Salad
Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)
Slippery glass noodles tossed with prawns, lime, fish sauce and chilli — a bright, spicy Thai salad ready in 20 minutes.
About this recipe
Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen) is a salad lunch for 2 that comes together with no stove at all — just prep, toss and serve. It’s built around prawn and fish, and it takes around 20 min start to finish. We sized it for a small household and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 100g glass noodles (tang hoon) buy
- 150g prawns buy
- 1 lime buy
- 2 bird's eye chilli buy
- 2 shallot buy
- 1 stalk celery buy
Equipment
Method
- 1
Soak the glass noodles in hot water until soft, then drain and snip shorter.
~5 min
- 2
Boil the prawns in salted water until pink, 2 min; drain.
~4 min
- 3
Mix lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and sliced chilli into a dressing.
~2 min
- 4
Toss noodles, prawns, thin shallot and sliced celery in the dressing; serve at room temperature.
~3 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Noodles
- whatever you have — rice, instant noodles, or even pasta in a pinch.
- Prawns
- sliced fish, squid, or chicken; firm tofu for a veg version.
- Lime
- lemon, or a splash of rice vinegar for the acidity.
- Fish sauce
- light soy sauce with a tiny pinch of salt — less funk, still savoury (also the vegetarian swap).
- Shallots
- half a small red onion — milder, but close.
Cook's notes
- Deseed the chilli for less heat, and wash your hands (or wear a glove) before touching your eyes. How to prep chilli →
- Roll the lime firmly on the bench before juicing — you’ll get noticeably more juice out of it. How to juice a lime →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 15 min.
Storage & leftovers
Best eaten fresh. If you’re prepping ahead, keep the dressing separate and only toss just before serving so it stays crisp — store the parts in the fridge for up to a day.
Frequently asked
How long does Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen) take to make? +
Around 20 min from start to finish, almost all of it hands-on.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 2. To cook for 4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: induction hob, pot. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Noodles → whatever you have — rice, instant noodles, or even pasta in a pinch; Prawns → sliced fish, squid, or chicken; firm tofu for a veg version; Lime → lemon, or a splash of rice vinegar for the acidity. See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen) ahead of time? +
Best eaten fresh. If you’re prepping ahead, keep the dressing separate and only toss just before serving so it stays crisp — store the parts in the fridge for up to a day.
More Salad recipes
Salad
Classic Coleslaw
Finely shredded cabbage and carrot in a tangy-sweet mayo dressing — a crunchy 10-minute no-cook side for anything.
Salad
Thai Beef Salad (Yam Nua)
Seared beef tossed with lime, fish sauce and chilli over crunchy cucumber and herbs — bright, punchy and on the table in 20 minutes.
Salad
Avocado & Egg Salad
Creamy avocado and boiled egg over leaves with a lemon dressing — a filling, protein-rich no-fuss salad in 15 minutes.