Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone

⭐ Why This Recipe is a Star

1. This Thai Noodle Salad is delicious: savory, sweet, tangy and a bit spicy, this refreshing Thai recipe is better than anything you get at Thai restaurants (I mean, which takeout place gives you abalone?!) I based it on my favorite Thai salad, from when my Father used to live in Bangkok (20-30 years so I've eaten loads of Thai food!) If you like Thai cuisine, you'll love this dish!
2. Quick and easy: there's not much cooking involved. You basically blanch the noodles and abalone for 1-2 minutes, then mix everything with the savory sauce! It's umami but yet still refreshing, a perfect made-in-under-30-minutes starter before a heavy meal.

🦪 What is Abalone?

Abalone is a type of shellfish that has a special place in Asian cuisine- especially Chinese cuisine- and is often served at special occasions. They are found in different countries such as New Zealand and even California.

To be honest, I can't say that canned abalone is the tastiest ingredient out there. (It tastes good, a little chewy, but nothing phenomenal.) However, Asian people, in particular the Chinese, love it!

Probably because the Chinese name "Bao Yu" sounds like "an explosion of prosperity" and we're a superstitious lot, especially during the Lunar New Year season, where you'll find 1 or more abalone dishes, such as shiitake mushrooms and abalone soups, on the dining table!

Tip: You can make this Asian Noodle Salad perfectly without abalone, so don't let a lack of abalone hold you back. Shrimp is a great substitute. The abalone is really added for symbolism more than flavor!

🥘 Ingredients

You will only need a few simple ingredients, and the main ones are Asian pantry staples:

• Canned abalone: this (and the rest of the ingredients) can be found at almost any Asian grocery store but, if not, substitute with shrimp, fishcake or leave it out. If you have canned abalone, don't throw out the brine- we're using it in today's sauce and it can be added to stews and chicken stock soups too. Alternatively, cook it down on medium heat with some soy sauce and oyster sauce, then thicken with cornflour slurry to make abalone sauce. (Fresh abalone is harder to find and your best bet is Korean grocery stores.)
• Glass noodles: the beauty of mung bean vermicelli is that, unlike Thai rice noodles, it is hard to overcook and thus always al dente! Also, it cooks up really quickly and absorbs sauces wonderfully. They're made from mung beans and come in portion sized servings or larger ones. The larger one is cheaper (per serving) but I recommend buying them portion sized, because it's a pain to cut- they spill everywhere! (Do not substitute with regular rice vermicelli.)
• Brown Sugar: I use Gula Melaka/ Palm Sugar, an unrefined sugar, to play up the South East Asian flavor, but regular brown sugar works too. If using Gula Melaka, it usually comes in large cylindrical blocks, so you'll have to grate or pound it into smaller bits to use.
• Rice Vinegar: if you can get fresh lime juice, definitely use that but I based this recipe on rice vinegar as we don't always have limes in the pantry! If you do, cut up some lime wedges and serve them on the side of the plate. (Thai food is usually served with condiments, such as fish sauce, sugar, chili flakes, and ground peanuts, on the side so that people can adjust the flavor to their exact taste.) Another potential alternative is tamarind juice (or tamarind paste mixed with water) but I haven't tested that out yet.
• Fish Sauce: this adds the umami to the recipe. It may smell funky but rest assured it tastes great, as long as you don't add too much!
• Fresh garlic: these need to be minced small and added to the sauce.
• Red Onion: Shallots are traditional but feel free to use red onions if you can't get them. Just make sure you slice them as thinly as possible.
• Red Chilies: I like small chili padis but those can be hot. Use a big red chili, sliced thinly, if you can't take spicy food (or omit it.) To make this a real pantry recipe, substitute the red chilies for crushed red pepper flakes. If omiting the chilies, I suggest adding some tomato wedges for a pop of color.
• Ground Peanuts, optional: I had some leftover from making Chinese peanut cookies for the Lunar New Year, so I tossed them in. Like the dried shrimp, peanut powder will add a nice crunch!
• Dried Shrimp: also known as udang kering or heibi, these are dehydrate tiny prawns that add umami to dishes. In this noodle recipe, they also add a nice crunch! If you need a replacement, use ikan bilis of 1 of these dried shrimp substitutes.
• Optional garnishes, green onions and fresh coriander: they're not compulsory but these fresh ingredients do help to lift the flavor. And they make the bean thread noodles look better too! (Don't throw away the coriander root- it's essential when cooking Thai cuisine!)

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

1a. Prepare your noodles. They can be made pliable by soaking in water but since I'm poaching the abalone, I thought I might as well cook the noodles too.

1b. Bring a large pot of water to boil on medium-high heat then blanch the thin noodles for 1-2 minutes. Once soft, remove, and carefully shake off the excess water and pour the noodles into a large bowl.

Tip: if you have a small sieve like I do, place the noodles in them before putting it in the boiling water. It makes it easier to fish the noodles out later!

2a. Using the same pot of boiling water, lower the heat. You want it simmering not boiling hot. (My fire is a bit too high in the photo above.)

2b. Place the abalone slices in the sieve and poach in the simmering water till warm, then add to the bowl in Step 1. We don't want to overcook the abalone as we want them nice and tender!

Tip: keep this water- it's like a diluted abalone stock, great for soups, congee or braises!

🥡 How to Store