What is Yum Woonsen?

Yum Woonsen is a Thai salad that features bean thread noodles dressed in a light and refreshing dressing. This salad is often made with ground pork and shrimp, but variations on the protein used abound. Tomatoes, onions, and celery are classic vegetables and peanuts are often used to top the dish.

In Thai, yum is a term that refers to salads, and specifically this type of salad that has a mix of spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavors. Woonsen refers to bean thread noodles, also known as glass noodles or cellophane noodles. These noodles are made of mung bean starch, and become translucent when cooked. So, put together, Yum Woonsen is commonly referred to as "Glass Noodle Salad" in English.

Salad Ingredients

• Onion: Thinly sliced pieces of onion add a sharp aromatic flavor to the salad. You can use red onion, white onion, or shallots. I prefer to use red onion for a pop of color.
• Tomato: You can use any tomato you like. With larger tomatoes that are very juicy, you'll want to remove the pulp so it doesn't dilute the dressing too much.
• Chinese Celery: Chinese celery is a leafier, more fragrant version of regular celery. The leaves are chopped coarsely for this salad. You can substitute regular celery leaves if Chinese celery is not available in your area.
• Carrot (optional): Shredded carrot adds a nice crunch, color, and subtle flavor to this salad.
• Ground Pork: Ground pork is the most common meat used in this salad. Ground chicken would also work.
• Shrimp: Shrimp is the most common seafood used in this salad. The shrimp should be cleaned, peeled, and deveined.
• Cilantro: Cilantro leaves are used to top the salad.
• Roasted Peanuts: For optimal freshness and taste, you should roast your own peanuts. Follow the directions in this article to learn how to roast peanuts for use in Thai cooking.
• Woonsen Noodles: The base of this salad is woonsen, also known as glass noodles or bean thread noodles. Learn all about woonsen noodles in this article. You can buy them in your local Asian market as well as through online retailers. Be sure to use a Thai brand of woonsen that contains 100% mung bean starch.

Dressing Ingredients

• Fish Sauce: Fish sauce provides the salty element in this dressing. See this article all about Thai fish sauce for more details.
• Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice is best, as it's one of the main flavors of this salad.
• Palm Sugar: Palm sugar adds a subtle sweetness to the dressing, helping to balance out the salty, sour, and spicy flavors.
• Thai Chili: Use as many or as few Thai chilis as you like, depending on your spice tolerance and preference. One Thai chili that's been sliced will add a mild level of spice; five Thai chilis that have been pounded with a mortar and pestle will result in a much spicier salad.

Instructions

Yum Woonsen comes together in less than 30 minutes, making it a quick and easy choice for a weekday lunch or dinner. Follow these instructions to make it:

Soak the Noodles: Place the dried bean thread noodles in a bowl of room temperature water. Allow to soak for ten minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Prepare the Veggies: Slice the red onion finely. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized slices. Coarsely chop the Chinese celery and cilantro. Shred the carrots, if using.

Make the Dressing: Combine the fish sauce, freshly squeezed lime juice, and palm sugar. Mix until the palm sugar is dissolved. Add as many or few sliced Thai chilis as you like. Taste and adjust the flavors as needed.

Cook the Noodles: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place the soaked bean thread noodles in the boiling water and allow to cook for two minutes. They're done when they turn translucent. Remove the noodles and place in a serving bowl.

Cook the Shrimp: To the same pot that the noodles were cooked in, add the shrimp. Allow them to cook in the hot water until they are done (this should take about 30 seconds - 1 minute).

Cook the Pork: Pour the majority of the water out of the pot, leaving only enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the ground pork, and cook until done, breaking up any clumps as it cooks.

Dress the Noodles: Place the noodles in a bowl, and add the dressing. Mix together with tongs until the noodles are well coated. Then add the pork, shrimp, and veggies and toss together.

Serve: Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top of the salad. Serve with various crunchy raw vegetables such as cucumber or cabbage, and fresh lime wedges. Enjoy!

Variations

This recipe for Yum Woonsen is one of the more common versions of this salad. Some other common variations include using dried shrimp, calamari, or Vietnamese white sausage in addition to or in place of shrimp and ground pork. Instead of roasted peanuts, some recipes call for using fried peanuts. And for an additional note of sour flavor, pickled garlic juice is sometimes added to the dressing. In all of these variations, the flavor profile of the salad is the same. It should be sour first, then have a nice balance salty and sweet. How spicy it is is up to you!

Serving Suggestions

Yum Woonsen can be served as a stand alone salad, or it can be served as part of a larger Thai meal. If you're serving it as part of a larger meal, this glass noodle salad would pair nicely with a soup with similar flavor profile such as Tom Yum Gai, perhaps a curry like Green Curry with Eggplant, and a main dish such as Pad Nam Prik Pao or Gai Tod. Although it's made with noodles, many Thai people eat this salad with jasmine rice.

Storage

Yum Woonsen is best eaten right after it's made. It does not store well, as the noodles will continue to absorb the dressing, making the salad dry and bland. If you'd like to prepare it ahead of time, it's best to prepare all of the ingredients and store them separately. Then, when it's time to eat, simply cook the noodles and assemble them with the other prepared salad ingredients.

Bright and fresh but also substantial and filling, Yum Woonsen is one Thai salad you don't want to miss. From the chewy bean thread noodles that soak up the delicious sour, salty, spicy, and sweet flavors of the dressing to the abundance of fresh vegetables, tender meat, and crunchy peanuts, this salad really does delight every taste bud! So whether you're looking for a quick and tasty lunch or a side to complement a larger Thai feast, Yum Woonsen is sure to hit the spot.

What are Woonsen Noodles?

Woonsen are thin noodles made of mung bean starch. They are therefore often referred to as mung bean noodles or bean thread noodles. When they are in their dried form, they are an opaque white. Once cooked, they transform into soft, slippery noodles that are transparent. This is presumably how these noodles came to also be known as glass noodles or cellophane noodles.

In Thai, these noodles are known as woonsen (วุ้นเส้น). Woon (วุ้น) is the Thai word for jelly. You might recognize it from this jelly-like Coconut and Pandan Agar dessert. Sen (เส้น) is the Thai word for line, and when used in cooking terms, it refers to noodles. So Woon Sen literally translates to "jelly-like noodles" in Thai.

How are Woonsen Noodles Made?

Woonsen noodles are made by mixing mung bean starch with water, then cooking the mixture until it turns into a thick, gel-like, translucent paste. This paste is then poured into molds and allowed to firm up before it is cut into thin noodles. The noodles are then dried and packaged.

How to Rehydrate Woonsen Noodles

Dried woonsen noodles are opaque white and somewhat brittle. Before use, they need to be rehydrated in warm water. Simply place the bundle of dry noodles in a bowl of warm-ish tap water. Allow the noodles to soak for 5-10 minutes, until they are soft and pliable. They are now ready to use in your recipe.

What do Woonsen Noodles Taste Like?

Woonsen noodles do not have much flavor on their own, but they're great at soaking up other flavors. This makes them the ideal noodle to use in salads, soups, and stir fries where they can really absorb the flavors they're surrounded by.

Woonsen noodles are commonly sold at Asian grocery stores. You can find them online as well, and depending on your area, perhaps even at mainstream grocery stores. They are most often labelled as "bean thread noodles" or "bean thread vermicelli". Look for a brand with 100% mung bean starch for the highest quality. You should also be careful to choose a Thai brand (such as Kaset or Pine) as "glass noodles" from other cuisines are made from sweet potato starch instead of mung bean starch.

Nutritional Value of Glass Noodles

Thai glass noodles, known as woonsen, are made of mung bean starch and water. The mung bean starch is carbohydrate rich, with approximately 35 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Although they are made from mung beans, there is no appreciable protein in these noodles. They also have no fat and no cholesterol. Because they are made from mung bean starch, Thai glass noodles are naturally gluten-free and vegan.

Substitutes

Although Thai bean thread noodles are similar in appearance and texture to Korean and Japanese glass noodles, they are not interchangeable. As Korean / Japanese glass noodles are made with sweet potato starch, they require different cooking times than bean thread noodles.

Storage

Woonsen are sold in their dried form, and will last for many months stored in the pantry at room temperature. Once they've been cooked, you'll want to store the bean thread noodles in the refrigerator and finish them within several days. Woonsen noodles withstand the heat of the microwave well for reheating.

What is Goong Ob Woonsen?

Goong Ob Woonsen is a Thai dish of shrimp and bean thread noodles that are cooked together with ginger, black pepper, and savory seasoning sauces. This dish has Chinese origins, but as with many other dishes that have been incorporated into Thai cuisine, the Thai have made it their own. Cilantro roots and garlic have been added to the ginger and black pepper spice mixture, and Thai seasoning sauces have replaced the Chinese versions.

In Thai, Goong means shrimp, Ob means baked, and Woonsen means bean thread noodles. Therefore, this dish translates to "Shrimp Baked with Bean Thread Noodles". It is traditionally baked in a clay pot set on top of a charcoal grill, with flames surrounding the sides of the pot. Therefore, even though the heat source is coming from the bottom, the noodles are actually "baked" by the flames surrounding the pot.

Equipment

Goong Ob Woonsen is traditionally cooked in a clay pot like the one pictured. You can find these pots or similar versions at many pan-Asian markets, Chinese cookware stores, and of course, online. The clay pot would traditionally be placed on top of a charcoal grill known as a Tao. In the absence of a Tao, the clay pot can be cooked on a gas stove (perhaps with a diffuser so that the heat doesn't damage the pot). These days, it's more common to see Goong Ob Woonsen cooked in a thin aluminum pot over a gas burner.

Ingredients

• Shrimp: You can use shrimp with the shell on, just the tail on, or the shell completely removed. Whichever version you use, be sure to remove the vein.
• Bean Thread Noodles: Bean thread noodles are known as woonsen in Thai. They also go by glass noodles, cellophane noodles, or mung bean noodles. These noodles are opaque when dry and become clear when cooked.
• Bacon: In Thailand, thin strips of pork belly are layered on the bottom of the clay pot. I typically use bacon instead as I tend to have it on hand. Either will work to provide a little bit of grease and porky flavor to the noodles.
• Chinese Celery: The leaves of Chinese celery provide a characteristic flavor and aroma to this dish. They can be found at pan Asian markets like Ranch 99.
• Ginger: Ginger is one of the predominant flavors in this clay pot. Simply peel the skin and cut into thin matchstick slices.
• Black Peppercorns: Whole black peppercorns are another major flavor of this dish.
• Garlic: Peeled garlic will be pounded into the spice mixture.
• Cilantro Roots: Cilantro roots add an earthy aromatic taste to the spice mix. Wash and trim the small rootlets off, then cut into smaller pieces before pounding into the spice mixture. If you don't have cilantro roots, the stems can be used in their place.
• Oyster Sauce, Thin Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce: These savory seasoning sauces provide so much salty umami flavor. The oyster sauce and dark soy sauce also add hints of sweetness.
• Sesame Oil: Sesame oil helps to coat the noodles so they don't stick together, and adds a nutty aroma.

Instructions

Soak the Noodles: Place the dried woonsen noodles in a bowl of room temperature water. Allow them to soak for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Make Spice Mix: Pound the garlic, cilantro roots, ginger, and black peppercorns together until a coarse paste is formed. In a separate bowl, combine the seasoning sauces and stir until well mixed.

Start with Pork: Layer bite-sized pieces of pork belly or bacon on the bottom of the clay pot.

Add Spice Mix: Spread a thin layer of the spice mixture on top of the pork slices. Sprinkle a few slices of ginger on top.

Add the Noodles: Drain the water from the bean thread noodles, then add them to the clay pot.

Top with Shrimp: Place the shrimp on top of the noodles, then pour the seasoning sauce mixture on top of everything.

Add Vegetables: Add the Chinese celery on top, if you like it well done. If you prefer it to be slightly crunchy, add it after 15 minutes of cooking.

Cook the Clay Pot: Secure the lid on top of the clay pot and cook on a gas stove over medium high heat for 20 minutes.

NOTE: This recipe makes two standard-sized clay pots. If you are using a standard-sized clay pot, add half the amount of each ingredient to the clay pot at a time.

Serving Suggestions

Once the clay pot is done cooking, take two spoons and mix all the ingredients together like you would a salad. You will end up with a plate of savory, umami-rich noodles permeated with ginger and pepper, topped with succulent shrimp, crisp bacon, and some crunchy greens. Each bite is filled with so much flavor.

As if the clay pot wasn't flavorful enough on its own, it is also sometimes served with the Thai dipping sauce known as Nam Jim Seafood. The shrimp can be dipped into this spicy and sour sauce for an added burst of flavor!

Variations

Goong Ob Woonsen can be made with shrimp or prawns. It is also sometimes made with crab, in which case it's known as Boo Ob Woonsen (Boo = crab). In addition to varying the protein, some recipes call for topping the clay pot with green onions instead of Chinese celery.

I'm so glad my husband introduced me to Goong Ob Woonsen years ago. It's been so nice to savor this flavorful noodle dish together, and now, it's even more special to share it with our children. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Components of Khao Moo Dang

This dish is named after its two biggest components, Jasmine Rice (Khao) and Red Pork (Moo Dang). However, all of the components of the dish are important, and play a role in the overall composition of the meal.

1. Jasmine Rice: The base of this one-dish meal is a bed of fragrant jasmine rice.
2. Red Pork: Red pork known as Moo Dang tops the rice. Moo Dang is the Thai version of Chinese Char Siu. A lean cut of pork is marinated in a mixture of Thai seasonings as well as Chinese five spice powder. Once it has had time to soak up these delicious flavors, the pork is baked and cut into tender, flavorful slices.
3. Red Sauce: A thickened red sauce is spooned over the pork and rice. This sauce is sweet and savory and packed with five spice flavor. A little goes a long way.
4. Chinese Sausage and/or Moo Grob: As Red Pork has its origins in Chinese cuisine, it is often served with other meats of Chinese origin accompanying it on the plate. These sides typically include Chinese sausage and Crispy Pork known as Moo Grob.
5. Boiled Egg: A boiled egg cut in half is often served with Khao Moo Dang.
6. Cucumbers and/or Green Onion: Cucumber slices and green onion sprigs are usually plated next to the Khao Moo Dang. These fresh vegetables add a nice crunch to the otherwise soft meal.
7. Chili Vinegar Sauce: This accompaniment made of soy sauce, vinegar, and chilis helps to cut the sweetness of the Khao Moo Dang. You can add as much or as little as you like to your plate.

Red Pork

The Thai version of Chinese Char Siu (known as Red Pork or Moo Dang) is flavorful and tender. Although the marinade calls for many ingredients, it's not hard to put together. Once it has been marinated, the pork is cooked and cut into thin slices to top the jasmine rice. All of the ingredients for Red Pork are explained in detail in this Moo Dang recipe.

Red Sauce

The red sauce that is spooned over the red pork and rice is sweet and savory and packed with five spice flavor. Many recipes call for using the leftover pork marinade as the base of this sauce. However, I prefer to make it from scratch to avoid any cooked / congealed pork blood in the sauce. The ingredients to make it are listed below.

• Garlic: A few cloves go a long way to provide a base aromatic flavor.
• White pepper powder: Known as Prik Thai, white pepper powder adds a subtle spice.
• Fermented soybean sauce: Known as Tao Jiao, this sauce is made by allowing salted soybeans to ferment. The resulting paste is extremely salty with lots of umami flavor.
• Thin soy sauce: Thai thin soy sauce adds a little extra saltiness.
• Dark soy sauce: Dark soy sauce is a thick soy sauce with molasses flavor.
• Sesame oil: Sesame oil enhances the flavor of the sauce.
• Five spice powder: Five spice powder is one of the predominant flavors of this sauce.
• Palm sugar: The sweetness of the sauce comes from palm sugar.
• Red food coloring: The red color of this sauce is achieved by adding a few drops of red food coloring to the sauce.
• Roasted sesame seeds: Sesame seeds are a defining ingredient of the Red Sauce. Some recipes call for crushing them slightly before adding to the sauce.
• Chicken broth: Chicken broth is added to make the sauce into more of a pourable liquid sauce.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce. Mix with some of the chicken broth before adding it to the sauce. The sauce should be slightly thickened, but definitely still pourable.

Chili Vinegar Sauce

A bowl of chili vinegar sauce is usually served with Khao Moo Dang. This spicy and sour dipping sauce helps to cut the sweetness of the red sauce, and adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the overall dish. The ingredients to make it are detailed below.

• Dark soy sauce: Thai dark soy sauce is thick with a hint of molasses flavor.
• Thin soy sauce: Thin soy sauce adds a lot of umami-rich saltiness.
• White vinegar: Plain white vinegar provides the sour taste of this dipping sauce.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar is used to balance the sourness of the sauce.
• Water: Some plain water helps the sauce come together.
• Mild pepper: This dipping sauce is not meant to be terribly spicy. Instead of Thai chili peppers, use a milder, larger pepper such as fresno or jalapeno pepper.

Accompaniments

The main components of Khao Moo Dang are rice (khao), red pork (moo dang), red sauce, and chili vinegar sauce as detailed above. A plate of Khao Moo Dang would be considered complete with just these items. However, in addition to these main ingredients, this dish is often served with several additional accompaniments.

• Crispy pork: Crispy pork, known as Moo Grob in Thai, is pork belly that has been deep fried until the skin is super crispy and bubbly. Like Moo Dang, it is not hard to make, but it does take some time. Alternatively, you can purchase Crispy Pork from your local Asian grocery store.
• Chinese sausage: Chinese sausage can be bought from your local Asian grocery store. Cook in a shallow pan of water until the water cooks off, then slice into thin slices.
• Cucumbers and Green Onion: These vegetables add a nice crunch to the otherwise soft dish. The cucumber should be peeled and sliced. The green onion is often served whole.
• Eggs: Chicken or duck eggs are often boiled and served in halves alongside the dish. Boil the eggs for 7-8 minutes to achieve a slightly runny yolk, then cool and peel before slicing in half.

Storage

The individual components of this dish should be stored separately. The rice, pork, and sauce can all be refrigerated for several days. The chili vinegar sauce can be left on the countertop for several days as well. When you're ready to serve it again, simply reheat the individual components and plate again.

Ingredients

• Pork: In Thailand, leaner cuts of pork such as pork tenderloin are typically used to make Moo Dang. However, pork shoulder and other fattier cuts of pork also work. Whichever cut you use, be sure to slice it into long sections that are roughly 3 inches wide by 1-2 inches tall.
• Garlic: Garlic, cilantro roots, and white pepper form the base of the marinade. The garlic cloves will be peeled and then pounded with a mortar and pestle.
• Cilantro roots: The cilantro roots should be cleaned, then pounded with the garlic to form a paste. If you're not able to find cilantro roots, cilantro stems can be substituted, or they can be left out altogether.
• Ground white pepper: White pepper, known as prik Thai, adds a subtle spice to the marinade. If you have white peppercorns, feel free to use those instead and pound them with the garlic and cilantro roots into a paste.
• Thin soy sauce: Soy sauce is used to add saltiness to the marinade. Be sure to use a Thai brand to achieve the correct flavor profile. For more information, see this article about Thai thin soy sauces.
• Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce adds a rich, slightly sweet saltiness to the marinade.
• Five spice powder: This seasoning blend made of anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger adds a characteristic Chinese flavor to the marinade.
• Palm sugar: While honey is typically used in the Chinese version of char siu, palm sugar or a mix of the two is more commonly used in Moo Dang.
• Sesame oil: Any good quality sesame oil will work.
• Red food coloring: Traditional Chinese char siu gets its red color from fermented red bean curds. The Thai version of Moo Dang replicates this color by adding a bit of red food coloring.

Instructions

Although there are quite a few ingredients in the marinade, making Moo Dang is actually quite easy. Simply combine the marinade ingredients, allow the pork to marinate for 24-48 hours, then bake. The marinade does all of the work, and before you know it, you'll be enjoying tender, flavorful slices of Thai Red Pork.

Step 1: Pound the garlic and cilantro roots together in a mortar and pestle until they form a smooth paste.

Step 2: Scoop the paste out and add the other marinade ingredients to it. Stir until it is mixed well.

Step 3: Pour the marinade over the pork. Let the pork marinate for 24-48 hours in the refrigerator.

Step 4: Place the pork on the rack of a baking tray. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Storage

Moo Dang can be stored in the refrigerator for up a week. Once it has been sliced, the pork tends to turn gray. Therefore, it's best to store it as a whole section of pork and slice it only when you're ready to serve it.

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