Yam Wun Sen ยำวุ้นเส้น Thai Glass Noodle Salad
My mother and her sisters made this at home and we would sit on the mat together. I was a small child, and I picked through it, eating the noodles first, asking for more lime, setting the shrimp aside, finding the good pieces one by one. So many textures in one bowl that a small child navigates by instinct, taking what makes sense and leaving what does not yet. The lime always made sense. It still does. I squeeze more than the recipe calls for. I recommend you do the same.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- medium saucepan
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Citrus juicer
- tongs or chopsticks for tossing,
- wide serving plate
Ingredients
- 4 ounces oz dried glass noodles wun sen / mung bean vermicelli, soaked in warm water 10 mins and drained
- 0.5 pound ground pork optional
- 0.5 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 shallots very thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot julienned or grated
- 3 green onions sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 fresh Thai bird's eye chilies finely sliced
- 3 tablespoons dried shrimp kung haeng
- 2 cups cups bean sprouts
- 1 handful fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts roughly crushed, to garnish
- 2 fresh limes cut into wedges, to serve
- 2 cups steamed jasmine rice to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preparing the NoodlesStart by soaking the glass noodles in warm water for about 10 minutes or until they become soft and pliable. Once softened, drain the noodles and cut them into shorter lengths using kitchen scissors. Set the noodles aside. This step ensures the noodles have the right texture and are easier to mix with other ingredients.
- Cooking the Protein Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. If using shrimp, sauté them until they turn pink and are cooked through about 3-4 minutes. If using minced pork, cook until it's no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Remove from heat and set aside. Cooking the protein separately ensures it is perfectly cooked and retains its flavor.
- Mixing the Salad Combine the softened glass noodles, cooked shrimp or pork, julienned carrots, red bell pepper, and red onion in a large bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, mint leaves, and crushed peanuts. This step combines diverse textures and flavors, creating the base of the salad.
- Making the Dressing Combine the finely minced garlic, chopped chilies, fish sauce, freshly squeezed lime juice, sugar, and water in a small mixing bowl. Stir the mixture gently but thoroughly, ensuring the sugar is completely dissolved. Once the dressing is ready, slowly pour it over the salad mixture. This dressing is crucial to a delightful blend of tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet flavors, enhancing the salad's overall taste and appeal.
- Combining and Serving Toss the salad gently to coat all ingredients with the dressing. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve immediately for the freshest taste. This final step ensures a balanced flavor profile and a visually appealing presentation.
Notes
Dress the noodles while they are warm. This is the instruction that separates a Yum Woon Sen that tastes alive from one that tastes flat. Warm noodles absorb the lime and fish sauce dressing, the sourness and the salt go into the noodle rather than sitting on the surface. Cold noodles will not absorb the dressing no matter how much you add or how long you toss. Soak the noodles, cook them briefly, dress them immediately while still warm. This order is not flexible.
The lime is generous in this recipe, and it should be more generous still when you taste it. Yum Woon Sen is a sour salad, the lime is the backbone, not a finishing touch. Three tablespoons in the recipe is the starting point. Taste after dressing the noodles. If the sourness does not arrive immediately and clearly on the palate, squeeze another half lime and taste again. The correct amount of lime is the amount that makes you notice it from the first bite.
The dried shrimp are small and easy to overlook when shopping for this dish, they look like tiny orange curls and are sold in small bags at Asian grocery stores. Do not skip them. They add a concentrated savory depth that amplifies the fresh shrimp and the fish sauce without being identifiable as a separate flavor in the finished salad. They dissolve into the background and make everything around them more itself. That is the kind of ingredient worth finding.
Cut the glass noodles with scissors after draining. Full-length glass noodles in a salad are difficult to eat and impossible to toss evenly. Four to six inch lengths are manageable, distribute through the salad correctly, and can be eaten with a fork or spoon without the noodle sliding off and creating a scene. Cut them before the dressing goes on, while they are still warm and pliable.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 26gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 880mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5g
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