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Simple Pomelo Salad with shrimp is both zesty and delicious. Whether you're in the mood for the sweet and tangy Vietnamese version or the bold, spicy Thai style Yam Som-O, this citrusy pomelo salad recipe is a perfect choice!
What Is Pomelo
Pomelo is a big, citrus fruit from Southeast Asia that looks like a giant grapefruit. It has a thick, green or yellow skin and juicy, sweet-tart flesh inside.
Pomelos are known for their mild, sweet flavor that’s less bitter than grapefruits. The fruit is often eaten fresh, used in salads like healthy Pomelo Salad, in dessert such as Mango Pomelo Sago, or incorporated into various dishes for its refreshing taste and texture. It’s also rich in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants.
Choose a pomelo that feels heavy for its size and has a firm, slightly springy texture. The skin should be smooth and free of blemishes, with a fragrant citrus aroma.
Sidenote: To peel a pomelo, cut off the top and bottom first. Then, slice off the thick outer rind in sections, and remove the white pith. Break the fruit into segments and separate the flesh into chunky pieces, as pictured above.
Thai Pomelo Salad Vs. Vietnamese Pomelo Salad
In Thailand, the salad is called Yam Som-O, yam means salad, and som-o is the pomelo fruit. Vietnamese pomelo salad is called Gỏi Bưởi. Both use the pomelo fruit and very similar in the flavors and ingredients.
Thai Pomelo Salad is known for its bold and spicy flavors with a more complex dressing that highlights the Thai approach to balancing sweet, sour, salty, and spicy elements. The dressing includes Thai chilies for heat, and toasted coconut is used in the recipe.
Vietnamese Pomelo Salad is often made with a combination of pork and shrimp, with a dressing that is a balance of sweet, tangy, and salty. The emphasis is on the fresh herbs such as mint leave and cilantro leaves and a lighter dressing.
Both salads are refreshing and highlight the versatility of the pomelo fruit, but they offer different taste experiences based on their regional ingredients and flavor profiles.
Why You’ll Love Pomelo Salad
You’ll love pomelo salad for its refreshing, vibrant flavor and the fruity burst of freshness in every bite. It’s absolutely delicious, just like Thai cucumber salad.
- Unique flavor: It combines sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors that are truly different from your usual salads.
- Great texture: The mix of juicy pomelo, crunchy French bean, crispy shallot crisps and nuts makes each bite exciting.
- Taste of Thailand: You don’t have to travel to Southeast Asia to taste it, making it at home brings a tropical touch to your dining table.
- Customizable taste: You can adjust the saltiness, sweetness, and spiciness to match your taste perfectly.
- Make a statement: Impress your friends with your culinary repertoire by serving them a delicious pomelo salad!
Ingredients
My simple Pomelo Salad is inspired by the ones I enjoyed on a beach in Pattaya, Thailand. I love its clean, vibrant, and citrusy taste—refreshingly bright with just a hint of heat from the chilies, and perfectly balanced with sweet, sour, salty, and spicy notes. Here are the list of ingredients:
- Pomelo
- Poached shrimp
- Toasted coconut – Dry-toast the desiccated coconut flakes in a skillet over medium-low heat until they turn light brown. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent burning, as the flakes can burn quickly.
- French beans
- Thai chilies and red chilies
- Roasted cashew nuts or peanuts
- Fish sauce
- Lime juice
- Sugar
- Fried shallots
Recipe Variation: To make Vietnamese style Pomelo salad, take out French beans from the ingredients. Add chopped mint leaves and cilantro leaves to the salad, also opt out chilies from the salad dressing.
How To Make Thai Pomelo Salad
In Thailand, this salad is served mostly at sit-down type of restaurants; it is not a common street food like Pad Thai or Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam). Though hugely popular in Thailand, it is rarely found on the menus of Thai restaurants outside the kingdom. This makes it all the more reason to learn how to make this unique and delicious salad at home.
Step 1: Gently break the pomelo segments into small pieces and set them aside.
Step 2: Make the Pomelo Salad dressing by mixing the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, Thai chilies, and red chilies in a small bowl. Stir well to combine and set aside.
Step 3: Add the shrimp, French beans, cashew nuts, and dressing to the pomelo, and stir well to combine.
Step 4: Top with toasted coconut and fried shallots, then serve immediately.
Sidenote: Like most traditional Thai salads, this dish should be eaten immediately after it’s tossed. That’s when the flavors reach their peak before quickly declining.
Helpful Tips
Here are some helpful kitchen tips for first-time cooks making pomelo salad:
- Use fresh ingredients: Choose ripe pomelo, fresh shrimp, and crisp French beans for the best flavor. Ensure the roasted cashew nuts or peanuts are fresh and not rancid.
- Poaching shrimp: The best way to poach shrimp is in simmering, not boiling, water. The temperature should be between 160° and 180°F (71–82°C). Be sure not to overcook the shrimp.
- Adjust dressing to taste: Balance the flavors by adjusting the sweetness, sourness, and spice in the dressing to your preference. If the pomelo is tart and bitter, add more sugar to the dressing.
- Careful substitutions: Avoid substituting lemon juice for lime juice, soy sauce for fish sauce, or sweet coconut flakes for plain desiccated coconut.
- Properly peeled pomelo: Cut off the rind and remove any pith before breaking the fruit into bite-sized pieces. For convenience, you can buy pre-peeled pomelo at the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use grapefruit segments. Blot grapefruit dry with paper towels to remove as much juice as possible. (Grapefruit releases a lot of juice and you don’t want your salad swimming in liquid.) Navel orange segments can also be used as a substitute.
You can find pomelo in Hispanic, Southeast Asian (Thai, Vietnamese) or Chinese food stores. You can also find pomelo at Whole Foods Market, in their produce section. Availability might vary based on location and season.
I don’t recommend making the salad in advance. It tastes best when all the components are prepared just before tossing and serving.
The salad doesn’t keep well and should not be refrigerated or reheated, as it will lose its texture and flavor.
This salad recipe is only 175 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Pomelo Salad
For a wholesome homemade Thai meal, I recommend pairing the salad with the following Thai recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Salad Recipes You Might Like
Pomelo Salad
Ingredients
- 10 oz (280g) pomelo, peeled and separated into tiny segments
- 2 oz (60g) medium-sized shrimp, 4 shrimps, peeled, deveined, and poached
- 25 oz green beans, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons roasted cashew nuts or peanuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut flakes, unsweetened, toasted
- 2 tablespoons fried shallot crisps
- Thai basil, for garnishing, optional
Pomelo Salad Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 lime, extract the juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1-2 Thai chilies, finely chopped
- 1 red chili, finely chopped
Instructions
- Gently break the pomelo segments into small pieces and set them aside.
- Make the Pomelo Salad Dressing by mixing the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, Thai chilies, and red chilies in a small bowl. Stir well to combine and set aside.
- Add the shrimp, French beans, cashew nuts, and dressing to the pomelo, and stir well to combine.
- Top with toasted coconut and fried shallots, then serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Dry-toast the desiccated coconut flakes in a skillet over medium-low heat until they turn light brown. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent burning, as the flakes can burn quickly.
- Use fresh ingredients: Choose ripe pomelo, fresh shrimp, and crisp French beans for the best flavor. Ensure the roasted cashew nuts or peanuts are fresh and not rancid.
- Poaching shrimp: The best way to poach shrimp is in simmering, not boiling. The water should be at the temperature of 160° and 180°F (71–82°C). Be sure to not overcook the shrimp.
- Adjust dressing to taste: Balance the flavors by adjusting the sweetness, sourness, and spice in the dressing to your preference. If you have a tart and bitter tasting pomelo, add more sugar to the dressing.
- Careful substitute: Do not substitute lemon juice for lime juice, soy sauce for fish sauce, or sweet coconut flakes for plain desiccated coconut.
- Properly peeled pomelo: Cut off the rind and remove any pith before breaking the fruit into bite-sized pieces. For convenience, you can buy pre-peeled pomelo in the market.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can i add mung bean sprouts to this salad?
You could try.
Willie G youllied
Hmm it seems like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long) so
I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and
say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new
to the whole thing. Do you have any helpful hints for novice blog writers?
I’d really appreciate it.
Made this today! Sensational! Many thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe.
Thanks for trying this Thai Pomelo Salad recipe.
I’m going to be making this for our New Year’s Eve dinner. I don’t make it often, but it always wows our friends and family with its fabulous taste!
Awesome! Happy cooking.
Thanks for posting. I had pomelo salad for the first time recently in a southern Thai restaurant and it’s great to have your recipe as a guide for home replication. It is pomelo season here!