Yum Woon Sen
This vegan Yum Woon Sen is light, tangy, and full of contrast: springy glass noodles, juicy tomatoes, tender mushrooms, and sharp shallot in a lime-chili dressing. It is refreshing yet deeply savory, making an excellent quick lunch or warm-weather dinner.
Ingredients
Salad
- 80 gdried glass noodles
- 120 goyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
- 120 gcherry tomatoes, halved
- 40 gshallot, thinly sliced
- 15 gfresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
- 20 gspring onion, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 45 mllime juice
- 30 mllight soy sauce
- 10 gpalm sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 small (8 g)red chili, finely sliced
Instructions
- 1
Bring a small pot of water to the boil. While it heats, place the dried glass noodles in a bowl and cover with room-temperature water to soften for 5 minutes so they cook quickly and evenly.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice, light soy sauce, palm sugar or light brown sugar, and red chili until the sugar dissolves. Taste: it should be sharply sour, lightly sweet, salty, and spicy.
- 3
Add the oyster mushrooms to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, just until tender. Lift them out with tongs or a slotted spoon into the dressing bowl; this lets them absorb flavor while still warm.
- 4
Drain the softened glass noodles, then add them to the same boiling water. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until transparent and springy but not mushy. Drain well and briefly rinse under cool water to stop the cooking, then let excess water drip off thoroughly.
- 5
Add the drained noodles, cherry tomatoes, shallot, cilantro, and spring onion to the bowl with the mushrooms and dressing. Toss thoroughly for 30 to 60 seconds, lifting the noodles so the dressing coats everything evenly and the herbs are distributed throughout.
- 6
Transfer to plates and serve immediately while the noodles are cool-warm and the vegetables are fresh. If needed, adjust with an extra squeeze of lime or splash of soy sauce at the table.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For a beginner-friendly version, use mild red chili or reduce the amount to taste.
- •If your glass noodles are very thin, soaking may be enough; if thicker, the brief boil gives the best chewy texture.
- •Do not overcook the noodles: they should be glossy and elastic, not soft and clumped.
- •A few mint leaves can be added for extra freshness without changing the character of the dish too much.
Background
Yum Woon Sen is a classic Thai salad built around slippery mung bean glass noodles and a bright, punchy dressing. Traditional versions often include seafood or minced pork, but the dish adapts beautifully to vegetables and mushrooms while keeping its signature balance of sour, salty, sweet, and spicy flavors.
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