Pad Woon Sen
This Thai pasta builds glass noodles, prawns and carrot into an easy meal you can have ready in about 70 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and whisk. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's pescatarian — fish but no meat.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Soak the glass noodles in warm water for 8 to 10 minutes until pliable, then drain and snip them a few times with scissors so they are easier to toss in the wok.
- Whisk the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper together in a small bowl to make the seasoning sauce.
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wok over high heat, add the minced garlic and the prawns, and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until the prawns turn pink and fully opaque, then push them to one side of the wok.
- Pour the beaten eggs into the cleared side of the wok, let them set for a few seconds, then scramble into soft, loose curds.
- Add the julienned carrot, sliced napa cabbage and the remaining 1 tbsp oil, and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the vegetables are just softened but still crisp.
- Tip in the drained noodles and the seasoning sauce, then toss continuously for 2 to 3 minutes until the noodles turn translucent and have absorbed the sauce evenly.
- Stir through the sliced spring onions, check the seasoning one last time, and serve immediately while hot.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Whisk · Wok
Ingredient substitutions
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Soy Sauce
- tamari (gluten-free) · coconut aminos
- Fish Sauce
- soy sauce + a pinch of salt
What to serve with Pad Woon Sen
- Pad See Ew Chicken
- Thai Green Curry Chicken
- Massaman Beef curry Beef
- Pad Thai Seafood
Tips & common questions
How long does Pad Woon Sen take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of eggs?
Try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Pad Woon Sen is an original Thai recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Fried cellophane noodles with shrimp Pad woon sen kung.jpg by Sakurai Midori, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.