This easy Asian Ramen Noodle Salad is a summer classic, featuring sweet, tangy, and savory flavors with crisp textures, all in a homemade dressing. Perfect for potlucks and picnics and ready in 20 minutes!

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The BEST Ramen Noodle Salad

Our crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad recipe requires no cooking at all – it’s made by combining a coleslaw mix with crispy vegetables, crunchy Ramen noodles, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, and a sweet and tangy dressing.

No need to chop your own cabbage or carrots to prepare this ramen noodle cabbage salad (of course you certainly can!) – simply buy a bag of coleslaw or broccoli slaw and pre-cut carrots to save yourself time, then toss it together with the other ingredients.

The original ramen noodle salad entailed boiling the dressing to melt the sugar and waiting for it to cool, but why complicate something so simple when you can get the same results with a mixing bowl and a whisk in just a matter of minutes?

An easy cold ramen noodle salad is a hearty salad that has it all; it’s fresh, flavorful, with a crave-worthy crunch!

Why We Love This Asian Ramen Salad Recipe

  • Quick and easy to make in minutes.
  • Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
  • The delicious dressing compliments the contrasting tastes and textures.
  • Make it a main meal by topping your salad with a portion of protein.
  • Sweet, tangy, and crunchy all at the same time.
  • Perfect side dish for potlucks, warm weather parties, BBQs, or picnics.
Ramen Noodle Salad ingredients

Ramen Noodle Salad Ingredients

  • Coleslaw mix: You can use tricolor, angel hair, or a head of shredded napa cabbage if you prefer.
  • Sunflower seed kernels: You can use salted or unsalted. I used salted for my salad.
  • Slivered almonds
  • Green onions
  • Carrot matchsticks
  • Red bell peppers
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Granulated sugar
  • Top ramen noodles: Make sure to reserve the seasoning packets. I used chicken flavor but you can use your favorite.

Substitutions and Additions

  • Make It A Main Meal: To make this Asian salad with ramen noodles a main course, you can add your favorite proteins, like shredded or cubed cooked chicken, shrimp, steak, or even cubes of tofu.
  • Tasty Toppings: You can top your Oriental ramen salad with extra nuts, seeds, and/or a wonton salad topping.
  • Add In Ideas: Feel free to add dried fruits, such as craisins or raisins, mandarin orange segments, sesame seeds, and edamame.
  • Vary The Veggies: An Ramen Asian salad recipe is very forgiving. Feel free to include any other vegetables, like sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, edamame, bean sprouts, or bok choy.
top shot of Ramen Noodle Salad
  • Large salad bowl
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk

How to Make Ramen Noodle Salad

  1. Make The Salad: Combine the coleslaw, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, green onions, carrots, and red peppers.
  2. Make The Dressing: Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and ramen flavor packet.
  3. Mix Together: Pour the dressing over the salad and stir. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
  4. Serve: Add the ramen noodles, stir to combine, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Tips For Making The Best Ramen Noodle Salad

  • If you prefer a spicy bite, you can add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the dressing.
  • The fastest way to break the ramen noodles is to leave them in the package and crush them with a rolling pin or by hand. Just make sure not to crush into tiny little pieces!
  • The dressing will soften the ramen noodles the longer the salad sits. You want your salad to be as crunchy as possible, therefore wait to add the dressing until just before serving.

How to Store Ramen Noodle Salad

  • To Store: The ramen noodle salad does not keep well. The noodles get soggy and lose all of their crunch. It is meant to be eaten while crunchy.
zoom in shot of Ramen Noodle Salad

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is ramen noodle salad healthy?

This salad is mostly filled with healthy ingredients, but when it comes to the ramen, they definitely are not the healthiest! Ramen noodles are high in calories and offer almost no nutrition; they are low in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. The seasoning packets are also high in sodium.

Can I prepare my salad in advance?

The salad ingredients and dressing can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored separately in the fridge. Wait to toss it all together until you are ready to serve. Once the dressing is added it starts to break down the salad, and the noodles lose their crunch. If you choose to combine everything in advance, I would not do it more than 8 hours prior to serving.

Ramen Noodle Salad in a bowl

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5 from 4 votes
Ramen Noodle Salad featured image

Ramen Noodle Salad

Serves — 12
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad – coleslaw, veggies, nuts, and seeds in sweet and tangy dressing. Perfectly cold for summer parties, potlucks, and BBQs.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces coleslaw mix (You can use tricolor, angel hair, or a 16-ounce head of shredded cabbage)
  • 1 cup sunflower seed kernels (You can use salted or unsalted. I used salted)
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • ¾ cup carrot matchsticks
  • 2 medium red bell peppers finely chopped
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 6 ounces (2 3-ounce) packages top ramen noodles (Reserve the flavor packets. You can use your favorite flavor, I used chicken)

Instructions
 

  • Add the coleslaw mix, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, sliced green onions, carrot matchsticks, and chopped red pepper to a large salad bowl.
  • Add the apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, granulated sugar, and ramen flavor packet to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine completely.
  • Pour the dressing over the coleslaw ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
  • Just before you are ready to serve, add the crumbled ramen noodles and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:
  • To Store: The ramen noodle salad does not keep well. The noodles get soggy and lose all of their crunch. It is meant to be eaten while crunchy.
Tips:
  • If you prefer a spicy bite, you can add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the dressing.
  • The fastest way to break the ramen noodles is to leave them in the package and crush them with a rolling pin or by hand. Just make sure not to crush into tiny little pieces!
  • The dressing will soften the ramen noodles the longer the salad sits. You want your salad to be as crunchy as possible, therefore wait to add the dressing until just before serving.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2085IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg

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  1. 5 stars
    Yummy ๐Ÿ˜‹ Jennifer โ—๏ธThank You FOR SHARING ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผโ™ฅ๏ธLOVE, The Hot ๐Ÿฅต Pepper Flakes ADD InSโ—๏ธG-dโ™ฅ๏ธBless