Glass Noodles Salad (Easy & Vegan)

A refreshingly light glass noodle salad that is packed with fresh vegetables, tossed through slippery potato starch noodles, soy sauce and sesame oil dressing.

My love for Asian food runs deep. This is thanks to my brother, who got me onto it many many years ago and is currently living in Asia.

This glass noodle salad is inspired by Vietnamese and Thai cuisine, it’s perfect for lunch or dinner. 

I normally like to emulate a meal I have eaten out by making it my version and I've got to tell you, this is yum!

It’s the perfect combination of fresh and light flavouring, whilst still being filling - there’s just no 'heavy feeling' with this vegan salad.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Light and refreshing, ridiculously easy
• Has a combination of chewy/slippery noodles with crunchy fresh vegetables
• Can be paired with many other foods or enjoyed on it’s own
• Healthy and caters for vegans and gluten free diets.
• The dressing can be adjusted.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Potato starch noodles - sometimes referred to as glass noodles or cellophane noodles. These are easily found at your local Asian grocer.

These are among the best Asian noodles for salad, you have to try them, especially if you are gluten-free.

Carrots and cucumbers are an amazing combination, they will need to be julienned these by using a mandolin or julienne slicer.

Red cabbage - shred this or thinly slice. I love to use red cabbage as it gives extra crunch to this salad.

Peanuts - to save time I like to use roasted and salted peanuts from the store. However, if you have time, you could do this yourself. If using whole peanuts, crush these prior to adding them to the glass noodle salad. Not only do peanuts add some crunch but protein too.

Bean sprouts - ensure you purchase fresh bean sprouts, these should be crunchy and juicy and not slimy. Bean sprouts are nutritious and a good source of protein.

Lime - do not substitute fresh lime juice with store-bought.

Sesame oil - is a key flavour, choose a good quality sesame oil. Do not skimp on this.

Soy sauce - ensure you select gluten-free if you need this. Please note not all soy sauces are made equally, some are saltier than others. Take this into consideration.

Coriander (cilantro) - use fresh and not dried. Chop up the stem parts into small pieces, coriander stems hold loads of flavour.

How To Make Cold Glass Noodle Salad

Step 1 - Prepare the glass noodles as per packet instructions.

Step 2 - In a mixing jug, whisk together salad dressing ingredients and set aside.

Step 3 - In a salad bowl add glass noodles and chop them up into manageable bite-sized pieces.

Step 4 - Add in all vegetables and herbs. Pour in salad dressing and toss salad until well combined. Serve cold.

Variations

Herbs - for extra flavouring, try adding in freshly chopped mint leaves.

Bean sprouts can be substituted for snow pea sprouts.

Peanuts - can be substituted with roasted and salted cashews.

Maple syrup - can be substituted with coconut sugar. Adjust quantity to suit. 

Tofu - feel free to add your preferred tofu to this salad.

Sesame seeds - sprinkle this on top, a great option for additional sesame flavour.

Fresh ginger & garlic - can be grated into the dressing, or try this tahini citrus miso dressing for something different.

Glass noodles - if you are having trouble finding these, you can use rice vermicelli noodles instead.

Related Recipes

You might also like vegan banana blossom salad with pasta. Try this juicy and fresh spicy cucumber salad.

If you love this recipe, you'll also love my flavorsome sticky vegan brussel sprouts.

Another noodle recipe to check out is this delicious Chinese noodles recipe. The oyster sauce can easily be swapped, creating a delish vegetarian meal packed with veggies.

Otherwise, check out this spicy vegan japchae recipe, which also uses glass noodles.