This refreshing Glass Noodle Salad is inspired by Thai Yum Woon Sen, a vibrant salad made with chewy glass noodles, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and a tangy dressing. It's the perfect no-cook meal for hot summer days.
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Packed with edamame, crunchy vegetables, and bright lime-ginger flavor, this easy glass noodle recipe is satisfying enough for lunch or dinner and ideal for meal prep.
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Glass Noodle Salad
- 👩🏽⚕️ Dietitian's Note
- 👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- 🌱 Substitutions
- 📝 How to Make Vegan Thai Glass Noodle Salad
- ✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
- 🍜 More Asian-Style Recipes
- 🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ Related Recipes
- 👩🏽🍳 Made this recipe?
- ⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
- Glass Noodle Salad Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🔍 Quick Look: Glass Noodle Salad
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 3
- 📊 Calories: ~380 kcal (based on nutrition panel)
- 👩🏽🍳 Flavor Profile: Bright, tangy, savory, slightly sweet, fresh, and crunchy
- 💪🏼 Nutrition: 14 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy. Cook the noodles, whisk the dressing, and toss with the vegetables and herbs.
👩🏽⚕️ Dietitian's Note
Glass noodles provide satisfying texture while edamame adds plant protein, fiber, iron, and magnesium. Fresh herbs and colorful vegetables contribute beneficial phytonutrients, making this a light yet nourishing meal.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
This Thai Yum Woon Sen is fresh, flavorful, and comes together in minutes. Plus, it's:
- An easy no-cook summer meal
- High in plant protein and fiber
- Great for meal prep
- Naturally vegan and dairy-free
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.
- Glass noodles (or cellophane noodles) are long gelatinous noodles made from the Glass noodles: Also called cellophane noodles, bean thread noodles, or mung bean noodles. They are the classic base for Yum Woon Sen and work beautifully in cold noodle salads.
- Carrots and red bell pepper: Add color, crunch, and natural sweetness.
- Edamame: A simple way to add plant-based protein and make this salad more satisfying.
- Scallions: Add a mild onion flavor. Slice them thinly, preferably on a diagonal.
- Fresh herbs: Cilantro, basil, or mint all work well. Do not skip the herbs; they make the salad taste fresh and bright.
- Peanuts or cashews: Optional, but highly recommended for crunch.
- Lime-ginger sesame dressing: Made with tamari or soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, ginger, chili, maple syrup, and sesame oil.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🌱 Substitutions
- Glass noodles - substitute with vermicelli noodles (rice noodles) as needed
- Carrots or bell pepper - substitute with an equal amount of red or green cabbage, or bean sprouts, as desired
- Cilantro - substitute with chopped fresh mint, basil, or omit
- Tamari - Use gluten-free tamari for a gluten-free meal. Soy sauce also works but is not gluten-free.
- Toasted sesame seeds - omit as desired, or substitute with hemp seeds for more protein
- Peanuts - substitute with cashews, or omit for nut-free
- Red chili pepper - omit for a non-spicy version
📝 How to Make Vegan Thai Glass Noodle Salad
The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.
- Simmer the edamame according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse under cold water. Cooking frozen edamame before using it in salads helps ensure food safety. It also gives the edamame a more pleasant texture and bright green color.
- Optional: For a firmer texture, toss the frozen edamame with a little olive oil or lime juice and roast at 425ºF (220ºC) for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and warmed through. Let cool before adding to the salad. Roasted edamame adds a slightly nutty flavor and extra texture.
- Cook the glass or cellophane noodles by boiling them for a few minutes, or softening them in hot water. (See packet directions.) Rinse the noodles after cooking to keep them from sticking. Drain the noodles very well so the dressing does not get diluted. Cut the noodles with kitchen scissors for easier serving.
- For a lighter dressing, omit the oil and use water as needed to thin.
- Slice the vegetables thinly for the best texture in every bite. Do not skip the herbs. Mint, basil, and cilantro make this salad taste fresh and restaurant-worthy. For a room temperature or chilled glass noodle salad, cook the noodles first so they have time to cool and run them under cold water once they are done cooking.
- Add the peanuts or cashews just before serving to keep them crunchy.
✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
These simple steps help preserve freshness and flavor:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Meal Prep: Chop the carrots, bell pepper, scallions, and peanuts. Store the veggies together, and the peanuts separately. Make the dressing and store separately. For the noodles, cook, drain, cool, and chop. Toss with sesame oil and refrigerate in an airtight container if making them beforehand. You can thaw the edamame ahead of time, and refrigerate separately. For serving, mix well and add sesame seeds, and chopped cilantro.
🍜 More Asian-Style Recipes
This Easy Tofu Rice Bowl Easy Tofu Rice Bowl is healthy, high-protein, and delicious.
See this Simple Chickpea Peanut Stir-Fry on my website! Chickpeas are another easy way to add protein to vegan meals.
Or try this Korean Cucumber Salad for another easy Asian-inspired salad recipe.
This glass noodle recipe was inspired by my Tofu Vermicelli Salad, as well as this Edamame Quinoa Salad.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Glass noodles and pasta offer different nutritional benefits. Glass noodles are typically lower in protein and fiber than whole-wheat pasta but have a light, chewy texture that works well in salads. To make this glass noodle salad more satisfying, I add protein-rich edamame, crunchy vegetables, and fresh herbs.
Vermicelli salads are commonly dressed with a combination of lime juice, soy sauce or tamari, ginger, garlic, and a touch of sweetness. This recipe uses a bright lime-ginger dressing with tamari and optional sesame oil that complements both glass noodles and vermicelli noodles.
Look in the Asian aisle of your supermarket. You will see dried thin white noodle sticks labeled bean thread vermicelli noodles, bean thread glass noodles, glass noodles, or just bean thread.
🍽️ Related Recipes
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Glass Noodle Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 grams glass noodles (cellophane noodles) or vermicelli noodles
- 2 medium carrots julienned
- 1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 ¾ cups shelled edamame see notes
- 3 scallions (green onion), chopped (green and light green parts only)
- ¾ cup chopped roasted peanuts or cashews (optional)
- ¾ cup chopped cilantro basil, or mint
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
For the dressing:
- 3 ½ tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or date syrup
- Zest of one-half lime
- 1 lime juice, plus more to taste
- 1 inch knob of ginger grated
- 1 small red chili pepper minced (optional)
- 1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil optional
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or water to taste
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EQUIPMENT
- sharp knife
- Kitchen scissors optional for cutting the noodles into shorter lengths
Instructions
- Simmer edamame: Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle boil. Add the frozen shelled edamame and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse under cold water.
- Cook the noodles according to the directions on the packet. Transfer them to a large bowl and cut them into smaller pieces using kitchen shears. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: Add the tamari, maple syrup, lime zest and juice, ginger, and red chili pepper to a small bowl, or a jar with a lid. Mix well to combine. Add the toasted sesame oil and sesame oil, if using, and whisk or shake well. Or add water to taste.
- Combine: Transfer the carrots, bell pepper, edamame, scallions, peanuts, cilantro, and sesame seeds to the bowl with the noodles. Add the dressing. Mix until fully incorporated. Add more lime juice to taste. (Drizzle with chili crisp for an additional flavor boost.)
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include peanuts or oil.
- Edamame: Cooking frozen edamame before using it in salads helps ensure food safety, as frozen vegetables are not always fully cooked and ready to eat straight from the package. Start by adding 1 cup edamame, Add the remainder as desired for additional protein. Roasted edamame adds even more crisp.
- For gluten-free: use gluten-free tamari
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
Amanda says
Absolutely perfect and delicious for this hot summer weather. I needed something healthy and plantbased to go along with my exercise program. My husband really enjoyed it also.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you both enjoyed this noodle salad! Thank you.
Brittany says
Oh this is so goood!! I highly recommend anyone trying this recipe to spring for the tamari, it's really worth it.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it this way. Thank you.
Paula Sugarman says
This recipe looks delicious, I plan to make it soon. I see it's 647 calories per serving. How large is a serving? Are all servings the same size in your nutrition facts?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes. It is a large serving. A complete meal.
Amira says
This recipe is satisfying and refreshing! The combination of flavors is great and it doesn't take too long to put together. I used sweet potato noodles because it's what I had on hand and used fresh basil. It's delicious and I've been making it ahead for my lunches at work.
Nisha Melvani says
Perfect additions. I love sweet potato noodles.
Amy says
So easy, fast, delicious and supremely healthy. Next time I will cut the noodles into smaller pieces as suggested. Really filling.
Nisha Melvani says
So glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it's much easier when they are cut.
Primla Goddard says
These glass noodles are so easy to make and are so yummy as a salad.
Love this idea !
Nisha Melvani says
Thank you. They are quite a hit!
Primla Goddard says
Can be eaten chilled or warmed up.
Love that it can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days.
Nisha Melvani says
Yes it's super convenient! Thank you.
Primla Goddard says
A great weeknight dinner !
Very light and refreshing!
Neena Chandiramani says
Glass noodles - so yummy and love the recipe!
Nisha Melvani says
Enjoy! Thank you.