Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Chopped red bell peppers, carrots, cilantro, scallions, peanuts, edamame, and sesame oil in glass jars. Tamari, maple syrup, and sesame seeds in white bowls. Ginger, chili pepper, potato starch noodles, and lime.

Ingredients for Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen).

Glass noodles (or cellophane noodles) are long gelatinous noodles made from the starch of mung beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or tapioca. They are gluten-free, and can be served hot or cold. Cook them by soaking in hot water, or by boiling them for a few minutes. Unlike wheat noodles, they do not become sticky when cool. On their own, they do not have much taste, but readily soak in the flavors of any dish.
Frozen shelled edamame is an easy way to add protein and heart healthy fats to a vegan diet. Simply thaw them under running water and they are ready to use. They add a nutty bite and buttery quality to this salad.
A combination of toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil and toasted sesame oil enhance the flavors and texture of this dish.

See 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

See this Easy Tofu Rice Bowl on my website for another high-protein, grain-free dinner idea. Visit my Vegan Asian-Inspired Recipes page for more Asian-style dinner ideas.

📖 Instructions

Thaw the edamame in a sieve under running warm water, or place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Chop the veggies, peanuts, and cilantro and set aside.

Raw glass noodles in a bowl with a kettle and green steamer lid next to it on a white marble board.

Step 1. Cook the glass or cellophane noodles either by boiling them for a few minutes, or softening them in hot water. (See packet directions.) Drain and cool the noodles, and roughly cut them with kitchen shears.

Tamari, sesame, and lime dressing in a glass beaker being whisked.

Step 2. Mix the tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil, toasted sesame oil, minced red chili pepper, ginger, lime zest and juice for the sesame-lime dressing.

Glass noodles, chopped red bell peppers, carrots, cilantro, scallions, peanuts, edamame, sesame seeds, and red chili pepper in a wooden bowl.

Step 3. Place the glass noodles, carrots, bell pepper, scallion, cilantro, edamame, and toasted sesame seeds into a large salad bowl.

Noodles with chopped red bell peppers, carrots, cilantro, scallions, peanuts, edamame, sesame seeds, and red chili pepper mixed in a bento box.

Step 4. Add the dressing and mix well. Warm in a large skillet or microwave, or serve as is. This salad also tastes amazing chilled.

See this Simple Chickpea Farro Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce 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.

💡 Expert Tips

Glass or cellophane noodles typically come very long. I tend to cut mine with kitchen shears into a more manageable length. This way, they are easier to incorporate into the salad.

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.

Chop both the stems and leaves of the cilantro. The stems have a lot of flavor!

Storage: Refrigerate any leftover Yum Woon Sen in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Can I make this Glass Noodle Salad ahead of time?

Yes! Chop the carrots, bell pepper, scallions, and peanuts. Store the veggies in one container, and the peanuts separately. Next, make the dressing and store it in a separate container.
For the noodles, cook, drain, cool, and chop them. Toss them with sesame oil and refrigerate in an airtight container if making them beforehand. You can also thaw the edamame ahead of time, and refrigerate it separately.
Mix well for serving. Add sesame seeds, and chopped cilantro as desired.

What is the difference between rice noodles and glass noodles?

Both are gluten-free, but rice noodles are made from rice flour and water, and glass noodles typically with mung bean or potato flour and water. Plus, rice noodles are a solid white, and do not have the transparent quality of cellophane noodles.

Are glass noodles healthy?

Despite not being made with white flour, glass noodles are nutritionally similar to white-flour based pastas. Typically, each 1 cup serving of cooked glass noodles has about 160 calories and 38 grams of carbohydrates.

📖 Recipe