Yum Woon Sen [Thai Glass Noodle Salad]

Yum Woon Sen salad on a white plate with pink linen

Yum Woon Sen [Thai Glass Noodle Salad]

A refreshing, spicy Yum Woon Sen Thai Glass Noodle Salad with shrimp, minced pork, herbs, peanuts, and a zesty Thai dressing. A bright, protein-packed Asian salad full of heat, acidity, and crunch — ready in under an hour.

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian

Diet Low Fat, Low Lactose

Dietary Dairy Free, Egg Free

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings people

Calories 343kcal

Author Amy Chung

Ingredients

Salad

2 tbsp dried shrimp
80 g glass noodles
200 g pork ground/minced
10 shrimp peeled (prawns)
½ red onion
2 stalks scallion (spring onion)
¼ cup cilantro chopped (coriander)
¼ cup peanuts

Salad Dressing

1 chilli red
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 lime juiced
2 tbsp brown sugar

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Salad

Soak dried shrimp in room temperature water for 30-60 minutes.
When it is soft, drain and give it a quick wash to remove impurities.
Using a mortar and pestle, pound until shredded.
Soak glass noodles in room temperature water for 5 minutes.
Then blanch in a pot of boiling water.
Remove with a sieve and cut into shorter strands.
Using the sieve, add peeled shrimp and cook until pink in the same pot of boiling water.
Remove and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Then add the ground (minced) pork into the sieve and cook in the same pot.
Thinly slice red onion.
Cut the greens of the scallion (spring onion) into 3cm batons.
Roughly chop cilantro (coriander) and peanuts.

Salad Dressing

Finely chop the red chilli.
Mince the garlic clove.
Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until well combined.

Assembly

In a large mixing bowl, add the noodles, pork, fresh shrimp, red onion, scallion (spring onion), cilantro (coriander), and dried shrimp.
Add the salad dressing and toss until well combined.
Garnish with peanuts and serve.

Video

Notes

You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe.
Chicken mince is a good substitute for pork if that is your preference.
Palm sugar is a good substitute for brown sugar.
Adjust the heat: For milder spice, reduce the chilli or remove the seeds. For extra heat, add Thai bird’s eye chillies or a spoonful of chilli flakes to the dressing.
Make it vegetarian: Leave out the shrimp and pork, and substitute fish sauce with soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce. Add tofu or crushed roasted cashews for protein.
Boost the crunch: Add shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, or sliced cucumbers for more volume and freshness without changing the core flavours.
Cut the noodles: Glass noodles can be long and unwieldy, so cutting them after blanching ensures easier tossing and eating.
Balance the dressing: Taste and adjust the dressing before tossing. Thai salads rely on balancing salty, sour, spicy, and sweet — tweak fish sauce, lime, or sugar until it tastes vibrant.

Nutrition