Swede Som Tam (Thai Salad)

If you’ve ever tried to track down green papaya in New Zealand, you’ll know it’s basically a culinary treasure hunt. I once thought I’d cracked it – bought what looked like a green papaya, made the whole salad… and by the time it hit the table, the fruit had ripened. What I ended up with was less crunchy Thai salad and more of a spicy, zingy, soft fruit salad. Delicious in its own way, but definitely not what I was going for!

Enter the hero of this recipe: swede.
It’s crunchy, mild, easy to julienne, and holds its texture beautifully – making it the perfect stand-in for papaya. Add a carrot for colour and extra crisp bite, and you’ve got yourself the perfect Kiwi-style Som Tam.

Usually Som Tam is made with fish sauce, but this version is veggie-friendly. Just swap in soy sauce (or tamari if you’re gluten-free) – it gives the same salty punch without the fish.

Ingredients

• 1 medium swede
• 1 large carrot
• 10 green beans (optional)
• 1 medium tomato -cut into quarters (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 bird’s eye chillies (adjust to your spice tolerance!)
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp sugar (any type works)
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
• Extra peanuts, to serve

Method

1. Prep the swede + carrot
   Peel the swede and slice it into fine matchsticks using a julienne slicer or mandolin. Do the same with the carrot. Pop both into a big bowl of ice-cold water while you prep everything else – this keeps them super crisp and rinses off extra starch from the swede.

2. Make the dressing
   In a food processor (or if you want to go traditional, grab a big mortar and pestle), blitz the garlic and chillies together. Add soy sauce, lime juice, and sugar, then whizz until the sugar dissolves. Toss in the roasted peanuts and pulse until they’re broken up into rough pieces.

3. Mix it all up
   In a large mixing bowl, combine the dressing with your chopped tomatoes, green beans (if using), and the drained swede and carrot. Toss everything together until well coated.

4. Chill + serve
   For the best flavour, let the salad rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Just before serving, sprinkle with extra chopped peanuts for crunch.