This Japanese Glass Noodle Salad (Harusame Salad) recipe is light, refreshing, low calorie, and so flavorful with a savory and tangy sesame soy vinaigrette.
Japanese Glass Noodle Salad, or what we call Harusame Salad (春雨サラダ) in Japan, is known as a Chinese-style (中華風) salad due to the Chinese origin of glass noodles and the use of sesame oil in the salad dressing.
Here, you have tangles of slippery chewy noodles, crisp vegetables, and salty ham, all tossed in a tangy sesame soy vinaigrette. It’s quick and easy to put together that you’d love the salad for its simplicity.
What Does Harusame Mean?
Harusame is the Japanese name for cellophane noodles or glass noodles. Japanese character kanji for Harusame is 春雨, which means spring (春) and rain (雨). Such a poetic name for noodles, isn’t it?
I also found that Harusame came to Japan from China during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) as a vegan food for monks (Shojin Ryori 精進料理), and we’ve been using this ingredient for almost 800 years! What’s interesting is this noodle has a few different names in Chinese.
- 粉条 [fěntiáo] in China
- 粉絲 [ fěnsī] especially in Beijing, China
- 冬粉 [dōngfěn] in Taiwan
In literal translations, the Chinese names for cellophane or glass noodles refer to thin or delicate ribbons or cold noodles. Very different from 春雨. After a little bit more research, I learned that Harusame 春雨 was named in kanji character by the Japanese because the noodles look like gentle spring rain. They sure look like spring showers after they are cooked, don’t they?
Unlike Chinese glass noodles that are commonly made of mung beans (緑豆), most Japanese glass noodles are made of both sweet potato and potato starch in Nara prefecture and they are usually thicker than the Chinese counterparts.
Harusame Salad – Versatile Healthy Recipe
Besides glass noodles, Harusame Salad commonly uses 3 other main ingredients: julienned cucumbers, carrots, and ham. Variations may include wakame seaweed, shredded egg omelette, tomatoes, bean sprout, and more.
You can easily customize the salad without the use of ham or eggs for a vegetarian or vegan version. Shredded baked or grilled tofu is an easy way to sneak in some protein and substance. These glass noodles are made from water and starch, such as mung bean, yam, and potato starch, so they are naturally gluten-free.
Depending on the ingredients, the texture, thickness, and cooking instruction of the glass noodles can be different. Make sure to follow the package instructions on how to prepare the noodles.
Tangy and Delicious Sesame Soy Vinaigrette
The dressing for this salad is usually made with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sugar. It’s a common combination of dressings in Japanese cuisine. Tangy, salty, slightly sweet, this simple formula works incredibly well to liven up any salad.
I want to discuss sugar here. I sometimes receive questions from my readers asking if they can remove sugar completely from the Japanese recipe. I understand many of you (including myself) watch how much sugar we consume in our diet, so it’s an important topic I’d like to cover.
In Japanese cuisine and many other Asian cuisines, you will find that the basic principle of flavoring a dish often covers ‘Five Tastes’: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami. This concept works as a guide in working with each ingredient and how they interact with each other in cooking.
With the use of salty and sour ingredients such as soy sauce, miso, and rice vinegar, sugar is added to balance out the salty and sour tastes and to improve the overall flavors, making the dish more palatable. The right amount of sweetness will help hit the note perfectly.
If you are concern about the use of sugar, you can definitely use other healthier alternatives such as honey, maple syrup or raw sugar to replace granulated sugar. As the majority of home cooks in the world use granulated sugar, I create my recipes using it.
I hope you give this Harusame salad a try and find out the secret to balancing ‘Five Tastes’ in Japanese cooking. Also, you’d be happy to know that the noodles do not get stick together after being dressed in the vinaigrette, so you can prep the salad ahead for your next potluck and home party.
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Harusame Salad (Japanese Glass Noodle Salad)
Ingredients
- 4.2 oz dried glass/cellophane noodles (harusame)
- 2 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
- 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber
- ⅓ carrot
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the carrot and cucumber)
- 3 slices Black Forest ham (skip for vegetarian/vegan)
- 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
For the Dressing
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 2½ Tbsp soy sauce (use GF soy sauce for gluten-free)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Follow the package instructions to rehydrate 4.2 oz dried glass/cellophane noodles (harusame). My package says to boil the noodles for 4 minutes. Rinse under cold water to remove the starch. Drain well so excess water doesn‘t dilute the dressing. Cut the noodles into shorter lengths, if you‘d like.
- Rehydrate 2 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the water out and set aside.
- Cut 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber in half lengthwise and thinly slice diagonally.
- Cut ⅓ carrot into thin slabs, then cut into julienne strips.
- Sprinkle ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt over the cucumber and carrot and coat well. Set aside for 5 minutes. Then, quickly rinse off the salt and squeeze the liquid out. Set aside.
- Cut 3 slices Black Forest ham into julienne strips. Now, all the ingredients are ready.
To Make the Salad
- In a medium bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 3 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 2½ Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp neutral oil, ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Whisk it all together.
- In a large bowl, add the harusame noodles, vegetables, ham, wakame, and 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds. Pour the dressing on top and toss it all together. Chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
I am getting caught up on Midnight Diner, just watched season 3 – episode 25 featuring the glass noodle salad. So glad to find the recipe here. At the end of the episode where they show brief highlights of how the salad is made they mention using green onion oil in the dressing and show what looks like a dark, boiling liquid being poured over chopped green onions. They suggest that is used for the dressing. Any idea about green onion oil dressing for glass noodle salad?
Hi Joe!
We don’t know yet… but warmed up sesame oil are pouring over the chopped green onions to make an infused oil.
Nami is working on the Midnight Dinner season 3 recipes now!
You are certainly and incredible genetous chef
Hi,
I’m on a Midnight Diner marathon again. I seldom see vegetarian food featured in there but I saw harusame salad and I hoped you have the recipe and here it is!!!!
I’m really happy! Thank you very much. I’ll try this and I already know I’d like it!
Hi Catherine! I can’t wait to watch the newly released Midnight Diner on Netflix! I hope you enjoy(ed) this recipe. xo
Thank you for another awesome yet simple recipe. We prepared the harusame salad for the first time today, as a side dish for our old-time favourite teriyaki salmon, and it was a perfect match!
Hi Olesya! Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you!!!
I bought this salad from my local supermarket or convenience store maybe 2-3 times a week during my year in Kumamoto and have been wanting to try making it now that I’m home….but I didn’t know the Japanese name so I couldn’t find a recipe- until now! Looking forward to making it soon (with omelet.)
Hi Kassanra! Oh wonderful! I’m so happy to hear you finally found your favorite salad! Oh yes, add kinshi tamago (shredded egg crepe)! It’s delicious!
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-usuyaki-tamago-kinshi-tamago/
I made this salad to share with the Nichigo ladies at church. They loved it! It was very easy to make and the ingredients were found at the local grocery store. I also added crab to the salad. One of the ladies loved it so much that she asked for the recipe.
Hi Yurika! Aww I’m so happy to hear you and ladies enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
I made this for a party and it was great because it was make-ahead. This is like Korean chap chae but easier! I added mushrooms and tomatoes too 🙂 So delicious.
Hi Cynthia! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it and for your kind feedback. 🙂 xo
my comment is a question….are the noodles made from konyaku and in the store there is a fresh pack of noodles called Zero Noodles … are they glass noodles ? I have seen the dry “glass noodles” in the grocery store too.
Hi Bond! The one I used is Mung Bean (緑豆) Harusame, not the Konnnyaku noodle one. 🙂
Nami-chan, ne, arigatou for all your recipes!! 🙂 Minna tottemo oishiyou! I’m half-Japanese and grew up in Tohoku (in Aomori) and your recipes taste just like how my beloved Japanese mama made all her beautiful meals! Today I made this harusame salad for dinner (with ham, hehe, just like my mom made!!) and your spicy moyashi namuru to put on top of tonkotsu ramen (+ ham, negi, kikurage, ajitsuke tamago, kizami nori & shoga, and kamaboko) for lunch (I followed both recipes exactly) and they were absolutely delicious! Hontoni arigatou, ne! 🙂
Hi Martin! Aomori! How wonderful. I always want to visit there, especially to watch the big festival. I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for your kind feedback. Your dinner and lunch are both amazing! (May I join you???) 🙂
[…] Harusame Salad – Japanese glass noodle coated in a savory and tangy sesame soy vinaigrette. […]
This was delicious. The potato starch noodles seem to be more filling than bean-based noodles, so this ended up being a complete meal. Really enjoyed reading about harusame too. Not many cooks provide historical background to their food, so it is fascinating to read!
Hi Lord Sakana! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and blog post. 🙂
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. It looks really good. Can I use shirataki noodles as a substitute to the glass noodles?
Hi Joyce! Sure, you can do that. One thing to note: if you haven’t tried shirataki noodles before, it has some smell to it. Some people find it not pleasant. Some people who’re used to it don’t really notice (like Japanese). So just be aware. You can boil the noodles to have less smell. Other than that, it’ll be great!
I think I found my side dish for tonight! Thank you for the recipe!
Hope you enjoy(ed) this recipe, Cassandra! 🙂
Looks good and simple to make. Hmm I wonder if it’ll work on noddles made from corn starch?
Hi Tunjung! What’s the name of noodles made from corn starch? I don’t know if I’ve tried it before…
So excited to try out this recipe! We have so much of these mung bean cellophane noodles in my home, and this will be a wonderful dish to make with them.
Hi Krystine! Great! It’s a great way to use these noodles to make salad or soup (maybe I’ll add a soup recipe one day too). 🙂 Hope you enjoy!