Gang Jued Woon Sen is a Thai glass or bean thread noodle soup with mini meatballs and cubed tofu.
There are different variations of Gang Jued Woon Sen, but this is how my mom made it growing up. This soup is typically served with a spicy dish, since it has a very mild flavor, acting as a palate cleanse from the spice.
Some variations add mushrooms, vegetables, or cabbage, and omit the meat for a vegetarian option.
What you'll need to make Gang Jued Woon Sen
Noodles- The clear or glass noodles go by various names such as Bean Thread or Vermicelli. These noodles can be found at an Asian grocery store, and even some local stores have them in the Asian section.
Be sure to soak the noodles in water to soften them prior to adding them to the soup. Also cut the noodles so they are not too long.
Ground Meat- I've made this soup with both ground pork and ground chicken. I prefer using ground pork since there is more flavor.
However if you use chicken, try to use ground dark and white meat for more flavor. Ground chicken breast will be more dry.
Tofu- I used half a block of soft tofu. Firm tofu works too, it will just be a bit more dense. Tofu is widely available at most stores now.
Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce- This is another personal preference on which one you want to use. In this recipe I'm using soy sauce, however if you use fish sauce, start with Half of the measurement since fish sauce is saltier.
The Broth- Traditionally Gang Jued is made with just using water and seasoned with soy sauce or fish sauce. This last time I used ground chicken instead of pork, and felt the broth needed more flavor so I added a tablespoon of chicken bouillon along with the soy sauce.
Try the broth after the meat is cooked and see if you need to add additional soy sauce, fish sauce, salt, or bouillon.
How to Serve and Store Gang Jued Woon Sen
This Thai glass noodle soup is best eaten right away, since the noodles will absorb more liquid the longer it's kept.
When serving Gang Jued Woon Sen, squeeze some lime and garnish with cilantro leaves and green onions. You can also garnish with fried garlic too.
I enjoyed this soup as a light meal, however in Thailand its common to have this as a side or accompaniment to a spicy meal.
If you have leftovers, I would recommend storing this soup in the refrigerator for a day. The other option is to make the soup with just the broth and meatballs, then add the tofu and glass noodles when you plan on eating it.
Watch the YouTube Video HERE:
The same type of noodles are used in this Thai Salad- Yum Woon Sen.
Gang Jued Woon Sen Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Chicken or Pork For chicken using both dark and white meat for more flavor.
- 2 Tbsp Finely chopped cilantro stems
- 3 Cloves Minced Garlic
- 2 Tbsp Golden Mountain Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
- ¼ tsp Ground White Pepper
- 6 Cups Water or add chicken bouillon for more flavor
- ½ Package of soft tofu cubed
- 4 oz Glass, mug bean, or clear vermicelli noodles soaked in water for 15 min to soften
- Additional soy sauce, salt, fish sauce, or coconut aminos if broth needs flavor.
- Green Onions, Cilantro leaves, lime wedges, and fried garlic for serving.
Instructions
- Soak glass noodles in water until for about 15 minutes to soften. Cut noodles with scissors to make them shorter.
- Finely chop cilantro stems and garlic, then add white pepper, and soy sauce to the ground chicken or pork. Mix together well and refrigerate while prepping the soup.
- Bring water to boil and chop green onions and cilantro leaves for garnish. Cut tofu into cubes and set aside.
- Once water is boiling, take a pinch of the ground meat mixture and place it in the boiling water. Once all the meat is added, continue to boil for a few minutes until the meatballs reach the top.
- Add cubed tofu and drained noodles. Cook on a low boil for about 2 minutes then remove from heat. If broth needs more flavor you can add salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, or chicken bouillon. Serve into bowls and garnish with green onions, cilantro, squeeze of lime, a dash of white pepper and fried garlic if you have it.
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Marilou Thompson says
I’ve made this soup several times and always turns out delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe!
Renee says
Love it! I grew up eating this soup since my mom could make it pretty quick, so that makes me happy to hear you enjoy it 🙂