Yum Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Salad) is a deliciously vibrant, refreshing, and tangy dish that’s made using mung bean glass noodles, garlic shrimp, fresh vegetables! They’re all then tossed in a delicious and simple garlicky fish sauce dressing that has the most perfectly balanced sweet, savory, and tart flavors.
Table of Contents
- What is Yum Woon Sen?
- Why You’ll Love This Yum Woon Sen Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Yum Woon Sen At Home
- What Type of Noodles Do I Use For Yum Woon Sen?
- Joyce's Tips for the Making the Best Yum Woon Sen
- How to Make Yum Woon Sen (Step by Step)
- How to Serve Thai Glass Noodle Salad
- Recipe Variation Ideas for Yum Woon Sen
- FAQs
- How to Store Leftover Yum Woon Sen
- Looking for More Thai Recipes? Try These!
- Did You Make This Yum Woon Sen Recipe?
- Recipe Card
- More Noodle Recipes You May Like
Yum woon sen is a fresh Thai glass noodle salad made with fresh vegetables, springy glass noodles made with mung beans, and tossed with a simple, perfectly balanced sweet, savory, and sour fish sauce dressing.
This popular Thai salad is renowned for its light yet satisfying nature, making it a perfect choice for anyone looking for a light dish that’s packed with flavor!
The star ingredient of this dish is the translucent glass noodles, which are made from mung bean starch and have a delightfully chewy texture. These noodles serve as a versatile base that absorbs the bold flavors of the dressing, creating the perfect blend of sweet, sour, and savory notes.
The salad is generously packed with fresh herbs, crunchy vegetables, and shrimps that add even more flavor. The dressing, a tangy mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, and chili, infuses every bite with a zesty kick that you’re going to absolutely love!
Unlike other glass noodle dishes like Pad Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Stir Fry) and Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle Stir Fry), Yum Woon Sen does not require cooking unless you are adding shrimp to it.
Whether enjoyed as a light lunch, a refreshing starter, or a side dish, Yum Woon Sen is the perfect salad that you’re going to absolutely fall in love with!
Read on to learn exactly how to make this delicious yum woon sen recipe today!
What is Yum Woon Sen?
Yum Woon Sen is a Thai salad made with glass noodles, also known as cellophane noodles or mung bean noodles. It is typically made with a combination of fresh vegetables, herbs, and proteins such as shrimp or chicken. The dish is dressed with a tangy and spicy sauce made from lime juice, fish sauce, chili peppers, and sugar.
One of the key elements that makes it so good is its refreshing and vibrant flavors. The combination of the tangy lime juice, savory fish sauce, and spicy chili peppers creates a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors.
Another reason why it is so popular is its light and healthy nature. The glass noodles used in the dish are low in calories and fat, making it a great option for those looking to eat a nutritious meal. Plus, the abundance of vegetables and herbs in the salad provides a good dose of vitamins and minerals.
This Thai glass noodles salad is seriously packed with flavor in each bite and is the perfect salad for the summers (or any occasion, really!). I’m sure you’re going to absolutely love it!
Why You’ll Love This Yum Woon Sen Recipe
Easy to make: This recipe is incredibly simple to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute meals. Just a few basic ingredients and a quick cooking process are all that’s needed.
Versatile: It can be easily adapted to suit different dietary preferences or restrictions. Swap out the shrimp for tofu or chicken, or add extra veggies to make it more filling. The possibilities are endless!
Delicious flavors: The combination of fresh herbs, tangy lime juice, and spicy chilies create a burst of flavors that will keep you coming back for more. Each bite is a delightful mix of sweet, sour, and savory.
Healthy and light: Yum Woon Sen is a light and refreshing dish that’s packed with nutritious ingredients. The glass noodles are low in calories and fat, while the veggies provide essential vitamins and minerals.
Crowd-pleaser: Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or just cooking for your family, this recipe is guaranteed to impress. The vibrant colors and enticing aroma will encourage everyone to dig in and enjoy this delicious Thai dish!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Yum Woon Sen At Home
All you need are some incredibly simple, pantry-staple ingredients to make this delicious yum woon sen recipe at home.
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
For the Salad:
- Dried Bean Thread Noodles: We will need dried bean thread noodles to make this recipe. They will soak up the flavors of the Yum Woon Sen dressing and become soft and chewy when cooked. They're also known as cellophane noodles or glass noodles. They're made with mung bean starch and not rice. For more details refer to the section below.
- Raw shrimp: We will also need some raw shrimp. It will become tender and juicy when cooked and add a delicious seafood flavor to the dish. I highly recommend using shrimp for this yum woon sen salad recipe for the protein, but if you choose not to use a protein, you can omit it.
- Red onion: You can use either red onions or shallots for this Thai noodle salad. Just make sure you slice it thinly. Soaking it in the dressing will also add a lot of flavor to the dressing as well as remove the spicy bite from it.
- Chinese celery: Traditionally, this salad is made with Chinese celery and it is very strong and potent in flavor on its own. Once it is mixed with the rest of the ingredients and mixed with the dressing the strong celery flavor will actually mellow out. If you don't like the taste of celery, you can use romaine lettuce hearts as well. Make sure you finely slice it so that it is easier to mix and eat.
- Baby tomatoes: I like to use baby or cherry tomatoes for this salad because I find them more sweet and flavorful than the other types of tomatoes. Feel free to substitute it with plum tomatoes.
- Red pepper: Remember to use red pepper in this recipe. It will add vibrant color and a wonderfully crisp sweetness to this salad as well.
- Peanuts: Peanuts give yum woon sen a lot of wonderful flavors and texture. Try to find pre-peeled peanuts for this recipe to make things easier so you don't need to peel them. You definitely will want to dry roast it in a pan before using it to bring out its nuttiness.
- Dried shrimp: Dried shrimp is an optional ingredient and I highly recommend it if you can find it. It adds salt and umami to the salad, as well as a bit of flavor from the seafood flavor. If you cannot find it or would like to substitute it out, use ¼ teaspoon of salt instead and mix it into the sauce.
For the Dressing:
- Fish sauce: We will also need some fish sauce. It will add a umami, savory and salty flavor to the dish.
- Lime juice: Make sure to use fresh lime juice. It will add a refreshing and citrusy tang to the dish, balancing out the flavors and adding a bright note. You must use fresh lime juice squeezed from limes for the best flavor. Avoid using bottled lime juice.
- Palm sugar: We'll also use some palm sugar to balance out the sourness and the saltiness. If you cannot find palm sugar, you can use light brown sugar or cane sugar instead. If you are using a block of palm sugar, you will need to soften it in the microwave before you finely slice it with a knife or smash it with a mortar and pestle so it can dissolve more easily in the dressing.
- Birds eye chili (optional): To give this salad a bit of spiciness, you can add 1 bird's eye chili finely chopped into the dressing. If you prefer it spicier, you can add more.
What Type of Noodles Do I Use For Yum Woon Sen?
Yum woon sen is always made with mung bean noodles. It is similar to the Korean sweet potato glass noodles used in Japchae but a lot thinner and it cooks a lot quicker.
Mung bean noodles are also known as bean thread noodles, cellophane noodles, or glass noodles.
You can find these noodles at any Asian grocery store. When you are shopping for these glass noodles, they may be labeled as vermicelli - make sure there is mung bean starch in the ingredient list and not rice. The noodles should be bright white in color and very thin.
You may also find bean thread noodles that have a mix of mung bean starch with another starch (potato starch, pea starch, etc). I found the noodles with a mix of mung bean starch and pea starch make the chewiest noodles and generally have a better texture.
Joyce's Tips for the Making the Best Yum Woon Sen
- Do not use bottled lime juice, you must use fresh lime juice for this recipe.
- If you cannot find Chinese celery, you can use regular celery instead. If you don't like the taste of celery, you can use Romain lettuce hearts as well. Make sure you finely slice it so that it is easier to mix and eat.
- Try to find pre-peeled peanuts, it will make roasting it a lot easier and quicker. If you cannot find pre-peeled peanuts, you can dry roast them in the pan on medium-low heat with the skins on. Keep moving the peanuts so they don't burn. The heat will dry out the peanut skins and you will start to see them crack on the peanuts. Once most of the peanut skins have cracked, let it cool. Put a few peanuts between your palms and rub the skins off (or you can use your fingers to squeeze the skins off). Use a colander to shake out the skins and put the peanuts back into the pot to do a dry roast to toast them.
- I highly recommend using dried shrimp for yum woon sen it if you can find it. It adds a delicious salty and umami flavor to the salad, as well as a bit of seafood flavor. If you cannot find it, omit it from the salad.
How to Make Yum Woon Sen (Step by Step)
Making this incredible yum woon sen recipe at home is super easy and will give you great results every single time. Here's how to make it step by step:
How to Make the Yum Woon Sen Dressing
In a small bowl, add fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar together. (If you are using a block of palm sugar, you may need to microwave it before you slice them into smaller pieces to easily dissolve in the dressing.)
Finely mince or grate the garlic. Reserve ½ tablespoon and set it aside to cook the shrimp later. Mix the rest of the garlic (approx. 1 teaspoon) with the dressing.
Finely slice the onions and add them to the sauce to soak. The acid from the lime juice removes the sharp spiciness of the onion and while the onions are soaking, it provides the sauce with a wonderful onion flavor as well.
Finely slice the bird's eye chili pepper and add it to the sauce.
How to Prep the Vegetables, Roasted Peanuts and Dried Shrimp
Cut each baby tomato in half and put it in a large bowl
Slice the red peppers and add them to the bowl
Finely chop the Chinese celery and add them to the bowl. You can also use the celery leaves as well, just make sure you finely slice it.
Soak the dried shrimp in warm tap water for a few seconds and drain it. Use a mortar and pestle to pound it until they break up into fine pieces. (If you don't have a mortar or pestle, you can hand chop it finely or pulse it a few times in a food processor.) Add it to the bowl.
Add the dry unsalted peanuts into a small pot and dry roast (no oil) it under medium-low heat. Keep the pot moving to prevent the peanuts from burning. Once the peanuts are brown and toasted, add them to a mortar and pestle and crush the peanuts into small pieces. Alternatively, you can hand chop them (peanuts will be hot, so be careful) or pulse them a few times in a food processor. Add the peanuts to the bowl of vegetables.
How to Cook the Glass Noodles
Boil some water in a kettle or pot
Place the bean thread noodles in a small bowl. Once the water is boiled, pour the water into the bowl until the noodles are fully submerged. Soak them for 4 minutes.
After 4 minutes, drain the water and rinse the noodles with cold tap water.
Use scissors to cut the noodles into 3-inch lengths. Place the noodles in the bowl with all the vegetables.
How to Cook the Shrimp for Yum Woon Sen
Remove the shell and tails from the raw shrimp. If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure it is fully thawed before using it.
Add oil to the pan and set the stove to low heat. Once the oil is hot, add the reserved garlic into the pan and toast it until it is golden brown and fragrant.
Adjust the stove to medium heat. Add in the shrimp and cook them for 4 minutes (2 minutes a side) or until they are fully cooked. Once the shrimp is cooked, set the pan aside to cool.
How to Assemble Yum Woon Sen Salad
Once the shrimp has cooled, add the garlic shrimp and its garlic oil from the pan into the salad.
Add the dressing, including the onions into the bowl of salad, mix everything together well and enjoy!
Your delicious Yum Woon Sen is ready to be served!
How to Serve Thai Glass Noodle Salad
Because this Thai glass noodle salad is loaded with flavor, I love eating it on its own. Not only is it super easy to make, but this dish can also really stand out on its own!
On the occasion that I have guests (which I rarely do 😂 because of the hermit in me), I will serve it as a side dish or an appetizer as well.
I like to pair this flavor bomb of a salad with more Thai flavor bombs that are easy to entertain with like meat on sticks! Our favorite recipe to use is our Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers or Chicken Satay Recipe with Peanut Sauce.
While still on the topic of finger foods, I also love serving yum woon sen with our Lemongrass Pork Meatballs (Larb Style) and Crispy Coconut Curry Chicken Wings because they share so much of the same flavor and ingredients.
Recipe Variation Ideas for Yum Woon Sen
This delicious yum woon sen recipe is so flavorful and easy to make, you'll want to try out some of these delicious variations! Here are some great ideas:
Spicy: For those who love extra heat, add crushed red pepper flakes, sriracha or diced Thai chilies to this dish. This will elevate the flavors and give it an extra punch. Add some cilantro leaves on top for added freshness!
Vegetarian: To make this dish vegetarian-friendly, simply omit the meat and substitute it with tofu or mushrooms. The result is a delicious and healthy vegetarian version of Yum Woon Sen.
Seafood: For seafood lovers, add some shrimp, squid, or scallops to this dish. The seafood adds a delicious flavor and texture to the dish, making it a satisfying variation.
FAQs
When you are shopping for noodles, look for mung bean noodles - they may be called mung bean noodles or cellophane noodles. They will sometimes say vermicelli on the packaging but make sure the ingredient contains mung bean starch or mung beans and not rice. I go into details about this within the post above.
Sadly, you cannot make this ahead of time because the salad will get soggy. Glass noodles also do not refrigerate well once they have been cooked and they will harden in the fridge. Once it hardens, the only way to soften the noodles again is to heat them up.
Yes, you can add more vegetables to the Yum Woon Sen salad. Some popular additions include thinly sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, and bean sprouts. Feel free to customize the salad with your favorite vegetables.
Yes, you can make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the shrimp or chicken and using a vegetarian substitute like tofu or tempeh instead.
How to Store Leftover Yum Woon Sen
Yum woon sen is best eaten fresh, and I don't recommend storing it in the refrigerator for more than a few hours, since the glass noodles will turn hard and it will be difficult to soften since you cannot heat it up.
To store Yum Woon Sen in the fridge for a few hours, start by transferring the dish into an airtight container or wrap the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
When you are ready to eat it take it out of the fridge and serve as is.
Unfortunately, Yum Woon Sen is not suitable for freezing. The dish contains glass noodles, which have a delicate texture and can become mushy and soggy when frozen and thawed.
Freezing can also affect the texture and taste of the other ingredients, such as vegetables and shrimp.
Looking for More Thai Recipes? Try These!
- Tom Yum Goong (Thai Hot and Sour Soup)
- Thai Basil Fried Rice
- Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)
- Quick and Easy Thai Red Curry
- Thai Peanut Sauce (From Scratch)
- Quick and Easy Thai Peanut Sauce
- Pad Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Stir Fry)
- Nem Khao (Lao Crispy Rice Salad)
- Thai Meatballs
- Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
- Easy Pad Thai
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Recipe Card
Yum Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Salad)
Joyce's Recipe Notes
- When you are shopping for noodles, look for mung bean noodles - they may be called mung bean noodles or cellophane noodles. They will sometimes say vermicelli on the packaging but make sure the ingredient contains mung bean starch or mung beans and not rice. I go into details about this within the post above.
- If you cannot find Chinese celery, you can use regular celery instead. Traditionally, this salad is made with Chinese celery and it is very strong and potent in flavor on its own. Once it is mixed with the rest of the ingredients and mixed with the dressing the strong celery flavor will actually mellow out. If you don't like the taste of celery, you can use Romain lettuce hearts as well. Make sure you finely slice it so that it is easier to mix and eat.
- Try to find pre-peeled peanuts, it will make roasting it a lot easier and quicker. If you cannot find pre-peeled peanuts, you can dry roast them in the pan on medium-low heat with the skins on. Keep moving the peanuts so they don't burn. The heat will dry out the peanut skins and you will start to see them crack on the peanuts. Once most of the peanut skins have cracked, let it cool. Put a few peanuts between your palms and rub the skins off (or you can use your fingers to squeeze the skins off). Use a colander to shake out the skins and put the peanuts back into the pot to do a dry roast to toast them.
- I highly recommend using dried shrimp for yum woon sen it if you can find it. It adds salt and umami to the salad, as well as a bit of seafood flavor. If you cannot find it, omit it from the salad.
- Can I prepare yum woon sen salad ahead of time? Sadly, you cannot make this ahead of time because the salad will get soggy. Glass noodles also do not refrigerate well once they have been cooked and they will harden in the fridge. Once it hardens, the only way to soften the noodles again is to heat them up.
Ingredients
- 100 grams dried bean thread noodles (Approx. 2 bundles. *See note 1)
- 8 raw shrimp (Must be fully thawed if previously frozen. Shell and tails removed.
- ¼ cup Chinese celery (*See note 2 for substitutions)
- ½ cup baby tomatoes (Or plum tomatoes)
- ½ cup red pepper
- 6 sprigs cilantro
- ½ cup pre-peeled unsalted raw peanuts (*See note 3 if using skin-on peanuts)
- ¼ cup dried shrimp (*See note 4)
Yum Woon Sen Dressing
- 2½ tablespoons fish sauce
- 2½ tablespoons lime juice (Approx. 2 limes. Must use fresh lime juice, not bottled ones)
- 3 teaspoons palm sugar (Can substitute with light brown sugar, cane sugar, or white sugar)
- 2 teaspoons garlic (Finely minced or grated. Approx. 3 cloves of garlic. Reserve ½ tablespoon to cook shrimp. )
- ½ small red onion (Or shallots. Finely sliced, approx. ¼ cup)
- 1 bird's eye chili (Optional, can add more to make it more spicy)
Instructions
Making the Yum Woon Sen Dressing
- Add 2½ tablespoons fish sauce to a small bowl.
- Cut the limes in half and squeeze out 2½ tablespoons lime juice. I highly recommend measuring out the lime juice and not estimating, to maintain the correct balance in sourness.
- Add 3 teaspoons palm sugar to the bowl of dressing. If you are using a block of palm sugar, you may need to use your knife and make thin slices of it before you can use it so that it can easily dissolve in the dressing.
- Finely mince or grate 2 teaspoons garlic. Reserve ½ teaspoon and set it aside to cook the shrimp later. Mix the remaining garlic (approximately 1½ teaspoons) with the dressing.
- Finely slice ½ small red onion and add them to the sauce to soak. The acid from the lime juice removes the sharp spiciness of the onion and while the onions are soaking, it provides the sauce with a wonderful onion flavor as well.
- (Optional, if You Want It Spicy) Finely slice 1 bird's eye chili and add it to the sauce.
Preparations
- Cut ½ cup baby tomatoes in half and put it in a large bowl
- Slice ½ cup red pepper and add them to the bowl
- Finely chop ¼ cup Chinese celery and add them to the bowl. You can also use the celery leaves as well, just make sure you finely slice it.
- Wash 6 sprigs cilantro cut off the cilantro root and discard it. Finely chop and add them to the bowl.
- Soak ¼ cup dried shrimp in warm tap water for a few seconds and drain it. Use a mortar and pestle to pound it until it breaks up into fine pieces. (If you don't have a mortar or pestle, you can hand chop it finely or pulse it a few times in a food processor.) Add it to the bowl.
- Add the ½ cup pre-peeled unsalted raw peanuts into a small pan and dry roast (no oil) it under medium-low heat. Keep the pot moving to prevent the peanuts from burning. Once the peanuts are brown and toasted, turn off the heat and set them aside to cool.Add them to a mortar and pestle and crush the peanuts into small pieces. Alternatively, you can hand chop them (peanuts may be hot, so be careful) or pulse them a few times in a food processor. Add the peanuts to the bowl of vegetables.*If you are using peanuts with the skin on, read note 3 in the Notes section for how to remove the skins.*
Cooking the Glass Noodles
- Boil some water in a kettle or pot
- Place 100 grams dried bean thread noodles in a small bowl. Once the water has boiled, pour the water into the bowl until the noodles are fully submerged. Soak them for 4 minutes.
- After 4 minutes, drain the water and rinse the noodles with cold tap water.
- Use scissors to cut the noodles into 3-inch lengths.
- Place the noodles in the bowl with all the vegetables.
Cooking the Shrimp
- Remove the shell and tails from 8 raw shrimp. If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure it is fully thawed before using it.
- Add oil to the pan and set the stove to low heat. Once the oil is hot, add the reserved ½ teaspoon of garlic into the pan and toast it until it is golden brown and fragrant.
- Adjust the stove to medium heat. Add in the shrimp and cook them for 4 minutes (2 minutes a side) or until they are fully cooked. Once the shrimp is cooked, set the pan aside to cool.
Putting Everything Together
- Once the shrimp have cooled, add the garlic shrimp and its garlic oil from the pan into the salad.
- Add the dressing, including the onions into the bowl of salad, mix everything together well.
- Do a taste test to taste for sweet, sour and salty balance and adjust it with sugar, lime juice or fish sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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Lauren says
Loved this, although it took more like 2 hours with all the steps and having to constantly scroll between ingredients and recipe. I prefer images to be placed before the recipe, with a list of steps after the ingredients to minimize the scrolling.
Would definitely make it again. Only modification was very thinly sliced regular celery (instead of Chinese celery). It was so delicious. My boyfriend was shocked at the amount of fish sauce I poured in. Using the teaspoon or so extra from the lime helped. For me though, it was a good amount of fish sauce, but for those who are less keen on it, 2 tablespoons is probably fine instead of 2.5. Don't leave out the dried shrimp either. I've seen it in recipes for the longest time as an optional ingredient and never bought it despite regularly shopping at an Asian grocery store. Finally started using it recently and it adds so much flavor to recipes and is surprisingly subtle.
Joyce Lee says
Hi Lauren!
Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
At the time, when I wrote this recipe, the recipe card tool didn't have the functionality for me to add the ingredients right into the recipe card. It does now, so I went ahead and added the ingredients directly into the instructions! Hopefully this will reduce the scrolling in the future. There's also a neat feature you can toggle on the recipe card that doesn't let your phone sleep while you are working on the recipe as well.
I'm so happy you liked it, and you tried dried shrimp! It's definitely an underrated ingredient. If you have extra, you can store them in the fridge in a jar, it last a very very long time!
Thanks again for taking the time and sharing this all with me!