Som Tum (Papaya Salad) Dense Bean Salad

Serves 8 (stores well in the fridge to eat throughout the week!)

Som Tum Dense Bean Salad

The best thing you can do for yourself is get familiar with a mortar and pestle and there's no better recipe to do just that than with som tum (green papaya salad). Except this recipe is without green papaya and instead with three different kinds of beans for a fun, fiber-filled (which is fun, to me) side dish or main that all comes together in the comfort of your mortar and pestle.

The technique is essentially as follows:

pound pound pound

squeeze squeeze squeeze

mix mix mix

munch munch munch

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 Thai chilies (3 or 4 for more heat)
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 3 long beans cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (such as squid brand)
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1/2-1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
• 1 15-ounce can red beans, drained
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
• 1 12-ounce bag of frozen edamame, thawed
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (1 lime)

Directions

1. In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, Thai chilies, and palm sugar until it becomes a puree.
2. Add the long beans and roasted peanuts and continue to pound to combine to just break down the long beans and peanuts.
3. Add the dried shrimp, fish sauce, and tamarind paste and continue to pound to make the dressing.
4. Add the cherry tomatoes and lightly pound to incorporate into the dressing.
5. In a large bowl, add the red beans, cannellini beans, and edamame. Pour the dressing from the mortar and pestle and lime juice and mix to combine.
6. Top with crushed roasted peanuts and serve.

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