Yum Woonsen (Glass Noodle Salad)

The Thai glass noodle salad known as Yum Woonsen has it all. It's sour, salty, spicy, and slightly sweet, with chewy bean thread noodles as the base and crunchy peanuts on top. Add in some ground pork, shrimp, and fresh vegetables and it's got something to delight every single taste bud.

Yum Woonsen is emblematic of Thai salads. It has that classic combination of spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavors that Thai food is famous for. In fact, the Thai word for salads, yum or yam (ยำ), means to mix and refers to the mix of all of these disparate flavors. This glass noodle salad takes it a step further and features a lovely mix of textures as well, from the chewy noodles to the tender pork and crunchy peanuts.

Like so many Thai salads, yum woonsen is light and refreshing. However, it's also packed with protein and vegetables so it's filling without feeling heavy. I say this about every Thai salad I try, but this is definitely one of my favorite Thai salads. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

What is Yum Woonsen?

Yum Woonsen is a Thai salad that features bean thread noodles dressed in a light and refreshing dressing. This salad is often made with ground pork and shrimp, but variations on the protein used abound. Tomatoes, onions, and celery are classic vegetables and peanuts are often used to top the dish.

In Thai, yum is a term that refers to salads, and specifically this type of salad that has a mix of spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavors. Woonsen refers to bean thread noodles, also known as glass noodles or cellophane noodles. These noodles are made of mung bean starch, and become translucent when cooked. So, put together, Yum Woonsen is commonly referred to as "Glass Noodle Salad" in English.

Salad Ingredients

• Onion: Thinly sliced pieces of onion add a sharp aromatic flavor to the salad. You can use red onion, white onion, or shallots. I prefer to use red onion for a pop of color.
• Tomato: You can use any tomato you like. With larger tomatoes that are very juicy, you'll want to remove the pulp so it doesn't dilute the dressing too much.
• Chinese Celery: Chinese celery is a leafier, more fragrant version of regular celery. The leaves are chopped coarsely for this salad. You can substitute regular celery leaves if Chinese celery is not available in your area.
• Carrot (optional): Shredded carrot adds a nice crunch, color, and subtle flavor to this salad.
• Ground Pork: Ground pork is the most common meat used in this salad. Ground chicken would also work.
• Shrimp: Shrimp is the most common seafood used in this salad. The shrimp should be cleaned, peeled, and deveined.
• Cilantro: Cilantro leaves are used to top the salad.
• Roasted Peanuts: For optimal freshness and taste, you should roast your own peanuts. Follow the directions in this article to learn how to roast peanuts for use in Thai cooking.
• Woonsen Noodles: The base of this salad is woonsen, also known as glass noodles or bean thread noodles. Learn all about woonsen noodles in this article. You can buy them in your local Asian market as well as through online retailers. Be sure to use a Thai brand of woonsen that contains 100% mung bean starch.

Dressing Ingredients

• Fish Sauce: Fish sauce provides the salty element in this dressing. See this article all about Thai fish sauce for more details.
• Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice is best, as it's one of the main flavors of this salad.
• Palm Sugar: Palm sugar adds a subtle sweetness to the dressing, helping to balance out the salty, sour, and spicy flavors.
• Thai Chili: Use as many or as few Thai chilis as you like, depending on your spice tolerance and preference. One Thai chili that's been sliced will add a mild level of spice; five Thai chilis that have been pounded with a mortar and pestle will result in a much spicier salad.

How to Make Yum Woonsen

Yum Woonsen comes together in less than 30 minutes, making it a quick and easy choice for a weekday lunch or dinner. Follow these instructions to make it:

Step 1: Place the dried bean thread noodles in a bowl of room temperature water. Allow to soak for ten minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Step 2: Slice the red onion finely. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized slices. Coarsely chop the Chinese celery and cilantro. Shred the carrots, if using.

Step 3: Combine the fish sauce, freshly squeezed lime juice, and palm sugar. Mix until the palm sugar is dissolved. Add as many or few sliced Thai chilis as you like. Taste and adjust the flavors as needed.

Step 4: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place the soaked bean thread noodles in the boiling water and allow to cook for two minutes. They're done when they turn translucent. Remove the noodles and place in a serving bowl.

Step 5: To the same pot that the noodles were cooked in, add the shrimp. Allow them to cook in the hot water until they are done (this should take about 30 seconds - 1 minute).

Step 6: Pour the majority of the water out of the pot, leaving only enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the ground pork, and cook until done, breaking up any clumps as it cooks.

Step 7: Place the noodles in a bowl, and add the dressing. Mix together with tongs until the noodles are well coated. Then add the pork, shrimp, and veggies and toss together.

Step 8: Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top of the salad. Serve with various crunchy raw vegetables such as cucumber or cabbage, and fresh lime wedges. Enjoy!

Variations

This recipe for Yum Woonsen is one of the more common versions of this salad. Some other common variations include using dried shrimp, calamari, or Vietnamese white sausage in addition to or in place of shrimp and ground pork. Instead of roasted peanuts, some recipes call for using fried peanuts. And for an additional note of sour flavor, pickled garlic juice is sometimes added to the dressing.

In all of these variations, the flavor profile of the salad is the same. It should be sour first, then have a nice balance salty and sweet. How spicy it is is up to you!

Serving Suggestions

Yum Woonsen can be served as a stand alone salad, or it can be served as part of a larger Thai meal. If you're serving it as part of a larger meal, this glass noodle salad would pair nicely with a soup with similar flavor profile such as Tom Yum Gai, perhaps a curry like Green Curry with Eggplant, and a main dish such as Pad Nam Prik Pao or Gai Tod. Although it's made with noodles, many Thai people eat this salad with jasmine rice.

Storage

Yum Woonsen is best eaten right after it's made. It does not store well, as the noodles will continue to absorb the dressing, making the salad dry and bland. If you'd like to prepare it ahead of time, it's best to prepare all of the ingredients and store them separately. Then, when it's time to eat, simply cook the noodles and assemble them with the other prepared salad ingredients.

Bright and fresh but also substantial and filling, Yum Woonsen is one Thai salad you don't want to miss. From the chewy bean thread noodles that soak up the delicious sour, salty, spicy, and sweet flavors of the dressing to the abundance of fresh vegetables, tender meat, and crunchy peanuts, this salad really does delight every taste bud! So whether you're looking for a quick and tasty lunch or a side to complement a larger Thai feast, Yum Woonsen is sure to hit the spot.

Yum Woonsen FAQs