Harusame salad is a very popular summer dish in Japan because of its refreshing and sour properties. The glass noodle salad comes with crab sticks, cucumber, egg, and wood ear mushrooms, and is seasoned with a tangy, nutty, and smoky (slightly spicy) dressing.
I have been in love with harusame salad ever since I first tasted it in Tokyo, eons ago! I love its bright, sour, and cleansing taste, and how healthy it is. I honestly don’t know why I never thought of sharing this recipe on my blog as it makes a regular appearance on my menu. Well, here it finally is and I think you will really enjoy it!
There are quite a few steps needed to make this glass noodle salad, but overall it’s very quick and easy – and incredibly delicious. It’s one of those dishes that’s vinegar forward with a classic Japanese/Chinese flavor combination. The ingredients are easy to find and the salad is filling enough to be served as a main.
Table of contents
Harusame Salad Ingredients
- Japanese cucumber: The cucumber brings a refreshing and cooling element to the glass noodle salad.
- Wood ear mushrooms: Wood ear mushrooms are a gelatinous and crunchy type of brown fungus that have a mild earthy and nutty flavor.
- Crab sticks: Crab sticks, called kani kamaboko, is a type of imitation crab that’s used in dishes such as California rolls and kani salad. They are made of whitefish paste, sugar, crab extract, soybean protein, and different types of seasonings. If you can find higher quality crab sticks (they look a lot closer to actual crab meat), I recommend getting those as they taste closer to crab and are less sweet.
- Egg: A large egg to make the dish more filling and to also add a lovely pop of yellow.
- Harusame (glass noodles): Glass noodles are thin noodles made of mung bean starch or potato starch. They are clear and have a chewy texture.
- Green onions: Chopped green onions add a refreshing crunch and slight bitterness to the salad.
- Dressing: A mix of doubanjiang, rice vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and toasted sesame oil.
Alternative Ingredients
- Celery instead of cucumber: Celery also has a refreshing crunch and a subtle sweetness.
- Ham instead of crab sticks: Many glass noodle salads in Japan use sliced ham instead of crab sticks.
- Smoked tofu or tofu cutlet instead of crab sticks and egg: To make this dish vegan, use smoked tofu or tofu cutlets, cut into thin strips.
- Miso paste instead of doubanjiang. If you cannot find doubanjiang or cannot handle spicy food, use miso paste.
How to Make Harusame Salad
- Prep the ingredients. Slice the cucumber into strips, soak the wood ear mushrooms and slice them, shred the crab sticks, and chop the green onions. Add them to a mixing bowl.
- Cook the egg. Whisk and cook the egg, shaping it into a rectangle. Transfer the omelet to a cutting board and slice into thin strips. Add to the mixing bowl.
- Rehydrate the glass noodles. Place the glass noodles in a bowl of hot water and leave for a few minutes, until they are rehydrated. The noodles should be tender but not soggy (slightly firm is good). Add them to the bowl.
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing. Add the doubanjan, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, water, and toasted sesame oil. Keep whisking until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Toss the ingredients and dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat evenly. Season with a bit of salt if needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe Tips
Test the glass noodles a few times until you are happy with the texture. Glass noodles overcook very quickly so it’s important to keep an eye on them. Generally, it’s recommended that they do not soak in hot water for more than 3 to 5 minutes. Tasting the noodles every 30 seconds or so will guarantee the best texture.
Storage
The salad can be kept in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, or transferred to an airtight storage container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I don’t recommend freezing this glass noodle salad as the cucumber will get soggy and the noodles mushy.
How to Serve this Glass Noodle Salad
Harusame salad can be served on its if you are looking for a light lunch or dinner. For something more filling, serve it with baked chicken, brined fish, or air fryer tofu. Or serve this salad with other dishes such as:
- Baked honey sriracha salmon
- Onigiri (rice balls)
- Korean sticky chicken
- Korean cucumber salad
- Miso soup
- Bok choy stir fry
- Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce
Other Asian noodle dishes you might like to try: Stir fried glass noodles with shrimp, japchae, vegetarian laksa, pad woon sen, aromatic sour egg noodles, chicken chow mein, kimchi udon stir fry, Filipino bihon pancit, miso ramen, jajangmyeon.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Harusame Salad (Glass Noodle Salad)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Harusame salad is a dish made of glass noodles, crab sticks, cucumber, egg, and wood ear mushrooms, tossed in a tangy, nutty, and smoky dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 Japanese cucumber, 2 Kirby cucumbers, or 1 small English cucumber
- 3 to 4 small dried wood ear mushrooms (optional)
- 2 crab sticks (surimi, imitation crab)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 egg, whisked
- 3 ounces dried glass noodles (harusame noodles)
- 1/2 tablespoon doubanjiang (broad bean paste)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
Instructions
- Slice the cucumber. Place the cucumber on a cutting board and slice it into thin bite size sticks. Set aside
- Soak and slice the mushrooms. Soak the wood ear mushrooms in hot water and leave for about 5 minutes, until they have rehydrated. Slice into strips. Set aside.
- Shred the crab sticks. Use your fingers to shred the crabsticks by pulingl on the strands. Set aside.
- Cook and slice the omelet. Add the vegetable oil to a small frying pan over medium high heat. Add the whisked egg and cook for 1-2 minutes, shaping the omelet into a rectangle. Transfer the omelet to a cutting board and slice into thin strips. Set aside.
- Prep the glass noodles. Fill a bowl with boiling hot water, big enough to hold the glass noodles. Place the glass noodles in and leave for a few minutes – usually 3 to 5 minutes – until they are rehydrated (follow instructions on the package).
- Drain the noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water until the noodles are chilled. Drain them well (lightly press on them to remove excess water) and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk the doubanjiang, rice vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and toasted sesame oil. Keep whisking until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Make the salad and serve. Add the cucumber, mushrooms, crabsticks, and omelet, and toss well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Season with salt, if needed, and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Store the leftovers in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 243
- Sugar: 3.5g
- Sodium: 365mg
- Fat: 6.1g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40.5g
- Fiber: 1.2g
- Protein: 5.8g
- Cholesterol: 49mg
