I don’t think I can accurately articulate how delicious and fresh this Nam Sod is. Imagine a fresh and zesty ginger and lime dressing that has a little bit of spicy heat, and a deep umami base flavor poured over tender ground pork and piled into lettuce cups, on top a bed of fresh, crunchy lettuce or cabbage, or over a bed of jasmine rice. No matter what you just imagined, I promise the real thing is even better. So just try it. ;)
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What is Nam Sod?
Nam Sod is a Thai pork salad seasoned with a flavorful dressing made with lime, ginger, chili, and fish sauce. This stuff is super tasty, nice and light, but completely filling at the same time, which makes it an ideal summer meal.
The version I am sharing below is a simplified nam sod, adjusted for my American kitchen, but if you want to have a taste of the real thing or learn more about this amazing dish, make sure to check out these authentic nam sod recipes:
- Nam Sod from Cooking Thai Recipes
- Nam Sod with Chicken from Healthy Thai Recipes
How to Serve Nam Sod
I served mine over rice just to bulk it out a bit, but it’s often served over greens, like shredded cabbage, or as a filling for lettuce wraps. I bet it would be pretty good over thin rice noodles, too!
Is Nam Sod Spicy?
Nam Sod is traditionally pretty spicy, but my stomach has been a bit sensitive lately, so my version is a little softer. I left out thinly sliced fresh chilis and opted to use a chili garlic sauce instead. To reduce the heat even further in this salad, you can reduce the chili garlic sauce to one teaspoon.
Can I Substitute the Fish Sauce?
Fish sauce gives this dish a very distinct Thai flavor and I don’t suggest you skip it or substitute it. Fish sauce can be strong, but I made sure to use a smaller dose that is going to be a little more palatable for American taste buds.
If you have fresh mint growing, add a few sprigs of that to this salad for an extra fresh kick!
Balancing Cost and Quality
You may also notice the higher price tag for this dish and for the ground pork in particular. As a reminder, my priorities have shifted a bit lately and I’m now trying to buy more responsibly products while still working within my budget. If that’s not something that is a high priority for you at the moment, this recipe may cost you much less. Remember, working on a food budget doesn’t necessarily always mean buying the cheapest food possible. It means making choices based on your needs and priorities, which will be different for each person. Despite my choice to purchase more expensive meat, I’ve still saved substantially over eating out, and that’s what works for me. :)
Nam Sod (Thai Pork Salad)
Servings 4Ingredients
DRESSING
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes) ($0.66)
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce ($0.07)
- 1.5 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ($0.16)
- 1/2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek ($0.17)
SALAD
- 1 lb. ground pork or turkey ($5.93)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/2 Tbsp canola oil ($0.02)
- 1/2 red onion ($0.38)
- 1 carrot ( $0.19)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro ($0.25)
- 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts ($1.68)
- 4 cups cooked rice (optional) ($0.72)
Instructions
- Make the dressing first to allow the flavors time to blend. In a small bowl combine the fresh lime juice, fish sauce, fresh grated ginger, and chili garlic sauce. Stir to combine, taste, and adjust the fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, or ginger to your liking. The dressing should be very potent.
- Add the ground pork to a large non-stick skillet along with 1/2 Tbsp canola oil and one minced clove of garlic. Cook the pork over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks, until it is cooked through (about five minutes). Drain off any excess fat and allow the pork to cool a few minutes, or until it is no longer hot.
- While the pork is cooking, peel and shred the carrot using a large holed cheese grater or mandolin. Slice the red onion into very thin strips. Pull the cilantro leaves from the stems.
- Transfer the cooled pork to a bowl, add the prepared dressing, and stir to combine. Add the shredded carrot, sliced red onion, cilantro, and peanuts. Stir to combine again. Serve the salad over a bed of cooked rice, shredded greens, or fill large lettuce leaves with the mixture for lettuce wraps.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Nam Sod – Step by Step Photos
Start with the dressing so the flavors have a bit of time to blend. Combine 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, (about 2 limes), 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1.5 Tbsp grated fresh ginger, and 1/2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce. If you don’t have chili garlic sauce (or sambal oelek), you can add a minced clove of garlic and some red pepper flakes. Fish sauce is a main flavor here, so it can not be substituted. You should be able to find fish sauce in the ethnic food aisle of most major grocery stores, at some health food stores, or at ethnic markets.
Next, cook 1 lb. of ground pork (or turkey) with 1/2 Tbsp canola oil and one clove of minced garlic. Sauté the ground pork in a large non-stick skillet until it’s cooked through (about five minutes). Avoid overcooking the pork as you want to make sure it stays moist and tender for the salad. Drain off any excess fat and allow it to cool slightly.
Once mostly cooled, transfer to a large bowl and pour the dressing over top. Stir to combine.
While the pork is cooking/cooling, peel and shred one carrot. You can use a large holed cheese grater for this, a spiralizer, or mandolin. Thinly slice 1/2 of a small red onion, and pull the leaves from about 1/4 bunch of cilantro.
Add the carrot, onion, cilantro, and 1/2 cup unsalted PEANUTS (sorry, I forgot the peanuts in the photos) to the seasoned meat.
Stir the salad to combine. And that’s it! (adjustments can be made to the dressing even at this point if it’s not where you like it).
I served my Nam Sod over a bed of rice because I wanted to really bulk it up, but a lot of people eat it over greens or inside lettuce wraps. I made sure to get a little bit of the dressing from the bottom of the bowl to drizzle over the rice. MMMmmmm.
I <3 Thai flavors.
This recipe is amazing. To die for. I’ve had it 3 nights in a row. Even my mother liked it and she’s not big on thai food. As the recipe says, rather than rice I’ve been using a bed of chopped lettuce and red cabbage and it’s great.
A few additions I’ve made: sprinkle some chinese 5 spice on the pork, and throw a diced shallot in with it, then towards the end when its getting done throw a bit of oyster sauce and dark soy sauce in with it as well.
Hi, great recipe. I use ground chicken, and also recommend adding 2 tsp sugar to the dressing. Thai cooking hits every taste bud. I love when restaurants do this recipe correctly, and serve it with sticky rice. I’m in heaven.
Totally agree, i was looking at a meal kit recipe and they suggested coconut sugar as an addition. If thats an ingredient you already have itd an easy additon.
I appreciate the notes on using more responsibly raised meat options. When I have the energy to cook and havent splurged on any takeout it makes sense. Many times you can taste the quality and I think feel great too.
really quick, really good!
Absolutely delicious!
I love your recipe. I altered it..I use a small cast iron pan to brown a small pork tenderloin about 6 minutes in total, rotating. and then put it in a preheated 300 degree oven,(summertime, a toaster oven does well). til it reaches 145 degrees. It only takes about 15 minutes..and it’s not a ground meat meal. Try this version. We love it!
I had never seen this dish on a Thai menu until I visited St. George, Utah recently. I fell in love and looked for it at home in Las Vegas. Turns out my local restaurant has it!! It gave me the zip that Larb lacked. Can’t wait to make it. Thanks, thanks, thanks 😊
This is now a favorite go-to dish of ours. Good with pork, good with turkey, just plain DELICIOUS!
Made this tonight. I’ve never had Nam Sod before and this was so delicious!! So fresh and bright but filling. Into the rotation. I can’t believe how inexpensive it is (even here in Canada). I’ve never been disappointed on this site. Thank you for all you do.
Delicious Nam Sod recipe! Not since I’ve eaten at Yum Yum Thai in Tucker, GA have I eaten any as good. The sauce was fantastic, next time I will double. My husband said this is so good, the spicyness is perfect. Thanks for sharing.
I didn’t see the comment about not overcooking the pork and purposefully waited until it was nice and crispy, which didn’t bother me. I used a cast iron and didn’t have to add any extra oil. I also stirred everything together in the pan with the heat off for a few min so the veggies softened just a bit.
Yum Yum. Craving Thai and it’s exactly what I was hoping for! Quick and easy
Best recipe ever! I make this all the time and it’s better than some Thai restaurants I’ve been to!
Oh my! This was divine! I added mint leaves from my garden. We had it over Jasmine rice, and my husband had three helpings. Thanks for making me look good again.
I don’t usually talk about modifications, but I had to improvise a chili-garlic sauce for this recipe and the result was spectacular. This recipe gets the fish sauce & lime juice balance right and grating the ginger is a great touch. For the chili-garlic sauce put 6 cloves of garlic, 5 or 6 Sichuan peppers, 2 TBS.cooking oil, and 1+ TBS sweet Thai chili dipping sauce (can also use duck sauce or orange marmalade) in a blender or small food processor bowl and blend until the peppers and garlic are incorporated. Add it to the other dressing ingredients and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours as the recipe says. Also I second the addition of mint leaves. Really good, served as a small party appetizer and it disappeared instantly.
I made this and served it on top of coleslaw mix (it already has the shredded carrots!) It turned out delicious, a definite keeper
Tried and true recipe! Followed every step and it won my husband over who loves Thai food. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Cherryl!
This was amazing, delicious, and easy to prepare. It is better than the recipe I order from our local restaurant at a fraction of the price. Thank you so much!
I made this for a Christmas party last year and served it as lettuce wraps. I made half with pork and half with tofu. I won the prize for best dish and people are begging me to make it again this year!
Loved this recipe. Wouldn’t change a thing. So simple yet so tasty (even better the next day). Vietnamese cuisine is one of my faves.
Cant wait to try this. How would this pack for lunch the next day?? Would you serve it hot over hot rice or room temp over hot rice? Thanks!!
I’d probably serve the pork mixture cold, since you don’t want the vegetables to cook, but you could do the rice either cold or reheated. :)
Another great recipe! I’ve made this twice using ground turkey because ground pork isn’t always available at my supermarket. To take the “bite” out of the red onions, I soak them in ice water with some lime juice for an hour or so. Really mellows the flavor if you’re not so into raw onions.
Great tip about the onions!
I made this recipe last night and it was a success, my husband loved it! I will make it again for sure.
Made these with ground turkey and ate with salad greens. Very very good! Thank you for the recipe!
One of my fave recipes! Have made it with both pork and turkey. Definitely prefer the pork in terms of flavor, but the sauce is so good that it works with either. Most recently made it with ground turkey and ended up adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce just to up the umami flavor.
Thanks for another great meal, Beth!
This is one of my favorite salads! Can it be prepared vegetarian, without the meat, and still taste okay?
Hmm, I don’t think so because the fish sauce is really pivotal to get that unique flavor.
Made this tonight. It was DELICIOUS. Everyone loved it. The marinade was very potent! But it mellowed out just enough when mixed with the meat and veggies. I used ground turkey and it was great.
This is quick and simple recipe that was tasty and satisfying. I upped the garlic clove count to 3 from 1, went heavy on the grated ginger, and my GF added a few splashes more of fish sauce, plus a sprinkling of sugar, to come closer to the taste one of our local Thai places produces.
I’ve made this twice now with leftover kalua pork roast, shredded. Its amazing. The only difference besides the pork is that I use chili sauce (yes like the ketchupy kind) and add garlic, because chili garlic sauce is just too spicy for me. And I always have chili sauce on hand. This is a phenomenal way to use up leftover pork.
Both times I’ve spent a significant amount of time shoveling this into my mouth over the bowl before telling the family to join me for dinner :)
Fantastic as always!!!! I am thinking about how I can end up with good flavor but cut back on the sodium for next time. Maybe up the lime juice but reduce the fish sauce? Maybe cut the fish sauce and chili sauce with a bit of water? I dont know…but it was so good I want to eat it often but with that much sodium, I just cant :( Wonderful wonderful recipe though!
Yes, try reducing just the fish sauce, first. That’s the heaviest with salt. :)
You think ground turkey would work?
Yep! :)
I cant cook. My husband fears my skills in the kitchen.yet, this was simple, delicious and a home run. My husband loves it!!!
This is my first time trying Nam Sod, and honestly, it’s out-of-this world DELICIOUS!! I didn’t have ginger and chili sauce on hand, so I added Sriracha and garlic. I used ground chicken instead of ground park for a healthier alternative. I served the Nam Sod over a bed of rice. I’ll definitely make this recipe again, and thank you so much, Beth!!! :-)
Beth, I made this last night. It was pretty authentic. I loved that you dialed the sauce down a bit for this… It was nice a little less spicy. The flavors were all very well balanced. I added a bit more garlic to the sauce and to the meat, because well, garlic is a food group for me. Other than that, I made it exactly as written. It was also SOOO easy. Dinner in 20 minutes or less? DONE. I am definitely going to be making again tonight. Thanks for constantly giving me inspiration for my cooking game. I’ve been cooking your recipes since 2010 and I honestly have never made a flop.
I’m looking forward to making this recipe next week!! :-)
Another terrific recipe, Beth.
Made for the first time last night without any modification. Both my wife and I found it to be delicious and have some leftovers to be eaten for lunch at work.
As a 54 year old who has always cooked, this was my first time using Fish Sauce. When combined with lime, ginger and sambal-oelek, it was simply a delicious recipe..
Hello, I’ve followed your blog for about a year, and wanted to say how much I appreciate you listing responsible, quality choices in this post. That is something close to my heart and love that you mentioned it. Thanks for continuing to be awesome! –Ashley, Kentucky
This was delicious and easy! I added red cabbage and sauteed mushrooms. Thank you for the recipe!
Just made this…it is so delicious! The only thing I added that was different was a little bit of soy sauce (half a tablespoon)…it gave it a deeper flavor for me…I don’t know if I’m breaking tradition Nam Sod rules but alas….great recipe! Keep the asian – inspired recipes coming!
I think it’s way better to make a recipe work for you than to stick to “tradition”. :)
This looks really good!! It amazes me the difference in grocery costs between the US and Canada!
Do you think I could do a veggie version with tofu? Maybe by marinating in the sauce a bit?
Hmm, probably! The sauce really is most, if not all, of the flavor here. Well, the red onions give a good punch, too, but the tofu swap won’t affect that. :)
I made this on Monday, and it was delicious. I doubled the sauce and served it over rice stick noodles (which, imo, reheat better than rice). The noodles bulked it out sufficiently to feed two of us for 4 days, so really a cost effective and tasty dish! I did add a bit of sugar to the marinade to take some of the edge off of the acidity.
Made this dish a second time, and thought I would pop back in to report that the marinade is AMAZING over shrimp, if pork isn’t your thing.
This was great!! I did use ground chicken (already had it in the fridge) instead of pork, and upped the sambal a good bit because we love it hot. Thanks for such a simple and delicious recipe, I’ll definitely be making this again!
Made this Monday night. The fiancée liked it so much, I had to make it again on Tuesday.
Thanks so much for this lovely salad idea. I used the shredded cabbage and substituted green onions . I also added some Stevia to the dressing but a wee bit of honey would be nice too. I like a bit of sweet with the lime. Used the mint as well as cilantro as you suggested as well. yummy! I’m always looking for low carb recipes! love your blog.
I was just about to make lunch when I saw this recipe and decided to try it. I used ground chicken instead of pork. I substituted green onions for the purple as I did not have any. It still came out delicious. I served it on romaine lettuce. It was yummy. The flavourful sauce was wonderful and the entire dish was delicious.I love your recipes!
The Thai call this “larb”, and it can be made a lot of different ways, but yours is so easy! My personal favorite is “Chiang Mai Salad” from Keo’s in Honolulu, their’s has ground rice in it which adds an interesting (albeit unpopular for many of my guests) texture.
I was wondering if anyone would point this out. My husband loves larb, and it is often made with beef. I like to use pork, but in order to keep it really lean often drop a couple of boneless pork chops–frequently on sale for about $3 a lb–into the blender long enough to get a coarse chop. I have to be careful because they can turn into paste pretty fast (if that happens, I make dumplings;) )
Do you know if there’s any reasonable substitute for fish sauce? I’m allergic to both fish and seafood. : (
I don’t know if this would work, but I recently stumbled accross a vegan fish sauce recipe.
http://food52.com/blog/15368-a-fish-sauce-with-all-of-the-flavor-none-of-the-fish
Michelle — I’ve used combo of Worcestershire and soy sauce in place of fish sauce. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire doesn’t have fish.
I just picked up some Maggi Seasoning, I’ve looked at it a few times at the store and finally bought it. It’s supposed to be a kind of “umami” flavour. Ingredients don’t say any fish, though there is the “artificial flavour” listing that cannot be ruled out as having some fish derivative. But you might be able to research a bit and learn for sure. I think it’s maybe more concentrated so I would start with less than the amount of fish sauce in the recipe and add to taste.
I’ve been craving Asian flavors recently and this sounds wonderful. However, since it’s so cold, nothing that isn’t steaming hot isn’t very appealing. I’ll save this for warmer weather!
I love thai pork, This looks delicious and amazing. I can’t wait to try it out I love the gluten free diets. I started this diet here and I never looked back http://goo.gl/6FPf3m
My mouth is watering right now!!! :-)
This looks delicious and fresh! I just pinned it and can’t wait to try it out.