Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)
User Reviews
5
-
Servings
2 servings
-
Course
Main Course, Appetizer
-
Cuisine
Thai
Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)
Description
Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen) features glass noodles soaked until pliable and mixed with sautéed shrimp and ground pork. Fresh tomato wedges, julienned onion, and thinly sliced Chinese celery add brightness and crunch. The dressing is prepared by pounding cilantro stems with garlic and chilies to a paste, then stirring in palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice, lending a complex balance of sweet, salty, and tangy notes. Roasted peanuts sprinkled on top provide additional texture. The dish combines chewy noodles with crisp vegetables and a vibrant, flavorful dressing.
The salad’s varied textures—from tender noodles and cooked shrimp to crunchy celery and peanuts—make it refreshing and satisfying. It can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled. The dried shrimp, soaked and pounded into smaller pieces, offer a savory umami boost if included. This salad works well as a light lunch or as part of a larger meal.
For best results, use glass noodles made from 100% mung bean starch and medium-sized dried shrimp, commonly found in Asian grocery stores. Adjust the amount of Thai chilies in the dressing to control the heat level. The salad is best eaten soon after preparation to preserve the texture of the noodles and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1.4 oz glass noodle aka "bean threads" or "bean vermicelli" see note 1, dry
- 1 Tablespoon dried shrimp optional, see note 2
- 1 tomato cut into wedges, medium
- ¼ cup onion julienned
- 1 talk Chinese celery thinly sliced, or 2 inner small stalks and leaves of regular celery
- 6 Shrimp peeled and deveined, medium or large size
- 3.5 oz ground pork
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ¼ cup peanuts roughly chopped, roasted
The Dressing
- 10 cilantro sprigs
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1-3 Thai chilies to taste
- 1 Tablespoon palm sugar finely chopped, packed
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice fresh
Instructions
- Soak the glass noodles in room temperature water for 7-10 minutes until soft and pliable.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing: Chop off the leafy half of the cilantro sprigs and set aside, and chop the stems-only half into small chunks and place in the mortar and pestle along with the garlic and chilies; pound into a paste. Add palm sugar and pound until dissolved. Add 2 tablespoon of the fish sauce and lime juice and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Place the dried shrimp in a small heatproof bowl, cover the shrimp with room temp water then microwave on high for about 45-60 seconds. Let it sit for a few more minutes until cool enough to handle, then drain. Without a microwave, you can cover the dried shrimp with boiling water and let them sit for a few minutes.
- Place the tomato, onion and Chinese celery into a large mixing bowl. When the dried shrimp are ready, drain and pound them in a mortar and pestle until they are broken into smaller pieces. Alternatively, you can roughly chop them. Add dried shrimp to the mixing bowl.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drain the glass noodles and cut them with scissors into 2-3 sections to shorten them. Boil the glass noodles for 2 minutes then remove them from the water with tongs (keep the water boiling) and place into a strainer to drain excess water; set aside.
- Add fresh shrimp into the remaining liquid and cook for 30-45 seconds or until they are done. Place the shrimp into the mixing bowl.
- Pour out the cooking water, leaving just enough water to cover the bottom, and return the pot back on the stove. Once the water boils, add the pork along with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and stir until fully cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork from the liquid and place into the mixing bowl. Then add about 1 tablespoon of the pork cooking liquid into the mixing bowl as well.
- Add noodles into the mixing bowl, pour the dressing over and quickly toss to combine.
- Roughly chop the leafy cilantro sprigs then toss them into the salad. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve immediately!
Notes
- Use glass noodles made from 100% mung bean starch for authentic texture.
- Choose medium-sized dried shrimp from the refrigerated section of Asian markets for best flavor.
- Adjust the level of Thai chilies in the dressing to control spiciness.
- Prepare and serve the salad soon after assembling to maintain noodle integrity and crunchy vegetables.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
