This Thai Shrimp Salad known as Pla Goong features grilled shrimp tossed with a spicy and sour dressing and loads of fresh herbs. It's light and refreshing, yet packed with flavor! (post revision in progress)
My Thai in-laws introduced me to this grilled shrimp salad years ago, when my husband and I were still dating. We were visiting their house, and my father-in-law set me to work in the kitchen, washing mint leaves and finely chopping lemongrass. Once it was on the dinner table, I remember being blown away by the intense flavors of this salad -- being accustomed to a more western style salad, this Thai shrimp salad really blew me away. It is spicy, sour, slightly sweet, and incredibly fragrant.
What is Pla Goong?
Pla is one of the four categories of Thai salads. Yum, Tum, Larb / Nam Tok, and Pla. Pla refers to salads in which the protein is cooked by lime juice, much like a ceviche. These days, however, pla salads are much less commonly cooked by the lime juice and more commonly cooked, then dressed with the lime juice dressing.
Salad Ingredients
- Shrimp: peeled and deveined
- Lettuce:
- Mint:
- Cilantro:
- Shallots:
- Red Onion:
- Lemongrass:
- Thai Chili Peppers:
Dressing Ingredients
- Roasted chili paste:
- Palm sugar:
- Fish sauce:
- Lime juice:
Instructions
This Thai grilled shrimp salad is composed of all kinds of finely sliced herbs - lemongrass, cilantro, mint, shallots, red onions, and red Thai chilis. Everything but the cilantro and mint are meant to be sliced as finely as possible so you don't wind up with a mouthful of one flavor in isolation. Instead, all of the herbs harmonize together with each other. When combined with hot-off-the-grill shrimp and a typical spicy, salty, sweet, and tangy Thai dressing, you wind up with yet another fantastic Thai salad.
So I'd encourage you to get out your knives and start perfecting your chopping skills. I can assure you that the payoff for the time spent finely slicing herbs is well worth it in the end!
Recipe
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- ¾ lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 cups chopped lettuce
- ⅓ cup mint leaves
- ⅓ cup cilantro leaves
- ⅓ cup shallots sliced thinly
- ⅓ cup red onion sliced thinly
- ⅓ cup lemongrass sliced thinly
- 5 red Thai peppers sliced thinly
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons roasted chili paste
- 1 Tablespoon palm sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients and mix until everything is well incorporated. Set aside.
- Prepare all of your vegetables. The lettuce, cilantro, and mint can be coarsely chopped. The thick outer layers of the lemongrass should be peeled away and only the tender, bottom ⅓ of the stalk should be used. Slice the lemongrass, shallots, red onion, and red peppers very finely.
- Peel and devein the shrimp, keeping the head and tail on if you want a more dramatic presentation. Brush a bit of oil on both sides and then grill them until they're cooked through.
- Throw all of your vegetables together in a bowl and dress with the sauce. You may use more or less of the sauce depending on your taste preferences.
- Then add the grilled shrimp to the bowl while they are still hot and toss everything together. Enjoy immediately!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
I'm in love with the blends of flavors and textures in this! I definitely want to give it a try!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
I'm in love with the blends of flavors and textures in this! I definitely want to give it a try!