Pad Woon Sen (Glass Noodle Stir-Fry)
Pad Woon Sen is a delicious Thai noodle dish made from glass noodles, (aka bean thread noodles) and loaded with healthy veggies. It’s gluten-free, vegan, and soy-free so everyone can enjoy it.
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What are glass noodles?
Glass noodles are another name for cellophane noodles. They are any transparent noodle that is made from starch such as mung bean starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca, or canna starch.
Where I live, noodles made from mung bean starch aka bean tread noodles are the easiest to find in most major grocery stores.
Why make this recipe
This Pad Woon Sen is an easy vegan noodle stir fry that will satisfy the whole family. Packed with veggies and tons of flavor, this will surely be your family’s new favorite noodle dish.
My family loves lots of Asian-style noodle dishes like Hakka noodles, teriyaki noodles, and curry noodle soup, but my family asks for this spicy glass noodle dish again and again. There is just something about the texture of the bean thread noodles that you just can’t get enough of.
Ingredients and substitutions
Vegetable stir fry
- Glass Noodles aka Bean Thread Noodles – you can also use sweet potato noodles or any Cellophane noodle that is made from starch. I usually buy mine at my local Asian Market, but I also find them in the Asian section of larger grocery stores.
- Vegetable Oil or Sesame Oil – or any oil that you want. However, the sesame oil gives the noodles a nice flavor. This is more traditional in Korean glass noodles, but I like the flavor that it adds.
- Vegetables of choice – you will need about 5 cups of any vegetable that you want in your stir fry. These are some of our favorites…
- Onions
- Carrots
- Bell Peppers
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Bean Sprouts
For the sauce
- Seasoned Rice Vinegar – you can swap this out for mirin if you don’t have rice vinegar.
- Soy Sauce – or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.
- Broth – any vegan broth will work.
- Garlic Chile Sauce – or siracha
- Garlic – Fresh-mined garlic cloves taste best.
Helpful tools
- Wok – or a large frying pan.
How to make Pad Woon Sen
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Cook the glass noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the noodles.)
Step 2 – Make the sauce. In a small bowl or measuring container, mix the broth, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, and garlic then set aside.
Step 3 – Peel and dice an onion then saute it over low heat in 3 tablespoons of oil for about 5 minutes.
Step 4 – Wash and cut vegetables into bite-size pieces then toss them into the wok with the softened onion and turn up the heat to medium-high.
Step 5 – Saute the veggies for about 5 more minutes until tender, then add the drained noodles and the sauce.
Step 6 – Stir well until the noodles are coated and the noodles and veggies are mixed well.
Step 7 – Serve hot or cold. Garnish with sesame seeds. (I love to shake nutritional yeast on my noodles too – this is not traditional, but very tasty.)
Pro Tips
- Don’t overcook the vegetables, you want them to be tender, but not mushy.
- If your noodles get sticky while cooking your veggies, you can rinse them under hot water and shake them around before adding them to the wok.
- The sauce will be a little watery at first, but the noodles will soak up the extra liquid which will flavor them.
How to add tofu
These vegan Thai glass noodles are also delicious with tofu. To add tofu, you can toss pressed and cubed tofu in with the vegetables while they are stir-frying, or if you want the tofu to be crispy, you can pan-fry the tofu separately or add deep-fried tofu to the noodles after cooking.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: This Pad Woon Sen will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container. It’s even delicious served cold and makes great lunches!
Freeze: This glass noodle stir fry freezes well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat a serving of the Pad Woon Sen in the microwave for about 3 minutes or add a tablespoon of oil to a frying pan and reheat it on the stovetop.
More vegan meals
- Vegan Ramen
- Orange Tofu
- Vegan Beef and Broccoli
- Sweet and Sour Tofu
- Teriyaki Tofu
- Vegan Egg Drop Soup
- Sticky Tofu
- Vegetable Stir-Fry
Vegan Pad Woon Sen recipe
Vegan Pad Woon Sen (Glass Noodle Stir Fry)
Ingredients
- 10 oz bean thread noodles, or any cellophane noodles made from starch
Veggie stir fry
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, or sesame oil for more flavor
- 1 small onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cup broccoli
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
Sauce
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, (use tamari for GF)
- 1 tablespoon garlic chile sauce , or siracha
- 2 clove garlic, minced
Equipment
- wok or large frying pan
Instructions
- Cook the glass noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the noodles.)
Make the sauce
- In a small bowl or measuring container, mix together the broth, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, and garlic then set aside.
Make the veggie stir fry
- Peel and dice an onion then sauté it over low heat in 3 tablespoons of oil for about 5 minutes.
- Wash and cut vegetables into bite-size pieces then toss them into the wok with the softened onion and turn up the heat to medium-high.
Put everything together
- Sauté the veggies for about 5 more minutes until tender, then add the drained noodles and the prepared sauce.
- Stir well until the noodles are coated and the noodles and veggies are mixed well.
- Serve hot or cold. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the vegetables, you want them to be tender, but not mushy.
- If your noodles get sticky while cooking your veggies, you can rinse them under hot water and shake them around before adding them to the wok.
- The sauce will be a little watery at first, but the noodles will soak up the extra liquid which will flavor them.
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Hello Monica,
I thought it was strange that this was termed a “Thai” glass noodle stirfry because it looked like Jap Che, a Korean noodle dish. Korean dishes use a lot of sesame oil.
Then I ran into this in your recipe.
“These Korean noodles are also delicious with tofu…”
And then under the recipe designation of Cuisine: “Asian, Korean, vegan”
So I’m confused. Is this a Korean or a Thai dish, or both? I know a lot of Asian dishes are similar, but I’ve actually never seen or tasted Thai food that uses sesame oil. Maybe this just got edited wrong?
No criticism, just some confusion as to ingredients and terms.
Hi Betsy, you are correct, when using sesame oil, it similar to Korean noodles. I like the flavor that it add so that’s what I use. Vegetable oil is more traditional in Thai glass noodles, otherwise the recipes are very similar.