Wondering what to do with bean thread noodles? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 13 recipes to put them to work.

What are bean thread noodles?

Bean thread noodles are thin, wiry strands made from mung bean starch and water. Dry, they look like stiff white wire; soaked, they turn slippery and glassy clear, which is why they are also sold as cellophane or glass noodles.

They have almost no flavor of their own. What they bring is texture: a bouncy spring and a knack for soaking up broth like a sponge.

Because they are made from bean starch rather than wheat, they are naturally gluten-free.

How to Cook Bean Thread Noodles

The default method is a soak, not a boil. Cover the dry bundles in hot or just-boiled water and let them stand 5 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent, then drain. Soaked too long they go flabby, so pull them while they still have spring.

Snip the soaked nest with scissors before adding it to a dish. Left full length the strands are nearly impossible to serve, since they hold together in one long slippery tangle.

For stir-fries and braises, add the noodles near the end and let them finish in the pan liquid, as in Clay Pot Shrimp with Bean Thread Noodles. In hot pots like Mongolian Hot Pot they go straight into the simmering broth and drink it up.

Cooking and Pairing

Glass noodles are a blank canvas built for bold seasoning: soy, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and chili. They pair naturally with pork, shrimp, ground meat, and crunchy vegetables.

Their other classic job is a stuffing. Chopped fine, they bulk out the filling in fresh and fried spring rolls such as Vietnamese Imperial Rolls, absorbing juices so the wrapper stays crisp.

The usual mistake is treating them like pasta and boiling hard in a big pot. They overcook in seconds and gum together, so soak gently and time them late.

Substitutes

There is no exact swap for that clear, bouncy texture. Closest is sweet potato starch noodle (Korean dangmyeon), thicker and chewier but similarly glassy and gluten-free.

Rice vermicelli is the easier substitute to find. It stays soft white rather than turning clear and is more tender than springy, but it works in the same soups and rolls. Kelp or shirataki noodles can stand in for a low-carb, see-through look.

Buying and Storing

Sold dry in small folded skeins, usually in clear plastic bundles labeled mung bean, cellophane, or glass noodle. Check the ingredient list for mung bean starch; some cheaper packs blend in other starches and behave differently.

Dried bundles keep almost indefinitely in a sealed bag in a cool, dry cupboard, so they store like any dry pantry noodle.

Once soaked, refrigerate in an airtight container and use within 2 to 3 days. They firm up cold, so loosen leftovers in warm water or stir them back into hot broth.

Quick facts

In Chinese

豆丝面条

British (UK) term

Bean thread noodles

en français

haricots nouilles fil

en español

fideos hilo de frijol

Recipes using bean thread noodles

There are 13 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 13 recipes