Glass noodle salad (Yum Woon Sen in Thai, where "yum" means salad/to mix and "woon sen" means glass noodles) is a super popular dish in Thailand.

Glass noodles are thin, transparent noodles made from mung bean starch. A classic version of Yum Woon Sen is often made with fried minced pork and prawns, while here I have used lovely Norwegian shrimp. It is also possible to make glass noodle salad with marinated, fried chicken or beef strips.

This version of glass noodle salad with shrimp is light and summery. In addition to glass noodles and shrimp, cucumber, spring onion, shallot, celery, radishes, fresh coriander, and mint are used – and chopped peanuts for crunch. The Thai dressing with fish sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, lime, and chili adds sour, sweet, salty, and spicy flavors that give the salad a wonderful taste!

The recipe yields 4 servings.

Ingredients: 

♥ 200 g glass noodles
♥ 1 cucumber
♥ 2 spring onions
♥ 2 shallots
♥ 2 celery stalks
♥ 4 radishes
♥ 1 bunch fresh coriander
♥ 1 bunch fresh mint
♥ 1 red chili (see tips)
♥ 300 g peeled shrimp (fresh or frozen)
♥ 50 g salted peanuts
♥ 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing:
♥ 2 tbsp fish sauce
♥ 3 tbsp rice vinegar
♥ 2 tbsp sesame oil
♥ 1 tsp brown sugar
♥ 4 cloves garlic, pressed
♥ 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
♥ 2 limes, juiced
♥ 2 tsp chili flakes (see tips)

Method: 

Gather the ingredients. 

Prepare the glass noodles as instructed on the package. They should only be in hot water for a short time, then placed in cold water to stop the cooking process.

Then drain the water by placing the noodles in a sieve. Transfer the noodles to a bowl. 

Peel the cucumber, cut in half, and remove the soft inside. Cut the cucumber into slices. Chop the spring onions and cut the shallots into thin slices. Cut the celery stalks into pieces and slice the radishes thinly. Roughly chop the coriander and mint leaves. Rinse the chili, remove the seeds, and chop it into smaller pieces. Add everything to the bowl with the glass noodles. 

Mix the dressing ingredients together. 

Toss the dressing and shrimp with the salad and transfer the salad to a serving bowl. 

Sprinkle over coarsely chopped peanuts and sesame seeds. 

Lovely, Thai glass noodle salad!

This is a simple and fresh salad with lots of flavor!

Tips: 

♥ I have used ingredients available in regular Norwegian grocery stores with a good selection. Glass noodles, as mentioned, are thin, transparent noodles made from mung bean starch. Available in most Norwegian grocery stores. Make sure you follow the instructions on the package to avoid the noodles sticking together. 

♥ I have used regular spring onions and celery stalks, but feel free to use the Thai versions of these that you can buy in Asian grocery stores. Brown sugar should ideally be replaced with palm sugar, also available in Asian grocery stores. Fresh Thai basil can be used in addition to, or instead of, fresh coriander and mint leaves. 

♥ Use fresh, peeled shrimp if you have them on hand. They provide the best flavor! The 300 grams of shrimp in the recipe refers to the peeled weight. 600 g of shrimp with the shell equals about 300 g of peeled shrimp. If you use shrimp that have been frozen, let them thaw thoroughly and dry the peeled shrimp with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

♥ Adjust the amount of chili and chili flakes to how spicy you like the salad. If you split the chili, remove the seeds, and rinse in cold water, it will be much less spicy. 

♥ The glass noodle salad should be served on the same day it is made. 

♥ See also Thai Salmon Curry and Thai Chicken Soup with Noodles and Shredded Chicken. 

This salad is a great way to serve lovely Norwegian shrimp! 

Enjoy!

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