Yum Woon Sen is one of my favorite Thai salads ever! It’s mostly my favorite since it involves noodles and not actual lettuce. But, it is still light and fresh so you won’t have to feel too guilty for wanting to eat the entire recipe.
This glass noodle salad is served cold, which makes it super refreshing on a hot day! It only has a few ingredients, and unlike a lot of Thai recipes you should be able to find all the ingredients at your local grocery store. It was about time I gave you a simple recipe right? You’re welcome.
Before we get started I have to admit I forgot to add the shallots! I didn’t notice until after I made the whole dish and took all the pictures, ugh. Don’t make the same mistake I did, those little suckers make the dish!
Alright, moving on. Go round up all your ingredients and get started on the prep work.
Every time I make a Thai meal snap chatting the ingredients is a must, they are just too pretty not to snap a picture!
Alright, first we will start with our glass noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil (Not fond of the word roaring, but needed to use it), in a separate boil put the glass noodles in, once the water is boiling, add the water to the glass noodles. Make sure the noodles are completely covered with the water. Time the noodles for about 10- 12 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked to your liking. Strain the noodles and rinse with cold water, set aside. Try not to overcook them, or they become quite gummy.
You can also follow the instructions on the package to cook the noodles. If you get them from an Asian market usually the instructions are less then clear that’s why I bothered you with the cooking instructions.
When you are on the search for these noodles look for something that says either glass noodles or bean thread noodles. If you are having troubles locating them, here is a link to buy them on Amazon: Amazon
Also I get a very small portion if you buy them through my link, so thank you in advance!
Ok, the noodles are done so its veggie time. Finely chop the cilantro, cut the grape tomatoes into quarters, thinly slice the shallot, juice the limes, and deseed the birds eye chilies and thinly slice them.
Next, brown the pork and season to taste with pork seasoning. When the pork is fully cooked set it on a paper towel lined plate to make sure and get rid of all the grease. If you don’t have pork seasoning at home salt will do just fine. Here is a link to the pork seasoning, because let’s face it, everyone needs to own this stuff. Pork seasoning: Amazon
Set the cooked pork aside. Mix the sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce in a small bowl. In a large bowl add all the ingredients but the sauce and mix thoroughly. Lastly, add the sauce and combine. Let the Yum Woon Sen cool in the fridge for about 15 minutes. If you can’t wait for it to cool, just eat it.
You can serve Yum Woon Sen as a side salad or just plain have it as a main course! Regardless it steals the show.
- 1 package glass noodles (bean thread noodles) about 185g or 6.5 oz.
- 1/2 lb. ground pork
- 1/3 cup grape tomatoes
- 1 small shallot
- 3 small limes or 6 key limes
- 3 to 4 birds eye chilies or 2 serrano peppers
- 2 tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- pork seasoning or salt to taste
- Cook the noodles according to package instructions. If the package instructions are unclear, put the noodles in a large boil, bring a kettle of water to a boil then pour the boiling water over the noodles. Cover them completely and let them sit for 10 to 12 minutes until done. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Brown the pork and season with pork seasoning or salt, set on a paper towel lined plate to drain the grease.
- Finely chop the cilantro, quarter the grape tomatoes, thinly slice the shallot, deseed the peppers and thinly slice them, and juice the limes.
- Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the sauce and mix well. Then add the sauce and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Serve right away or put in the fridge to cool for about 15 minutes. ENJOY!!
