From cbc.ca
In this recipe from The Vegan Asian Kitchen, WoonHeng Chia shares her tips for perfectly-coated noodles
WoonHeng Chia’s version of pad woon sen skips the meat, swaps in vegetarian oyster sauce, and is full of vegetables and tofu. It’s a dish from Chia’s new cookbook, The Vegan Asian Cookbook, that’s sure to be as satisfying as it is simple to make.
Read on for Chia’s recipe, plus her tips for getting the noodles perfectly coated in sauce, every single time.
Pad Woon Sen
(Stir-Fried Glass Noodles)
Thai-style pad woon sen—a soft tangle of glass noodles aromatic with garlic and onion and mixed with vegetables—was once a dish I was too nervous to try making at home. I used to watch the vendors making a similar glass noodle dish at char kuey teow stalls in Malaysia, stirring like their lives depended on it, making sure every noodle was coated in rich sauce, and I’d think, “How do they pull it off?”
When I finally decided to try making this in my own kitchen, I found a few tricks that made things way easier: Prep the sauce in advance and use a big pan so the noodles have plenty of surface area to absorb the sauce. Use both hands when you’re stirring, one with tongs to tease apart stubborn clumps, and one with a spatula to make sure the sauce reaches every corner. At the very end, increase to high heat for a slight sear. With these tips in your back pocket, this dish is fully achievable!
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 3½ ounces (100 g) dried mung bean vermicelli (bean thread)
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) Golden Mountain brand Thai seasoning sauce
- ½ teaspoon dark caramel soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon mushroom seasoning
- Dash each of ground white pepper and ground black pepper
For the tofu and vegetables
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 7 ounces (200 g) firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 3½ ounces (100 g) fresh oyster or king oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (30 g) carrot slices
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped cabbage
- ½ cup (50 g) chopped yu choy or gai lan
- 1 small (60 g) tomato, cut into wedges
- 1 scallion, white and green parts, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) sections and julienned
For serving
- 1 or 2 fresh red Thai chiles, thinly sliced, in Vegan Fish Sauce
- Red pepper flakes
Preparation
1. Soften the noodles: Soak the mung bean vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes, until tender, then drain. Snip the noodles into shorter lengths with scissors for easier handling and stir-frying.
2. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetarian oyster sauce, Golden Mountain seasoning sauce, dark caramel soy sauce, sugar, mushroom seasoning, white pepper, black pepper, and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water.
3. Pan-fry the tofu and mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large wok or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Pan-fry the tofu cubes in a single layer until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the tofu to a bowl.
4. In the same pan, add the mushrooms and sauté until they are fragrant and starting to sear on the edges, about 2 minutes. Transfer them to the same bowl as the tofu.
5. Sauté the vegetables: Using the same pan or wok, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and carrot for about 2 minutes, until the onion is slightly translucent. Add the cabbage, yu choy, and tomato, then add 2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture. Stir-fry the vegetables until they are softened, about 2 minutes. Return the tofu and mushrooms to the pan, pushing everything to one side.
6. Cook the noodles: Spread the noodles evenly in the pan in a single layer. Pour the remaining sauce over the noodles and increase the heat to medium-high. Using a pair of tongs, toss and stir the vermicelli to combine with the sauce and vegetables. The noodles will gradually expand and soften. If the pan becomes dry before the noodles are fully cooked, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
7. When the sauce is completely absorbed and the noodles are fully cooked, 2 to 3 minutes, fold in the scallion. Increase the heat to high and toss for another minute to combine and lightly sear.
8. Serve: Transfer to a plate and serve with Thai chiles in vegan fish sauce and red pepper flakes.
Serves 2
Excerpted from The Vegan Asian Kitchen by WoonHeng Chia. Copyright © 2026 WoonHeng Chia. Photographs by Shein Loong Yap. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited.
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