Ramen Noodle Salad
Ramen Noodle Salad: crispy, crunchy ramen atop fresh red and green cabbage, green onions, sweet carrots, and almonds coated in delicious ramen noodle dressing!
When I was little, we ate ramen straight out of the package all the time. My sisters and I would get a bag of ramen (Mama noodles, anyone?), remove the seasoning packet, crush all of the ramen inside and then toss in the packet and shake it around. Instant mouthwatering snack. Anyone else do this??
But now that we’re older and presumbly wiser (not if I can help it!), we’re masking some of that yummy treat inside of a big ol’ salad to balance it out. Welcome to: Ramen Noodle Salad! It’s crispy, crunchy, saucy, and packed with a medley of rainbow-colored veggies and delicious ramen bits. Think a tasty cousin to Asian Salad.
Sound yummy? Let’s dive into this refreshing and craving-satisfying Asian-inspired ramen noodle salad!
Ramen Noodle Salad Ingredients
Grab these simple and tasty ingredients to make this asian salad with ramen noodles!
Ramen Noodle Salad
- Ramen noodles, reserve seasonings for salad
- Shredded green cabbage, purple/red cabbage, carrots
- Sliced green onions
- Slivered almonds
Dressing
- Vegetable oil or olive oil and, optionally, sesame oil
- Rice vinegar
- Reserved ramen seasoning
- Sugar
- Sambal oelek, optional but recommended for spice
- Salt and pepper to taste
I also love serving with a lovely drizzle of sriracha and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for a beautiful and spicy presentation!
How to Make Ramen Noodle Salad
This ramen noodle salad is easy to make, with a good bit of chopping and a little stirring/tossing. You’ll love this crisp, fresh, and flavorful salad so much you’ll make it again in no time.
First, start by opening up the bags of your favorite ramen and removing the seasoning. Break the ramen into bite-sized pieces.
Now, add the ramen pieces, assorted cabbage, carrots, onions, and almonds into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
In a separate, small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, including oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, the reserved seasoning packets, and sugar. Feel free to add sambal oelek for delicious spice.
Next, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Refrigerate for 2-8 hours before serving. I love serving this ramen noodle salad with a drizzle of sriracha and topped with pretty sesame seeds. Enjoy!
What Ramen Should I Use?
You can use any ramen you’d like, but here a few recommendations based on taste:
- Oldie but a Goodie: Chicken flavored Nissin Top Ramen noodles – this is the ramen I used to make today’s Asian noodle salad.
- Spicy: Shin Ramyun ramen. It’s not for the faint of heart, but a mostly manageable level compared to the next one!
- Spicier: Buldak ramen. This is a hugely popular and ultra spicy Korean ramen. Approach with caution and your favorite hot food accoutrements (milk and fan, anyone??).
- Flavorful and Citrusy and one of my faves: Mama noodles in tom yum flavor.
- Your Favorite: since the flavor and brand of ramen will be super present in your salad with ramen noodles, it’s best to pick something you love.
How Can I Make Ahead this Asian Ramen Noodle Salad?
I recommend making this ramen noodle salad ahead of time, at least 2 hours. The longer the salad sits in the fridge, the deeper the flavors. However, if you value crunchy ramen atop the noodles, simply set some aside for topping. The majority of the ramen bits in this cabbage salad will soak up the yummy flavors while chilling.
The most delicious time to eat this salad? About 8 hours to 1 day after. 😉
If you’re looking for more make-ahead salad recipes, be sure to check out my Italian Pasta Salad.
What to Serve with Ramen Noodle Salad
- For a sweeter dressing, try making this salad recipe with Asian Salad Dressing
- Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
- Make it a salad buffet with this incredible Asian Chopped Salad w/ Cabbage!
- Blistered Green Beans
Tools You Need
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Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
more delicious salad recipes
Ramen Noodle Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 cups or 20 servings 1x
Description
Ramen Noodle Salad: crispy, crunchy ramen atop fresh red and green cabbage, green onions, sweet carrots, and almonds coated in delicious ramen noodle dressing! | Recipe at BeamingBaker.com
Ingredients
Ramen Noodle Salad
- 2 packages ramen noodles, reserve seasonings for salad
- 5 cups shredded green cabbage
- 3 cups shredded purple/red cabbage
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 4 green onions, sliced
- ½ cup slivered almonds
Dressing
- ½ cup vegetable oil or olive oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil, optional
- Reserved ramen seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons sambal oelek, optional for spice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: sriracha and sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- Open packages of ramen and reserve the seasoning packets to use later in this recipe. Break ramen into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
- Add ramen pieces, green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, onions, and almonds to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together Dressing ingredients until well mixed: oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, reserved ramen seasoning packets, and sugar. Optionally, add the sambal oelek for spice.
- Pour dressing over salad. Gently toss to combine. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving, up to 1-2 day maximum. After 2 hours, the dressing melds so well with the salad, and the ramen is still crunchy but soaked in delicious dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
- If crunchy ramen is desired, set some aside to toss with the salad and add as a topping right before serving.
- I like to serve with a drizzle of sriracha and sesame seeds.
Notes
- For a sweet Asian sesame dressing that doesn’t use ramen seasoning packets, make my Asian Salad Dressing.
- Ramen: pick your favorite flavor and brand of ramen. If you want your ramen noodle salad to be spicy, pick a spicy flavor, and so on.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Asian, American
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I made this salad for lunch today and it was delicious!! I loved all of the textures and flavors, it kept things interesting, and was super satisfying to eat!
Yeah, you gotta keep things interesting when it comes to lunchtime. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it so much!
Delightful! I loved this bright, fresh salad and the dressing was delicious. Thank you!
Yay! You’re absolutely welcome, Harriet!
I used to eat ramen noodles raw too, when I was younger! This recipe brings back so many memories – and the salad is crisp and refreshing as well!
Isn’t it the best? 😂 Glad the recipe is being in some good feels for you!
This was such a unique dish! Really loved the texture in this salad recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Kerri!
This makes a great vegetarian snack. I love the fresh veggies.
Totally! Sometimes you need the power of a good salad to really bring in the fresh veggies. 🙂
Are the ramen seasoning packets vegan?
Hi JoAnn! It all depends on the ramen, as every brand is different. If you need it to be vegan, I recommend using a bag of vegan/vegetarian ramen. Hope this helps!