Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)

This Thai glass noodle salad (Yum Woon Sen) brings together chewy glass noodles, juicy shrimp, and fresh herbs in a bright, spicy-lime dressing. It’s quick to make, packed with authentic Thai flavor, and perfect for a light meal or summer gathering.

If you’ve ever fallen in love with the balance of bright, spicy, and tangy flavors in Thai cooking, Yum Woon Sen (Thai glass noodle salad) will win your heart. I first discovered this dish during my travels through Southeast Asia, where every local market had its own version.

My favorite memory was enjoying Yum Woon Sen Talay, the seafood variation brimming with shrimp, squid, and wood ear mushrooms, all tossed in a zesty lime and fish sauce dressing that perfectly captured the spirit of Thai cuisine.

At home, I make a simpler version with shrimp (and sometimes a bit of ground pork) — fresh, quick, and every bit as satisfying. The chewy glass noodles soak up the dressing beautifully, and the mix of herbs, tomatoes, and chilies gives it that unmistakable Thai punch.

If you love vibrant Thai salads like Som Tam (Thai Green Papaya Salad) or my Pomelo Prawn Salad, you’ll find Yum Woon Sen just as irresistible — light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor in every bite.

Ingredients for Yum Woon Sen

• Bean thread noodles: often mistaken for rice vermicelli, are made from mung bean starch, not rice flour. Naturally gluten-free, these noodles turn transparent when cooked, earning the name “glass noodles.” Check the package label for “bean thread” or “mung bean thread.”.
• Shrimp and Ground Pork: use any size shrimp. You can also add more seafood like squid, muscles, crab meat, or scallop. You can use ground chicken instead of ground pork, or omit it.
• Shallot and Green onion: substitute with red or white onion if shallot is not available
• Fresh chili: traditionally, the tiny red bull’s eye chili is used, which is a very spicy chili. If you prefer a milder taste, remove the seeds first or use red finger chili instead.
• For the salad dressing: garlic, fish sauce, lime, and palm sugar are needed. Palm sugar brings a caramel-like sweetness to the dressing. You can use brown sugar if palm sugar is not available. Adjust the flavor balance to suit your preference – more sweet or less spicy, etc.

How to make Thai glass noodle salad

Prep the Glass Noodles. Soak the glass noodles in room-temperature water for 5–6 minutes, just until they turn flexible and translucent. Drain well. You’ll cook them briefly later, so don’t over-soak. A quick snip with kitchen scissors after boiling helps keep them easy to toss and serve.

Make the Zesty Thai Dressing. In a mortar and pestle, pound together garlic and fresh Thai chilies until you have a coarse paste. Add fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. The balance of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy is what makes this salad sing.

Cook the Noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the noodles for about 2 minutes, just until soft but springy. Remove them with tongs or a skimmer and drain.

Prepare the Proteins. In the same hot water, poach the shrimp until pink and opaque, about 2 minutes, then cook the ground pork until no longer pink. This one-pot method keeps the flavors clean and saves time.

Toss It All Together and Serve. In a large mixing bowl, combine the noodles, shrimp, pork, shallot, green onion, tomato, and cilantro. Drizzle the dressing evenly and toss gently with tongs so the noodles absorb all that bright, citrusy flavor. Top with roasted peanuts for crunch and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Serve it slightly warm for the most aromatic experience, or chill it for a refreshing, make-ahead salad. Both ways taste wonderfully Thai.

Expert Tips for Authentic Flavor

• Taste and adjust the dressing — every fish sauce and lime is different, so balance the flavor to your liking.
• Use fresh herbs generously. Cilantro and green onions aren’t just garnish — they’re key to the salad’s aroma.
• Don’t overdress the noodles. Glass noodles absorb liquid fast; start with half the dressing, then add more as needed.