Ramen Noodle Salad
An Easy, Delicious Side Dish
Ramen Noodle Crunch Salad is the perfect balance of a savory and sweet salad with the nutty crunch of toasted ramen noodles and almonds. The dressing in this salad is a salty, Asian inspired vinaigrette that keeps well in the fridge. You can add proteins to this salad or keep it vegetarian. This is the ideal salad for Summer.
We all have those recipes that hold a special place in our hearts from early in our life. Many dishes taste even better when you add in the secret ingredient: nostalgia.
This is another one of those recipes that I remember fondly from my childhood. Original Tipsy used to make this Ramen Noodle Salad and I can still see the recipe being taped up in our kitchen cabinet because it was such a favorite and she made it so often.
The dressing for this Ramen Noodle Salad is so good that you will want to drink it. The simplicity of this dish is what makes it stand out.
Ramen Noodle Salad is perfect for a special side dish, lunch, or you can add a grilled protein for a delicious dinner.
Need Help Finding and Saving The Recipe?
There is a full, printable recipe card at the end of this post for these Honey Jalapeño Boneless Beef Country Ribs. You can also hit the print button for the recipe to come up on one screen. From there you can screen shot this to save it to your phone.
I also have added a Pinterest button that you can use to save this recipe to your Pinterest page. If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, you can find me there as The Tipsy Housewife.
$.25 Ramen Noodle Packets For The Win
The best part of this salad is that one of the main ingredients are the cheap $.25 ramen noodle packets. These are the little bits that get crushed up and get toasted.
You do not use the seasoning packets in the ramen noodle packs. I set these aside and use them for other recipes. These seasoning packets also make a great addition to sprinkle on your popcorn.
Napa Cabbage
The cabbage I use for this salad os called Napa Cabbage or Bok Choy. Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas, and Australia. In much of the world, it is referred to as “Chinese cabbage.”
This cabbage is very light and sweet tasting which makes it perfect for salads.
Usually the heads of this cabbage are very large. Do not fret, you will want to make a lot of this salad.
Add Deli Meat
I like to buy thinly sliced chicken breast and dice it up when I want to add protein to this salad.
Another great option is to add fried, chopped up chicken tenders.
These are great options to bulk up this salad to make it a complete meal.
Make It Ahead Of Time
This salad holds up really well for several days so it makes a great recipe for those that like to meal prep. You can grill some chicken or steak for the top to take it to next level status.
This Ramen Noodle Salad also makes a great lunch to go, just add the dressing right before eating. Often I make extra dressing to keep on hand for other salads or even to glaze chicken or make a stir fry.
Ramen Noodle Crunch Salad
Ramen Noodle Salad is the perfect balance of a savory and sweet salad with the nutty crunch of toasted ramen noodles and almonds. The dressing in this salad is a salty, Asian inspired vinaigrette that keeps well in the fridge. You can add proteins to this salad or keep it vegetarian. This is the ideal salad for Summer.
Ingredients
- 2 Packages of Ramen Noodles
- 2 C Slivered Almonds
- 1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
- 1/2 C of Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 C of Good Quality Soy Sauce
- 1/2 C of Olive Oil
- 1/4 C of Sesame Oil, I used Hot.
- 3/4 C of White Sugar
- 4 to 6 C of Shredded Cabbage, You can use Napa or any cabbage of your choice
- 4 Green Onions, Sliced on an angle
- Black Pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Heat the sesame oil in a skillet.
- Use something to crush up your ramen noodles. I crush them with a mallet right in the package, be gentle so the package doesn’t explode. Discard or set aside the seasoning packet.
- Add the crushed up noodles, almonds, and sesame seeds to the skillet. Toss often so they don’t burn, and keep them at a low heat. You want them to get toasty brown but not super dark.
- While these are toasting, add the soy sauce to a sauce pan, have the heat on low and add the sugar to the soy sauce. Whisk until it is dissolved. Slowly add in the vinegar and bring to a simmer and then shut off the heat. Then slowly add in the olive oil. Whisk to combine.
- You want your dressing and crunchers to cool. You can even make this a day in advance.
- Next toss the shredded cabbage, green onions, add the crunch mixture, then the dressing. Then top with green onions and black pepper. Toss and serve!
Asian Marinated Pork Chops
A great main course to serve with this salad are my Asian Marinated Pork Chops. These chops are very wonderful WHOLE or they are exceptionally good sliced up thin and served on top of the salad! These are some of my favorite chops.
3 Comments
Thalia A Swinyer
December 23, 2019 at 8:00 pm
Had the Ramen Noodle Salad at a Bridal Shower and simply loved it. Plan on using recipe several parties I will be hosting in the near future
Many thanks
Thalia Swinyer. Holladay Utah
thetipsyhousewife
December 23, 2019 at 8:34 pm
Thank you so much!
Dawn Amato
November 6, 2023 at 8:39 am
I got this recipe from a PTA mom at a pot luck in the 90’s, she called it Asian Cole Slaw. When I asked her for the recipe she handed me a handful of pre printed pages from her purse she said people ALWAYS ask for the recipe and she was so right! Every time I bring it to a pot luck I pre print a packet of recipes and they are always all gone by the end of the dinner! I keep it separate and combine just before serving because it does get soggy pretty quickly.