Thai Glass Noodle Salad — yam woon sen, yum woon sen
This Thai glass noodle salad recipe is Thailand's answer to a hot day: springy, translucent glass noodles tossed while still warm with plump shrimp, savoury minced pork, crunchy peanuts and a dressing that hits all four Thai notes at once — sour lime, salty fish sauce, a little sugar, and the sharp heat of bird chillies. Unlike pad thai, which is a stir-fried rice-noodle dish with a sweet tamarind sauce, this is a salad: the noodles are never fried, the dressing is lime-bright, and the whole thing is served cool or just warm, with tomatoes, shallot and herbs for crunch. One serving is about 265 g.
Yam woon sen — literally 'spicy mixed glass noodles', and in English usually called Thai glass noodle salad — is a classic Thai yam, the family of salads built on a sour-salty-sweet-spicy dressing rather than on lettuce. Glass noodles made from mung-bean starch have been part of Thai cooking for generations, valued for the way they turn clear and springy in hot water and drink up dressing without going soggy. Street vendors across Thailand sell it by the bagful, and home cooks make it whenever there is leftover roast pork or a handful of shrimp to use up, because the dressing does the heavy lifting and the rest is whatever is fresh that day.
Pairs well with: Grilled chicken skewers and a cold Thai iced tea
Provenance
Thailand
Thai Street Classic
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
30m
20m prep • 10m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
321 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 265 g
Technical Skill
Intermediate
Moderate (Quick Toss)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Thai Street Classic
Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Moderate — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)
Made the Thai way: noodles blanched just until springy, dressing balanced sour-salty-sweet-hot, tossed while the noodles are still warm so they drink it up.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Soak the Noodles and Mix the Dressing
20 Mins • Knife Work
Soak the glass noodles in warm water for 8 minutes until pliable, then snip them into shorter lengths with kitchen scissors so they toss easily. Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic and chillies together until the sugar dissolves, then taste: it should be sharply sour first, then salty, then sweet, with heat at the back. Slice the shallot, halve the tomatoes, julienne the carrot and chop the herbs.
Maestro Tip: Taste the dressing before anything goes in — once the noodles are tossed, the balance is much harder to fix.
5 Mins 100°C (212°F) boiling water
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 1–2 minutes until pink and just curled, then lift them out. Add the ground pork to the same water, breaking it into small pieces, and cook for 2–3 minutes until no pink remains and the meat reaches 74°C (165°F). Drain both well.
Do not overcook the shrimp — they turn rubbery in seconds once they curl tightly.
Done when: Shrimp pink and curled, pork cooked through with no pink left.
3 Mins 100°C (212°F) boiling water
Drop the soaked noodles into the same boiling water for 30–60 seconds, until they turn fully translucent and springy. Drain immediately and rinse briefly under cold water, then drain again until no water drips.
Overcooked glass noodles go mushy and clump — pull them the moment they turn clear.
Done when: Noodles clear, springy, and not clumped together.
5 Mins Room temperature
Put the warm noodles in a large bowl and pour over half the dressing, tossing so every strand is coated. Add the shrimp, pork, dried shrimp, shallot, tomatoes, carrot, celery and cilantro, then pour over the rest of the dressing and toss again gently but thoroughly.
Toss while the noodles are still warm — they absorb the dressing far better than cold ones do.
Done when: Every strand glossy with dressing, shrimp and pork spread evenly through.
5 Mins Room temperature
Let the salad sit for 5 minutes so the flavours settle, then taste and adjust: more lime for sour, more fish sauce for salt, a pinch of sugar if the lime is too sharp. Scatter the crushed peanuts over the top and serve at room temperature.
Add the peanuts at the last moment so they stay crunchy.
Done when: Salad bright and well-seasoned, peanuts crunchy on top.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve this Thai glass noodle salad the same day, at room temperature or lightly chilled — glass noodles stiffen and dull in the fridge, so this is a salad to make and eat, not to store.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
321
kcal / serving
Protein
24g
Complete AA
Carbs
38g
Complex
Fats
9g
Healthy
| Energy | 321 kcal |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Fibre | 2.2 g |
| Sugar | 6.3 g |
| Sodium | 654 mg |
| Energy | 121 kcal |
| Protein | 8.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14.3 g |
| Fat | 3.2 g |
| Fibre | 0.8 g |
| Sugar | 2.4 g |
| Sodium | 247 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C (lime, tomatoes, chillies), vitamin A (carrot, tomatoes), folate (peanuts, celery), iron (shrimp, pork).
High-Protein, Light Feel
Shrimp, pork and dried shrimp give about 24 g of protein a serving, while the salad itself stays light and refreshing at around 321 kcal.
Fresh, Crunchy Vegetables
Tomatoes, shallot, carrot and herbs add fibre, vitamin C and crunch, and they stay crisp because the salad is never cooked after tossing.
A Bright, Balanced Dressing
The lime-based dressing brings sharp, fresh flavour without cream or heavy oil, which is why the salad feels light even with noodles in it.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Grilled Chicken Skewers
Satay-style skewers add smoky, savoury depth and turn the light salad into a full lunch.
Sticky Rice
A small mound of sticky rice soaks up the extra dressing and cools the chilli heat.
Drinks
Thai Iced Tea
Sweet, creamy iced tea tames the bird-chilli heat and matches the salad's sweet-sour notes.
Vegetables
Cucumber Slices
Cool cucumber on the side gives a crisp, mild bite between spoonfuls of the spicy salad.
Complete menu
Serve Thai glass noodle salad with grilled chicken skewers, sticky rice and a cold drink, as a light Thai lunch spread.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Overcooking the Noodles
Glass noodles left in boiling water for even a minute too long turn to mush and clump into a single lump that no dressing can save. This is general food guidance, not medical advice.
Undercooked Pork
Ground pork must reach 74°C (165°F) all the way through — pink mince in a cool salad is a food-safety risk, so cook it fully before it goes anywhere near the noodles. This is general food guidance, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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