Thai Glass noodle salad with leftover turkey is a delicious recipe made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It's my favorite way to use turkey leftovers for a quick and healthy salad. Ready in less than 20 minutes!

What is Yum Woon Sen?

Yum, Woon Sen is a Thai noodle salad using bean threads noodles combined with fresh herbs, zesty salad dressing, and ground meat to make one great dish full of delightful flavors and textures.

Why this recipe works

• It's incredibly easy and fast to put together!
• The salad is very healthy too.
• It's a perfect salad to make using leftover turkey
• It's kids friendly. Omit the chilis to use on the side instead. Perfect for those who are not spicy food fans.
• You can mix and match a variety of fresh vegetables to this salad.
• It's great as a starter salad or a side dish to add to a dinner party.

What Goes Into This Recipe 

Turkey meat. Or use rotisserie chicken. Cooked ground turkey, chicken, or pork works for this recipe, too, if you don't have roasted turkey or chicken. Glass noodles. They are also called cellophane noodles, bean thread noodles, or mung bean noodles. It's a clear and thin glass noodle made from mung bean starch. They are the size of angel hair pasta. They can be found in the Asian market. Celery. Leafy and tender parts of the celery. Chinese celery or Italian parsley works great too. Shallot. You can substitute purple or white onions.  Shredded carrot. Or matchstick carrots. Make sure the cut is small. Jalapenos or bell peppers. Remove the seeds of the jalapenos for less heat.  Cherry tomatoes. Or any tomatoes will work. Slice them into small 1-inch pieces. Green onion. Use the stems and the leaf. Mint. Add a fresh and light flavor to the salad. Cilantro. Use both the stems and the leafy part.  Garlic. Minced into small pieces to use to make the sauce.  Lime juice. Lemon juice or rice vinegar can be used as a substitute Fish sauce. Go light at first, as each brand of fish sauce has a different saltiness. Adjust with more at the end if necessary.  Chilis. Use fresh Thai chili peppers, serranos, jalapenos, or any spicy peppers of your choice. T] Garlic. Minced the garlic into small pieces. Do not use garlic paste. Ground white pepper. Black pepper can be used as a substitute. Sugar. Use white or brown sugar. Palm sugar works great too, but it must be shaved into fine pieces. Glass noodles. The noodles need to be soft for this recipe.  

How To Make This Recipe 

Step 1. Using a large bowl, soak the glass noodles in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Soak for 5 minutes in a heatproof bowl if using hot boiling water. If using warm water (but not boiling), soak for 10. Check the noodles using a fork to lift them to see if they are soft enough to curl around the forks. Drain the noodles and put them in a large bowl. Step 2. In a small bowl, make the sauce by adding minced garlic, chilis, lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Whisk together until the sugar dissolves, and add to the bowl with noodles in it.  Step 3. Mix all the turkey, vegetables, and herbs in a large bowl. Mix well using a wooden spoon or spatula. Step 4. Add the softened noodles to the salad, and mix in well. Use your hands to massage all the ingredients together. Kitchen gloves are handy for this! Step 5. Adjust the flavors with more lime juice, fish sauce, or light touch of sugar until content. Add more chili flakes and white pepper for extra heat. It's now ready to serve! Check out my web stories for a quick overview of how easy this glass noodles salad is.

Helpful Kitchen Tips 

• Using cold water to soak the noodles can work, but softening them will take a while. Use warm or hot water instead.
• If using hot boiling water, do not let the noodles soak for too long, or they will get mushy.
• After adding the soft glass noodles to the salad bowl, use your fingers to massage all the ingredients together to help blend the salad more quicker. Squeeze the tomatoes to help release the juice, making your salad tastier.
• Add the sauce to the salad, massage, and taste the flavors. If you are happy with the taste, don't add the rest of the sauce but use it as a garnish on the side for those wanting more flavors.
• Leave the chilis out last for kids or those who do not like spicy food. Separate the salad into two bowls and jazz up the spicy version with all the chilis!
• Garnish with toasted rice powder for an extra nutty crunch!

FAQs

More Thai recipes you'll love:

• Yakisoba noodles stir fry with leftover turkey
• Glass noodles salad with shrimp
• Pad Woon Sen noodle stirfry recipe
• Vermicelli noodles, Pad mee
• A Thai-style roasted turkey (brined and marinated) for Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey.
• Rice noodles
• Pad Mee, recipes for Thai rice noodles

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