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Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone
5 from 117 votes

Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone

Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone blends tender canned abalone slices with translucent glass noodles, brightened by a sauce combining abalone brine, gula melaka, fish sauce, and garlic. The salad includes thinly sliced red onion, coriander, spring onion, pan-fried dried shrimp, and ground peanuts, adding layers of flavor and texture. The poaching method for the abalone and noodles yields a delicate balance and preserves the tender bite of the abalone. This salad works well as a refined appetizer or light meal and captures savory, sweet, and tangy notes characteristic of Thai-inspired dishes.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings: 1 person
Calories: 635 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Ingredients

  • 1 bundle glass noodles about 37.5g/ 1.3 oz
  • 8 lices abalone About ⅓ of a can, thinly sliced, canned
Sauce (We only need 5 Tablespoons per person.)
  • ⅓ Cup water used to blanch the noodles and abalone
  • 4 Tablespoons abalone brine
  • 1 Tablespoon gula melaka Substitute: brown sugar
  • 1½ Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1½ Tablespoons rice vinegar Substitute: fresh lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic minced
Ingredients
  • ¾ red onion sliced thinly, small
  • 1 prig Coriander rough chop the leaves. Save the stem and roots for other recipes.
  • 1 spring onion sliced thinly
  • 1 Tablespoon dried shrimp pan-fried
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut or to taste, ground

Instructions

Prepping the noodles and abalone
    Cup of Yum
  1. They can be made pliable by soaking in water but since I'm poaching the abalone, I thought I might as well cook the noodles too. Bring a large pot of water to boil on medium-high heat then blanch the thin noodles for 1-2 minutes. Tip: if you have a small sieve like I do, place the noodles in them before putting it in the boiling water. It makes it easier to fish the noodles out later!
  2. Once soft, remove, and carefully drain off the excess water and pour the noodles into a large bowl. 
  3. Using the same pot of boiling water, lower the heat. You want it simmering not boiling hot. Place the abalone slices in the sieve and poach in the simmering water till warm, then add to the bowl in Step 1. Note: We don't want to overcook the abalone as we want them nice and tender! Tip: keep this water- it's like a diluted abalone stock, great for soups, congee or braises!
Making the sauce
  1. Leave ⅓ Cup of poaching water in the pot and keep the rest. 
  2. To the ⅓ Cup of water, add approximately 4 Tablespoons of the canned abalone brine and 1 Tablespoon of Gula Melaka sugar and stir till dissolved. If the sugar is stubbornly solid, turn the fire on to low and stir. 
  3. Once dissolved, switch off the fire and stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients: 1.5 Tablespoons of rice vinegar (or fresh lime juice), 1.5 Tablespoons of fish sauce (or to taste, since different brands have different levels of saltiness) and the garlic. 
  4. Mix well and taste. Add salt if necessary (unlikely as fish sauce is salty.)
Assembling
  1. Add 5 Tablespoons of sauce from Step 3 to the bowl of noodles from Step 1 and mix well. (Extra sauce can be served on the dining table for people to help themselves.)
  2. Add the onions, chilies, coriander and spring onion to the noodles and mix till everything is well-coated with the sauce.
  3. Now, sprinkle the dried shrimps and ground peanuts (if using) on top. Serve and enjoy!Note: We don't add them in the previous Step as we don't want them to become soggy.

Notes

  • This recipe yields one serving; multiply ingredients proportionally for more servings.
  • Gula melaka can be substituted with brown sugar if unavailable.
  • Retain the abalone poaching water as a mild stock base for soups or congee.
  • Use the coriander stems and roots in other recipes to avoid waste.
  • The nutritional information provided is an estimate and should be used as a guideline.

Nutrition Information

Calories 635kcal (32%) Carbohydrates 118g (39%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 169mg (56%) Sodium 2896mg (121%) Potassium 412mg (9%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 127IU (3%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 179mg (18%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 person

Amount Per Serving

Calories 635

% Daily Value*

Calories 635kcal 32%
Carbohydrates 118g 39%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 169mg 56%
Sodium 2896mg 121%
Potassium 412mg 9%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 16g 32%
Vitamin A 127IU 3%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 179mg 18%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.