Pomelo Salad (Yum Som-O)

Thai Pomelo Salad, or Yum Som-O, is a vibrant dish that perfectly balances sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. Based on an ancient Thai recipe, this salad combines fragrant pomelo with crunchy toasted peanuts, crisp coconut, and aromatic fried garlic and shallots. Tossed in a rich, sweet-and-sour dressing, every bite is bursting with flavor!

The first time I had this Thai pomelo salad, I was absolutely blown away by its flavors. The combination of tangy pomelo with shrimp, toasted coconut flakes, and roasted peanuts was delicious on its own. Fried garlic and fried shallots added another layer of crunchy fried umami. Then once all of the ingredients were coated with a perfectly balanced sweet and sour dressing with rich coconut milk and roasted chili paste, it was unlike any other Thai salad I'd eaten before.

This salad is indeed unique, even by modern-day Thai standards. It is based off of an ancient Thai pomelo salad recipe. More modern pomelo salads in Thailand are made with a larger assortment of herbs and the standard fish sauce, lime juice, and chili dressing. This salad is unique in that it has fewer herbs, more crunchy fried elements, and a dressing that includes coconut milk and roasted chili paste. The result is a really unique and flavorful salad that's equally fresh and fried, savory and sweet, roasted and rich.

Why You'll Love Thai Pomelo Salad

• A Perfect Balance of Flavors: This salad masterfully blends sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors, creating a refreshing and complex taste in every bite.
• Delightful Textures: The juicy pomelo and plump shrimp contrast beautifully with crunchy peanuts, crispy shallots, and toasted coconut, making every mouthful exciting.
• Light Yet Satisfying: Packed with fresh ingredients and a flavorful dressing, it's a dish that feels light and refreshing while still being deeply satisfying.
• A Taste of Traditional Thai: Rooted in an ancient Thai recipe, this salad showcases the rich, complex flavors of Thai cuisine.

Salad Ingredients:

The real work of making this salad is in preparing all of the different ingredients. Fortunately most of the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and stored. Once all of the ingredients are ready, the salad comes together in a matter of minutes.

• Pomelo: Any variety of pomelo works for this salad, but you might need to adjust the dressing to balance its inherent sweetness or tartness—use less palm sugar for sweeter pomelos and less lime juice for more sour ones. To prepare, score and peel the pomelo, then break it into bite-sized pieces.
• Shrimp: This recipe calls for fresh shrimp to be cooked and added whole to the salad. Modern day Thai pomelo salad recipes will often call for dried shrimp to be crushed and added as a powder instead.
• Roasted Peanuts and Toasted Coconut: Roasted peanuts and coconut add a delicious roasted nuttiness to the salad. Follow this guide to make roasted peanuts using the "dry frying" method for both. Be sure to watch the pan carefully for the coconut as it toasts much more quickly than the peanuts do!
• Fried Shallots and Fried Garlic: These fried aromatics add a wonderful aroma and crunchy fried umami to this salad. Follow this How To guide for making fried garlic. You can follow the same process for shallots, but start with thin, even slices.
• Cilantro: The leaves of the cilantro can be added whole or coarsely chopped to this salad.

Dressing Ingredients:

The ingredients of a Thai salad dressing are often added directly to the other salad ingredients, without making a distinct "salad dressing". However, for this Thai pomelo salad, I prefer to mix all dressing ingredients together and taste before adding to the other salad ingredients. The dressing itself should be well balanced, leading with sourness, then sweetness, and finally a roasted rich coconut flavor.

• Coconut milk: Regular, unsweetened coconut milk adds a rich creaminess to this salad dressing. Be sure to shake the can before use so that the coconut cream and tail are mixed together.
• Roasted chili paste: Roasted chili paste has all of the Thai flavors combined in one paste: it's sweet, salty, fishy, and slightly spicy with a lot of delicious roasted flavor.
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional): You can add crushed red pepper flakes for additional spiciness, or you can leave them out if you prefer a more mellow salad.
• Fish sauce: Fish sauce adds salt to balance out the other flavors of the dressing.
• Palm sugar: Palm sugar adds sweetness to the dressing. The amount you add will depend upon the the sweetness of the pomelo you're using. If you're working with hardened palm sugar, you may need to cut it into small pieces and/or microwave it once combined with the other dressing ingredients for it to dissolve completely.
• Lime juice: Lime juice adds the sour element to the dressing. Again, the amount you should add will depend upon the sourness of the pomelo you're working with.

How to Make Thai Pomelo Salad

Step 1: Cut the top off of the pomelo. Score the thick skin approximately 6 times around the fruit. Then use your fingers to peel back the skin until it is completely removed. Use a knife to remove the remainder of the pith. Break the pomelo flesh into its segments, removing the inner membrane between segments. Then break each segment into bite-sized pieces.

Step 2: Pour raw peanuts into a pan large enough that they will all fit in one layer. Turn the heat on to medium and allow to toast until golden brown. Stir or shake the pan regularly to prevent burning. Once the peanuts have been toasted and cooled, remove the skin. Toast the unsweetened coconut flakes in the same manner.

Step 3: Pour a ¼ cup of mild-flavored oil such as canola into a small pot. Turn the heat on to medium high. Add the chopped garlic and allow to fry until it's golden brown. Remove immediately and drain on a paper towel. After all of the garlic has been removed, add the thinly sliced shallots to the hot oil. Allow to fry until golden brown, then drain on a paper towel.

Step 4: Mix the coconut milk, roasted chili paste, red pepper flakes, lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar together. Taste the dressing and adjust the flavors according to your preference, as well as to the sweetness or sourness of your pomelo. Pour the dressing over the pomelo, then top with cooked shrimp, fried garlic, fried shallots, toasted coconut, roasted peanuts, and cilantro. Enjoy immediately!

Pomelo Salad FAQs

Although this Thai pomelo salad stands apart from modern day Thai salads, it's a definite winner in my book. It takes a bit of time and preparation to put together, but the result is well worth it. Each bite is rich and fragrant, and bursting with disparate flavors that somehow come together so beautifully.