This light and refreshing Thai Noodle Salad is quickly and easily made, requiring just a few minutes’ cooking time. It is perfect for a fresh-flavoured summer lunch, a starter, or part of a Thai-inspired banquet.
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Why we love this recipe:
If the weather is hot and you have no desire to turn on your oven, this recipe is ideal. This light and refreshing noodle salad is quick and easy to make, requiring just a few minutes’ cooking time and all of it is stove-top.
This is a light, healthy meal which won’t weigh you down. The flavours are bright and refreshing, slightly spicy, ideal to tempt a jaded appetite. It is naturally gluten-free and there is no added fat.
You can customise this recipe to suit yourself. If you don’t like prawns, use more chicken. If you would like a vegetarian dish, use tofu and increase the vegetables, perhaps add some red capsicum and snow peas. You would also need to use a vegan “fish” sauce or tamari if you would like to keep the salad vegan.
This healthy salad is extremely portable. It is ideal to bring to a pot luck, great to take to a barbecue, a picnic or as a flavoursome lunch for work.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Mung bean vermicelli – also known as bean thread, cellophane or glass noodles. Not to be confused with rice vermicelli.
Prawns/shrimp – they can be used interchangeably in recipes as they are similar in taste and texture.
Minced/ground chicken – you can also finely chop some raw chicken for this recipe.
Fish sauce – it has a powerful aroma but don’t be deterred. It is an essential element and when used judiciously adds salty, umami flavour. It will not make a dish taste “fishy” unless too much is used. The flavour of the fish sauce is balanced by the lime juice, palm sugar and coriander.
Palm sugar – this is referred to as an unrefined sugar as there is minimal processing involved in its production. It is from the sap of several varieties of palm flower. The sugar has complex flavour, mostly with notes of caramel. It is readily available in Asian groceries or in some supermarkets. It is often sold in cakes, large or small. Check that it is 100% palm sugar as it is sometimes mixed with refined white sugar.
Lime juice – for the best flavour, always use freshly squeezed.
Red onion – I use red onions as they are sweeter than other varieties and their colour is lovely in a salad.
Spring onion/scallion/green onion – I use the white part and some of the green.
Tomato – I have used a medium-size tomato but you could cut several cherry tomatoes in halves if you prefer.
Roasted peanuts – add textural contrast and flavour to the salad.
Chilli flakes – the dried flakes add medium heat to the salad.
Red chilli – I like to garnish with some thinly sliced fresh red chilli. If you prefer, you could serve some separately for people to add as they wish.
Coriander/cilantro – the stems and leaves are sliced finely; they add a fresh, citrus-like flavour to the salad.
Step by Step Instructions:
- To begin, add the mung bean vermicelli to a bowl of cold water and soak about 5 minutes until the noodles have softened.
- Add some water to a medium-size saucepan and bring the water to a simmer. Add the prawns and cook for 1-2 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the flesh becomes white, tinged with reddish-pink. Using a pair of tongs, remove the prawns to a plate and set aside.
- Add the minced/ground chicken to the same pan. Stir occasionally until the chicken is cooked. It’s not necessary to completely break up the mince. When cooked, lift the chicken onto the plate with the prawns and set aside.
- Drain the noodles soaking in cold water. Using the same saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to the boil, add the noodles and cook for about 2 minutes until the noodles are soft, pliable and translucent. Drain the noodles from the saucepan and put them on a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to cut them roughly.
- Add the noodles to a bowl. Add the prawns and chicken mince, along with the fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice. Mix them together well.
- Then add the red onion, spring onion/scallion, dried chilli flakes, coriander and tomato. Mix well. Check that the balance of flavour is to your taste and adjust accordingly if necessary. Tip onto a serving dish, sprinkle with the peanuts. Add additional coriander leaves and fresh chilli slices if using.
Tips for Success and FAQs:
The success of many dishes depends on their seasoning. Be sure to check the balance of flavours and adjust them to your palate. The Thai Noodle Salad should have a combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.
For this salad, I have use mung bean vermicelli, also called bean thread noodles or cellophane or glass noodles because of their transparent appearance. They are made from mung bean flour and when cooked, they are clear like glass. The noodles are fine, wiry and tough and come in bundles. Be warned; when you open the package, they tend to spring all over the place! They appear white in the package. However, when soaked in water and then cooked they become translucent or glass-like. They have a pleasant, slightly gelatinous, chewy texture and they absorb flavours beautifully. They are sometimes confused with rice vermicelli. Although interchangeable in some recipes I prefer to use mung bean vermicelli in this salad. If you are not sure whether they are rice or mung bean noodles, just check the ingredients. The noodles are readily available in supermarkets.
The noodles are first soaked in cold water to soften them and then briefly cooked in boiling water. To make them manageable to eat, they are cut into short lengths before assembling the salad.
It is important to always remove the intestinal tract. To do this, run a small, sharp knife along the back of each prawn to expose the dark vein. Remove the intestinal tract which runs along the back. If left in, it will add a gritty texture to your salad. This is called de-veining.
Prawns/shrimp cook very quickly. When cooked the prawn flesh will no longer appear glassy, it will become white, tinged with reddish-pink.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
We love Thai flavours, and here are some more of our favourite recipes:
- Thai Inspired Prawn Salad
- Chicken Larb
- Thai Style Chicken and Noodle Meatballs with Sweet Chilli Sauce
Enjoy this refreshing, slightly spicy, Thai Noodle Salad. The bright, fresh flavours are also welcome throughout the year.
Alex xx
This post was originally published in February 2019. It has been updated with new photos and more information. The recipe remains the same.
Thai Noodle Salad
Recipe Measurements:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results.
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 ounces) mung bean vermicelli See Note 1
- 100 g (3.5 ounces) uncooked large prawns – de-veined and halved length-ways See Note 2
- 100 g (3.5 ounces) minced/ground chicken See Note 3
- 2 tablespoon (40 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice See Note 4
- 2 ½ tablespoon fish sauce See Notes 4 and 5
- 2 teaspoon grated palm sugar – firmly packed See Note 6
- 1 small red onion – cut in half, and sliced thinly
- 1 spring onion/scallion – white part and some green, cut into 1cm pieces
- 1 medium tomato – cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts – roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon chilli/red pepper flakes
- 4 stems coriander/cilantro stems and leaves – sliced finely
Serving Suggestions:
- additional coriander/cilantro leaves
- finely sliced red chilli
- wedges of fresh lime
- cucumber
Instructions
- Add the mung bean vermicelli to a bowl of cold water. Soak the vermicelli until the noodles have become soft and lost their brittleness; about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add ¼ cup of water to a medium-size saucepan and bring to a simmer. Over low heat, add the halved prawns and cook for 1-2 minutes, depending on the size of the prawn, turning them occasionally. When cooked the prawn flesh will no longer be glassy, it becomes white, tinged with reddish-pink. Using a pair of tongs, remove the prawns to a plate and set aside.
- Add the minced/ground chicken to the same pan. With a silicone spatula, stir occasionally until the chicken is cooked. It’s not necessary to completely break up the mince. In fact, it’s preferable to have some pieces. When cooked, lift it out onto the plate with the prawns. Set aside. Discard the liquid which is left.
- Drain the noodles from the bowl of water. Using the same saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to the boil and add the noodles. Cook for about 2 minutes until the noodles are soft, pliable and translucent. Drain the noodles in a colander, then put them on a chopping board. They will be sticky, in one gelatinous mound. Don’t be concerned, that’s fine. Using a sharp knife cut across the mound about 4 cm (1 ½”) apart.
- Add the noodles to a medium-size bowl. Add the prawns and chicken mince, along with the fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice. Mix them together well.
- Then add the red onion, scallion, dried chilli flakes, coriander and tomato. Mix well.
- Check that the balance of flavour is to your taste and adjust accordingly if necessary. You should be able to detect sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours.
- Tip onto a serving dish, sprinkle with the peanuts and serve. Add additional coriander leaves and fresh chilli slices if using. – see Note 7
Video
Notes
- Mung bean vermicelli is made from mung bean starch and water, therefore they are naturally gluten-free. These are not to be confused with rice vermicelli; just check the label to be sure.
- If only cooked prawns are available, this is fine also. Just add them as you are assembling the salad.
- You could also finely chop some leftover roast chicken.
- The Australian tablespoon is 20 ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons so you may have to adjust your measurements accordingly.
- Thai fish sauce is available from supermarkets or Asian grocers. It is one of the basic ingredients in Thai food. Do not be deterred by the “fishy” smell; it is pungent but adds umami flavour and is counteracted by the lime juice and herbs.
- Palm sugar is produced from the sap of several different varieties of palms. It has a mild caramel flavour and is not as “sickly” sweet as regular cane sugar. It is available in supermarkets and Asian grocers.
- Serves two people as a main course, but also makes a fabulous side dish or starter. If by chance you have some of the salad leftover, it is an ideal filling for rice paper summer rolls.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on this being enjoyed by two people as a main course. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Catherine
What a wonderful salad! Perfect for these hot summer nights when it’s too hot to cook. Delish!
Alexandra
Absolutely ideal for such evenings Catherine. The dish is light yet full of beautiful fresh flavours.
Jackline
Love Asian flavors, this recipe is really good..!
Alexandra
Thank you so much!
Genny Gall
Salads are the best for this season and very easy to cook for sure, a great healthy option for me
Alexandra
This is an easy, healthy recipe with fantastic flavours. It’s a winner. 🙂
Alejandra Bowling
Alex this recipe and just reading you I get so hungry, you explain all the process so perfectly! I can’t wait to try this at home. Just worried about the coriander, I have never used it before on a dish!
Alexandra
Hi Alejandra, this is a lovely salad. Whilst I think it works best with fresh coriander leaves I do understand that not everyone likes it. You could add freshly chopped parsley or dill if you prefer.
Sigrid's Home
We love vermicelli noodles but honestly, aside from stir fry, I never thought of cooking it this way. I love this! And I know that my health conscious mother in law would too. 🙂
Alexandra
Thank you so much, Sigrid! 🙂 I hope you will give this a try and enjoy it very much 🙂
Sylvie | The Foodie Journey
I dont think I’ve ever tasted mung bean noodles, but now I know what I am buying next time I go to an Asian Supermarket 😉
Alexandra
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, Sylvie! 🙂
Alvern @ Success Unscrambled
This looks so awesome Alex. It actually reminds me of Pad Thai. There is a new Asian supermarket opened closer to my home which is great news! I will be trying this soon and replacing the peanuts with cashew nuts and the shrimp and chicken with tofu. The colours are so amazing.
Alexandra
Thank you so much, Alvern! Let me know what you think when you try it 🙂
Karen Monica
This looks simple to make. I usually have the vermicelli noodle with soup. But I have never tried it as a salad. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Will try to make this.
Alexandra
Love to know what you think when you do, Karen 🙂
Cristina Petrini
A super tasty salad, with Asian flavors that wants to eat it even if you’re not hungry!
Alexandra
LOVE it, Cristina. Thank you so much 🙂
Sarah Bailey
Now this noodle salad sounds absolutely amazing, it has been way to long since I had noodles and 100% I really fancy someone now. I’m going to have to have a dig in the cupboard and see what I can find.
Alexandra
Hope you’ll be able to whip this up soon, Sarah 🙂
Becca Talbot
Love the sound of this recipe – it’s so simple to make, and easy to follow 🙂 will definitely have to give it a whirl x
Alexandra
Thanks, Becca. Hope you will enjoy it very much 🙂
Dalene Ekirapa
Oh my gosh! These noodle salad looks super yummy with all the vege toppings. Now I’d love to prepare such a fast meal.
Alexandra
Thank you, Dalene 🙂 Enjoy!
Nabanita
I think my daughter would love this. Going to definitely try making this soon.
Alexandra
Hope she will love it, and you, too! 🙂
Amber Myers
This looks like a tasty dinner. I don’t think I’ve ever tried anything like this before. It looks scrumptious.
Alexandra
Thanks, Amber! Hope you’ll give it a try 🙂
Kristine Archaia
This is definitely going to my Pinterest board! I love Thai food but oh my good I’m so useless when it comes to cooking. I always save this ideas hoping that one day I can make it 🙂 who knows I’ll give it a go 🙂
Alexandra
Hey Kristine!! I hope you’ll give this a try 🙂 It is a simple dish, and if you have any queries, feel free to send me a message or an email! 🙂 Enjoy!
Huda
Omg this looks amazingly delicious and seems simple enough to make! I might just be able to try this without messing up! lol Thanks for sharing.
Alexandra
You got this, Huda!! 🙂 If you need any help along the way, you can message me anytime. Hope you’ll enjoy!