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Glass Noodle Salad
Serves 2 Prep 15 min Cook 15 min Total 30 min Type Meal Origin Thai

Glass Noodle Salad

Thailand's yum woon sen: cellophane glass noodles tossed with prawns, pork mince, herbs, lime, fish sauce and chilli.

Serves 2 Prep 15 minutes Cook 15 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Spicy Thai salad with glass noodles, prawns, and pork. Nostalgic dish from Thai barbecues; serve hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients

Noodles

  • 100 g (3 ½ oz) raw glass noodles

Vegetables

  • 6 baby plum tomatoes, quartered
  • 4 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 stick celery with leaves, thinly sliced

Protein

  • 10 small (or a few large) raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
  • 125 g (4 ½ oz) minced (ground) pork

Nuts and herbs

  • 10 roasted cashews, roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

Dressing

  • 1 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro) stalks
  • 3 red bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar, grated
  • 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce
  • 3 ½ tbsp lime juice

Method

Stage 1 - Soak noodles

  1. Soak noodles in warm water 10 mins until soft.

Stage 2 - Make dressing

  1. Pound soaked shrimp, garlic, coriander stalks, chillies, and palm sugar in pestle and mortar to paste.
  2. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice; taste and adjust.

Stage 3 - Prepare salad base

  1. Place tomatoes, shallots, and celery in salad bowl.

Stage 4 - Cook noodles and prawns

  1. Boil water; cook soaked noodles 2 mins.
  2. Drain; set aside.
  3. In same pan, keep 125 ml (½ cup) water; cook prawns 2 mins until done.
  4. Transfer prawns to rest on noodles.

Stage 5 - Cook pork

  1. Add minced pork to remaining water; cook on high, stirring, until water dissolves and pork is cooked (~5 mins).

Stage 6 - Assemble salad

  1. Add prawns and pork to salad bowl.
  2. Top with cooked noodles.
  3. Pour dressing over; toss to separate noodles.
  4. Add cashews and coriander; stir.
  5. Serve immediately or chill 30 mins.

Notes

  • Many Thai fish sauces contain gluten; use gluten-free.
  • Adjust chillies for heat.
  • Serve hot for best flavor.

Serving

  • Serve as side or main with Thai barbecue.
  • Garnish with extra herbs.

Storage

  • Refrigerate 1 day in airtight container.
  • Best fresh; dressing may separate.

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