixed vegetables in the large bowl. Add roughly chopped fresh mint leaves.
- Using tongs or salad servers, gently toss the salad until the vegetables are thoroughly coated with the dressing and the herbs are evenly distributed, ensuring every bite is packed with flavor.
Garnish and Serve
- Sprinkle the crushed peanuts over the top of the salad. For an enhanced crunch, toast the peanuts in a dry pan before crushing.
- Give the salad a final gentle toss to incorporate the peanuts. Serve immediately for the freshest texture. Enjoy!
Notes
Taste the dressing before it goes on the cucumber. This is the moment when everything gets adjusted and it is the most important step. The dressing should be in clear balance when you taste it by itself, sour from the lime, salty from the fish sauce, sweet from the palm sugar, and bright. Get it right in the bowl and it will be right on the salad. A small squeeze of additional lime at the table is always available for those who want more brightness.
Make this salad fresh and serve it immediately. This is not a dish that waits. The cucumber, tomatoes, and carrots are at their best the moment they are dressed and topped. Have all the ingredients ready before the dressing goes on and assemble it in one motion. The freshness is the whole point.
The fresh mint goes on top, not tossed through. Mint that is tossed through a dressing bruises and darkens quickly and loses the fresh, cool fragrance that is one of the defining qualities of this salad. Arrange the leaves on top, whole and intact, and let each person take what they want with each bite.
Serve immediately after assembling. The peanuts soften, the mint wilts, and the cucumber continues to release moisture the longer the salad sits after the toppings are added. Everything is best in the first fifteen minutes. My grandmother served it fresh. That is still the right approach.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 520mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!