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Recipes by Category » Noodles & Pasta » Thai Shrimp and Glass Noodles | Goong Ob Woonsen

Published: Jul 18, 2019 · Modified: May 7, 2021 by Nart · This post may contain affiliate links.

Thai Shrimp and Glass Noodles | Goong Ob Woonsen

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Thai shrimp and glass noodles or goong ob woonsen is a classic Thai dish that’s easy to make and never fails to impress! It’s great on its own or with rice. Even greater accompanied by Thai seafood sauce or Chinese vinegar!

goong ob woonsen on chppsticks

What Are Glass Noodles?

Glass noodles, also known as, cellophane noodles, bean thread noodles, mung bean noodles, Chinese vermicelli, and in Thai “woonsen (วุ้นเส้น),” are noodles made from mung bean starch. These noodles are mostly sold dried in packets and you need to soak them per package instructions. But usually, takes less than 7 minutes to soak and cook them. Glass noodles are transparent when they are cooked and you basically want them to be just soft enough to eat when you cook them.

In Asian cuisines, we use these noodles in many types of dishes, ranging from soups to stir-fries, salads, spring rolls, or even meatballs and sausages. When used in soups, stir-fries, and salads, they tend to absorb liquid quite quickly. For a glass noodle soup, a five-minute phone call could mean no soup left! So, it’s best to cook glass noodles when you’re ready to eat them. 

Note: Contradictory to what many people believe, mung bean noodles are not a low-calorie or diet food!

Goong ob woonsen being cooked in a pan

That Shrimp And Glass Noodles (GOONG OB WOONSEN)

Maybe it was the shrimp in my freezer screaming “cook me already!” or maybe it’s just because noodles are always a good idea. Either way, I was really feeling this Thai shrimp with glass noodles or goong ob woonsen (กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น) this week. This dish is especially good washed down with Thai iced tea, Thai pink milk, or butterfly pea lemonade.

Before we talk more about this dish, let tell you a bit about its Thai name.

If you’re a fan of Thai food, you may already be familiar with the word ‘goong’ already, since tom yum goong, arguably the most famous Thai dish, also has this word in it. In Thai, goong simply means shrimp or prawn. Not many of us know the differences between the two. To us, both shrimp and prawn are goong. Then, we have the word ‘ob‘ which generally means to bake. Though in this case, it’s not baking in your shiny oven but more cooking something in a pot with a lid on to trap heat in it. And, of course, lastly, there’s the ‘woonsen’ which is Thai for glass noodles.

goong ob woonsen in a pan

Although goong ob woonsen looks like it may just be another Asian noodle stir-fry you have and more often than not end up feeling guilty about, that’s actually not what it is. Traditionally, this Thai glass noodle dish isn’t stir-fried but actually cooked in a clay pot with the lid on, just as the word ‘ob’ in the name suggests. As it’s not a stir-fry, you don’t use a lot of oil – just enough to grease your pot or pan. If you have a non-stick heavy-bottomed pot, it’ll be your best bet for this dish.

a bowl of Thai glass noodles and shrimp

What Makes This Dish Special

GINGER! As much as you think it’s the glass noodles and shrimp, it’s ginger that actually gives life and extraordinary flavor to this dish. Sure, every ingredient used matters, but ginger is the most prominent one because it’s in the base of the sauce. And then, we even use ginger slices to infuse the oil at the bottom of the pot or pan when we cook this dish.

Oh, and this is totally my opinion – out of all the Asian noodles, glass noodles are the best! There’s something about their unique texture that I really enjoy. And as they’re often sold dried in packets, they’re a great thing to keep in the pantry. Not to mention you only need to soak them for just a couple of minutes to soften before you cook them. It’s super easy and doesn’t leave a mess behind. We all live for things like these, don’t we?

How To Prepare The Shrimp For This Dish

In goong ob woonsen, you can use shrimp in any size and as much or little as you want. While many Thais enjoy shrimp heads, I believe some also leave them and the shells on for aesthetic reasons. I prefer to remove the heads, shell, devein and leave just the tails on, though. That said, you can prepare your shrimp however you want. There’s no right or wrong.

Thai goong ob woonsen ingredients

Ingredients

Main

  • 2.8 ounces or 80 grams of dried glass noodles
  • 3.52 ounces or 100 grams of shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 8-10 of ginger slices, peeled 
  • 10 shrimp, about 7.05 ounces or 200 grams, shelled, deveined with tails on
  • ¾ cup of chopped Chinese celery

Sauce

  • 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 3 slices of ginger slices, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of sweet soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
  • ¾ cup of water

bowls of goong ob woonsen

How To Make Goong Ob Woonsen

  1. Soak the noodles in room temperature water per package instructions.
  2. Make the sauce by pounding 5 cloves of garlic and 3 slices of ginger in a mortar until quite fine and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  3. Add the sugar, ground white pepper, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water and mix. Set aside.
  4. Cut the soaked noodles so that they are easier to eat when cooked and drain the water.
  5. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Add the shiitake mushrooms and toss again.
  6. Add the oil and 8-10 ginger slices to a heavy-bottomed pan or pot (non-stick, if possible) and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add the noodles that have already been mixed with the sauce and mushrooms and place the shrimp on top. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
  7. Open the lid and stir the noodles to make sure the sauce is thoroughly distributed.
  8. Add the chopped Chinese celery. Then, cover and cook for another minute before turning off the heat and serving.

a bite of goong ob woonsen

Serving This Dish

Goong ob woonsen can be served in the pot or pan it’s cooked in. But if you want to serve it in a nice casserole or bowl, you can transfer the noodles and then serve them on plates. I usually don’t bother since this dish is more often than not something to be shared. So yeah, we just pick up a pair of chopsticks and eat off the pan!

Last but not least, this recipe is good on its own (if I say so myself!), but for those of you who want to go all out, I highly recommend you serve it with my Thai hot & sour salad dressing or seafood sauce. They are SO DAMN GOOD together. A lot of food joints in Thailand are serving Thai shrimp and glass noodles with this dressing/sauce now. Try and you’ll thank me for this later!! And if no time? No worries! Chinese vinegar is a great alternative too. 🙂

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

  • Miso Tahini Shiitake Mushroom Spaghetti
  • Thai Instant Noodle Salad (Yum Mama) | ยำมาม่า
  • Vegan Thai Red Curry with Mushrooms
  • Stir-Fried Water Spinach
  • Thai Cashew Chicken | Gai Pad Med Mamuang
goong ob woonsen on chppsticks

Thai Shrimp and Glass Noodles | Goong Ob Woonsen Recipe

Thai shrimp and glass noodles or goong ob woonsen is a classic Thai dish that's easy to make and never fails to impress! It's great on its own or with rice. Even greater accompanied by Thai seafood sauce or Chinese vinegar!
5 from 30 votes
Print Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Thai
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Nart

Ingredients

Main

  • 2.8 ounces  or 80 grams dried glass noodles
  • 3.52 ounces or 100 grams shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8-10 slices ginger peeled
  • 10 shrimp about 7.05 ounces or 200 grams shelled, deveined with tails on
  • ¾ cup chopped Chinese celery

Sauce

  • 5 cloves garlic peeled
  • 3 slices ginger peeled
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • ¾ cup water

Instructions

  • Soak the noodles in room temperature water per package instructions.
  • Make the sauce by pounding 5 cloves of garlic and 3 slices of ginger in a mortar until quite fine and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  • Add the sugar, ground white pepper, soy sauce, black soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water and mix. Set aside.
  • Cut the soaked noodles so that they are easier to eat when cooked and drain the water.
  • Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Add the shiitake mushrooms and toss again.
  • Add the oil and 8-10 ginger slices to a heavy-bottomed pan or pot (non-stick, if possible) and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add the noodles that have already been mixed with the sauce and mushrooms and place the shrimp on top. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Open the lid and stir or toss the noodles to make sure the sauce is thoroughly distributed.
  • Add the chopped Chinese celery. Then, cover and cook for another minute before turning off the heat and serving.

Video

Notes

You can have goong ob woonsen as a one-dish meal or with rice. This recipe is great on its own but if you want to enjoy it the Thai way, serve it with this Thai salad dressing or seafood sauce or Chinese vinegar!
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingwithnart or tag #cookingwithnart!

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa Huff says

    September 16, 2020 at 7:59 pm

    5 stars
    Oh yum! I think you’re right about the ginger. Bet it totally makes this dish and gives it so much flavor!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 17, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      It does!

      Reply
  2. Dannii says

    September 16, 2020 at 7:39 pm

    5 stars
    I am always looking for new ways to eat shrimp and this looks delicious. I can’t wait to try.

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 17, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Shelley says

    September 16, 2020 at 6:56 pm

    5 stars
    I totally agree that noodles are always a good idea lol … and I almost always have shrimp in my freezer screaming “cook me already!” So I was super excited to find this delicious recipe! And mmmmm … thank you for the link to try making it with your Thai hot & sour salad dressing, too! Extra levels of yumminess – love, love!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 17, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      You’re welcome Shelly!

      Reply
  4. Sloan Mathis says

    September 16, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    This recipe looks amazing! Saving this for dinner one night this week!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 17, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Yayyy, thank you! Let me know how it went

      Reply
  5. Capri Lilly says

    July 25, 2020 at 1:48 am

    5 stars
    The flavor of the sauce is so addictive! It was amazing! My family and I loved the everything about this dish!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 4:37 pm

      Thank you so much! I’m so happy you liked it!

      Reply
  6. Beth says

    July 24, 2020 at 11:41 pm

    5 stars
    Oh man, this was insanely delicious! I can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 4:37 pm

      Thank you so much Beth!

      Reply
  7. Kushigalu says

    July 24, 2020 at 11:38 pm

    5 stars
    Love the flavors in this dish. Looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 4:45 pm

      You’re welcome 🙂

      Reply
  8. Erika says

    July 24, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! So many delicious flavors!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  9. Christian Guzman says

    July 24, 2020 at 11:11 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, I’ve never seen shrimp so large! I need to make this soon because I’m drooling right now.

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      It’s so good!

      Reply
  10. Andrea says

    July 22, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    5 stars
    I loved learning about this dish, as well as the meaning of the Thai words. What a delicious way to enjoy shrimp!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  11. Charla says

    July 22, 2020 at 8:41 pm

    5 stars
    As a shrimp lover, you definitely got my attention. Also thank you for explaining what Goong Ob Woonsen means.

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  12. Beth says

    July 22, 2020 at 8:36 pm

    5 stars
    My daughter and I love anything shrimp! This looks amazing and delicious! So excited to make this!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Pam Greer says

    July 22, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    5 stars
    This dish is so full of flavor! We removed the shells and head and it was still good!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  14. Lauren says

    July 22, 2020 at 8:05 pm

    These look amazing! I love glass noodles and the full size prawns are 🔥

    Reply
    • Nart says

      September 08, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  15. Ana Smith says

    July 21, 2020 at 12:41 am

    I never say no to shrimps, and I’ll never say no to noodles – you’ve got a mouth-watering dish right there! Thanks so much, I’ll try to make this for sure!

    Reply
    • Nart says

      July 21, 2020 at 8:31 am

      Thank you – please enjoy 🙂

      Reply
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