Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
With toasted ramen noodles, crunchy nuts, two kinds of cabbage, and a sweet and savory dressing, this salad recipe is easy to make, pairs well with anything you can grill up, and is perfect for potlucks!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 444kcal
Ingredients
Crunchy Ramen:
- 6 ounces ramen two 3-ounce packs, seasoning packets discarded
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Ramen Noodle Salad Dressing:
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 teaspoons fresh-grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Slaw Salad:
- 6 cups Napa cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 6 scallions green and white parts, thinly sliced (1/4 cup set aside for topping)
Instructions
Make the Crunchy Ramen:
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Get out a large baking tray.
- Break up and season the ramen. Use your hands to coarsely break up the ramen noodles into smaller chunks. Add the broken ramen, almonds, sesame seeds, melted butter, and salt to a large bowl and toss to combine. Spread this mixture out evenly on a large baking tray.
- Bake and cool. Bake until the nuts are golden and aromatic, about 8 to 12 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Cool.
Make the Ramen Noodle Salad Dressing:
- Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl.
Make the Slaw:
- Right before serving, add all of the slaw ingredients (except 1/4 cup sliced scallion for topping) to the bowl with the dressing. Add about 2/3 of the crunchy ramen, reserving 1/3 for topping. Toss gently to combine.
Serve:
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the remaining crunchy ramen and reserved 1/4 cup of sliced scallions on top. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Time-Saving Substitution: Instead of the Napa cabbage, red cabbage, and carrot, you can substitute with 1 (16-ounce) pack of tri-color coleslaw (with green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrot). Or you can switch it up and use broccoli slaw mix!
- Storage: Once this salad is combined with the dressing, I like to serve it within 4 hours because the cabbage tends to wilt. However, you can make all the components ahead of time and store them separately for up to 5 days before combining and serving.
- Gluten Free Version: To make this dish gluten free, use gluten free ramen and instead of soy sauce, use tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
- Vegan Version: To make this vegan, instead of butter, use avocado oil or melted coconut oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 1143mg | Potassium: 523mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3249IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 3mg