Thai Cabbage Slaw: a Crunchy Twist on Som Tum Salad
When I lived in Thailand, som tum salad wasn’t just a side dish — it was practically a food group. The holy trinity was always the same: grilled chicken, sticky rice, and a tangy, fiery heap of som tum. You could spot the vendors from down the block, flanked by mountains of shredded green papaya and working giant wooden mortars like they were training for the culinary Olympics.
But here’s the thing: back home, green papaya is about as easy to find as a taxi during monsoon season. Which is why I nearly did a little victory dance when I found a green papaya substitute that actually works. This som tum cabbage — or Pounded Cabbage Slaw, from the book Sabai — has every bit of that limey, garlicky, chile-packed punch, but uses cabbage for crunch.
In fact, this recipe is essentially the same as traditional som tum. The only real swap is green papaya for shredded cabbage, which keeps the refreshing bite but makes it doable without a trip to a specialty market. And if you’re wondering what to serve it with — the perfect pairing is my Thai grilled chicken recipe here on the site. The smoky, charred chicken and this tangy slaw together taste exactly like dinner on a busy Thai street corner, plastic stools optional.
Thai Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- 2 cloves 10 g garlic
- 1 –3 Thai chilies adjust to taste
- 2 tbsp 24 g palm sugar, finely chopped and packed
- ¼ cup 35 g unsalted roasted peanuts, divided
- 1 medium tomato 125 g, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp 30 ml fish sauce
- 2 tbsp 30 ml lime juice (reserve rinds)
- 1 tbsp 15 ml tamarind paste or ½ tbsp (7 ml) lime juice
- 2 cups 170 g shredded red or green cabbage
- ¾ cup 65 g julienned carrot
Instructions
- Pound the Base: Smash garlic and chilies into a fine paste. Add palm sugar and pound until dissolved.
- Add Texture: Toss in half the peanuts and crush lightly. Stir in tomatoes, gently squeezing them to release juices.
- Make the Dressing: Mix in fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind paste, and lime rinds. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl if your mortar is too small.
- Plate the salad, then top with the remaining peanuts
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Storage: Best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 1 day. The cabbage will soften slightly as it sits.
- Heat level: Use fewer bird’s eye chilies if you prefer a milder slaw, or add more for authentic street-food fire.
- Vegetarian option: Swap the fish sauce for soy sauce or a vegan “fish” sauce to keep the same salty depth.
- Crunch factor: Use savoy or napa cabbage for a tender bite, or green cabbage for extra crunch.
- Shortcut: A mandoline or food processor makes quick work of shredding the cabbage evenly.
