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–+ servings
Bowl of glass noodle salad on a table with chopsticks placed beside it, ready to eat.

Yam Wun Sen ยำวุ้นเส้น Thai Glass Noodle Salad

Susie Thompson
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.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Light meal, Street food, Main Course, Salad, Salad/Noodle
Cuisine Thai, Thai/Central
Servings 4 servings
Calories 320 kcal

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 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

Instructions
 

  • Preparing the Noodles
    Start 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.
  • Mixing the Salad
    Combine the softened glass noodles, cooked shrimp or pork, julienned carrots, green onions, celery, in a large bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, mint leaves, and crushed peanuts.
  • 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.
    Pour dressing over the noodles while its still warm.
  • 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. 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. Three tablespoons is the starting point. Taste after dressing the noodles. If the sourness does not arrive immediately and clearly, 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. They add a concentrated savory depth that amplifies everything around them without being identifiable as a separate flavor. Do not skip them. They are 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 and distribute through the salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 26gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 880mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5g
Keyword Thai Glass Noodle Salad
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