Som Tam Khao Pod
A vibrant Thai salad of fresh corn, tomatoes, and long beans pounded with lime, chiles, and fish sauce for a balance of spicy, sour, and savory. This vegetarian twist on som tam is bright, crunchy, and ready in minutes.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 198
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 medium ears)
- 1 cup long beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 whole Thai bird's eye chiles
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- ¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- 1
If using fresh corn, shuck the ears and cut the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife, rotating as you go — you should have about 1.5 cups. Set aside in a small bowl.
- 2
Trim the long beans and cut them crosswise into 1-inch pieces — they should be about the same length as the corn kernels so everything cooks evenly. Place in another bowl.
- 3
Halve 1 cup of fresh cherry tomatoes lengthwise, keeping them in a separate bowl so their juice doesn't water down the other ingredients yet.
- 4
Place a large mortar in front of you. Peel 3 garlic cloves and add them whole to the mortar along with 2 whole Thai bird's eye chiles — leave the stem and seeds intact for maximum heat. Using the pestle, gently pound them together 6–8 times until they break down slightly and release their aromatics. You want them slightly bruised, not pulverized into a paste.
- 5
Add the 1.5 cups of corn kernels to the mortar. Pound gently 4–5 times, rotating the bowl as you go — you want to release some of the corn's juices and slightly crush a few kernels, but keep most of them intact and crunchy. The corn should smell sweet and fragrant.
- 6
Add the 1 cup of long bean pieces. Pound gently 3–4 times, just enough to bruise them and let them mingle with the corn. Do not pound aggressively — long beans release moisture quickly and you want the salad to stay crunchy.
- 7
Pour in 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of palm sugar. Using the pestle, gently stir and toss everything together 4–5 times until the dressing coats all the vegetables. The fish sauce and lime juice should smell strong and mouth-watering.
- 8
Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the mortar. Fold them in gently with the pestle 2–3 times — their juice and the dressing will now distribute. Taste a piece of corn. If you want it spicier, pound the remaining chile pieces more aggressively. If you want it less salty, add a squeeze more lime juice.
- 9
Transfer the som tam to a serving bowl or plate, scraping every bit of dressing from the mortar with a rubber spatula. The salad should glisten and smell of lime, garlic, and fish sauce.
- 10
Top with 0.25 cup of coarsely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts and scatter 0.25 cup of fresh cilantro leaves over the top. Serve immediately while the salad is still cold and crunchy — it will soften and release more liquid if it sits for more than 10 minutes.
Tools you’ll need
- large mortar and pestle
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- small bowls (3–4)
- rubber spatula
- serving bowl or plate
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