Another one of my favorite Thai dishes is Goong Ob Woonsen (Thai Shrimp Glass Noodles). I first tried it at a local Thai restaurant, and let me tell you, it was a flavor bomb. The combination of shrimp, savory glass noodles, and a rich, garlicky sauce made it unforgettable.
After that, I knew I had to recreate it at home, and it quickly became a go-to in my kitchen. This dish is surprisingly easy to make and brings that same bold, restaurant-quality flavor.
If you’ve seen other recipes online, you’ll notice that they often leave the shrimp head and shell on—that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from. But personally, I don’t want to mess with the shells while eating, so my spin is to peel them off and infuse their flavor into the sauce instead. The final dish still packs all that rich shrimp flavor, but it’s much easier to enjoy.
Goong Ob Woonsen is traditionally made in a clay pot over a charcoal grill. The glass noodles are layered on top of the garlic and ginger slices and cooked by the charcoal flames surrounding the side of the pot.
These days, most people use a gas stove, so I’m skipping the charcoal grill. But I still stick with the clay pot to help lock in the heat and cook the shrimp. Here is a similar pot you can get from Amazon. Don’t worry if you don’t have a clay pot, you can easily use any pot or even saucepan with a lid for a similar result.
The noodles used in this recipe are mung bean noodles, which are naturally gluten-free. They’re perfect for soaking up all the flavors of the sauce while keeping the dish light and bouncy. Plus, they’re a great option for anyone avoiding gluten. You can purchase it from Amazon, and here is the link.
Dark soy sauce is mainly used to add color to the dish. If you don’t have it, that’s perfectly fine.
I’ll share my spin on the dish and some tips to help you get the same results at home.
What you’ll need
Main Ingredients
- 3 bundles of mung bean glass noodles
- 10 shrimps, tail-on
Herbs
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
Sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp black soy sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ½ tbsp sugar
- Thai chili, optional
- Shrimp heads, for cooking the sauce
Garnishing
- Black pepper
- Green onions, chopped
How to make Goong Ob Woonsen
- Peel off the shrimp head and shell, but don’t toss them. Set the shrimp aside, and use the heads and shells to infuse the sauce with flavor later.
- Soak the noodles: Place the mung bean glass noodles in cold water and let them soak for about 10-15 minutes.
- Cook the shrimp heads and shell: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the shrimp heads for 3-5 minutes. Add the sauce mixture (chicken stock, soy sauces, sesame oil, sugar, and optional chili). Cover the pan with a lid while cooking to let the shrimp heads infuse the sauce with rich flavor. Cook about 5-8 minutes
- Strain and save the sauce: Remove the shrimp heads from the sauce and strain the liquid. Set it aside for later use.
- Sauté the aromatics: In a small pot/clay pot, sauté the minced garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Pour in the reserved sauce.
- Add the noodles: Drain the soaked glass noodles and add them to the pan. Add ground coriander and stir the noodles to ensure the noodles soak up all the flavors.
- Cook the shrimp: Arrange the shrimp on top of the noodles. Cover the pan with the lid and let everything steam together for about 3 minutes. This keeps the shrimp tender without overcooking.
- Final mix: Remove the lid, mix the shrimp with the noodles, and turn off the heat. The residual heat will finish cooking the shrimp.
Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with black pepper and chopped green onions
Tips on making Goong Ob Woonsen
- Soaking the noodles in cold water helps soften them, making them easier to work with. Be sure to use cold water instead of warm—mung bean noodles cook very quickly, and starting with warm water can make them too mushy by the time you cook it in the pot. I’ve made this mistake before, so you don’t have to.
- Covering the pan lets the residual heat steam the shrimp perfectly, so they’re tender, not overcooked.
- Cooking the shrimp heads in the sauce adds depth to the flavor. If you’ve never used shrimp heads before, give it a try—you’ll see the difference.
- If the noodles seem dry, drizzle a bit more oil to moisten them up.
Other recipes I think you might like
This goong ob woonsen is simple, packed with flavor, and perfect for when you want something tasty without the fuss. Give it a try next time you’re craving some Thai comfort food. Happy cooking everyone!
Goong Ob Woosen
Equipment
- 1 clay pot
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 3 bundles of mung bean glass noodles
- 10 shrimps tail-on
Herbs
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
Sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp black soy sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ½ tbsp sugar
- Thai chili optional
- Shrimp heads for cooking the sauce
Garnishing
- Black pepper
- Green onions chopped
Instructions
- Peel off the shrimp head and shell, but don't toss them. Set the shrimp aside, and use the heads and shells to infuse the sauce with flavor later.
- Soak the noodles: Place the mung bean glass noodles in cold water and let them soak for about 10-15 minutes.
- Cook the shrimp heads and shell: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the shrimp heads for 3-5 minutes. Add the sauce mixture (chicken stock, soy sauces, sesame oil, sugar, and optional chili). Cover the pan with a lid while cooking to let the shrimp heads infuse the sauce with rich flavor. Cook about 5-8 minutes
- Strain and save the sauce: Remove the shrimp heads from the sauce and strain the liquid. Set it aside for later use.
- Sauté the aromatics: In a small pot/clay pot, sauté the minced garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Pour in the reserved sauce.
- Add the noodles: Drain the soaked glass noodles and add them to the pan. Add ground coriander and stir the noodles to ensure the noodles soak up all the flavors.
- Cook the shrimp: Arrange the shrimp on top of the noodles. Cover the pan with the lid and let everything steam together for about 3 minutes. This keeps the shrimp tender without overcooking.
- Final mix: Remove the lid, mix the shrimp with the noodles, and turn off the heat. The residual heat will finish cooking the shrimp.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with black pepper and chopped green onions.
