Delicious Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
Need a recipe for a not-boring salad that tastes so delicious? Asian Ramen Noodle Salad is crunchy and textural and has a sweet and savory salad dressing. And it is so easy to make! Let’s make the Lazy Girl’s version to this scrumptious salad!
Asian Raman Noodle Salad is one of my very favorite salads to make! It’s crunchy and textural and has a savory and sweet dressing. I’ve seen and tried lots of recipes for Asian Ramen Noodle Salad and found a few shortcuts to make this salad without lots of work. This is the Lazy Girl’s Asian Ramen Noodle Salad! YUM!
Are you like me? Do you have a few salads you make over and over?
Salads like Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan, Pinenuts, and Lemon Vinaigrette or my oldest standby, Caesar Salad are on a constant rotation in our home.
I can make these salads in my sleep! They are so delicious and always a big winner at dinnertime no matter if I’m feeding family or company or just Bobby and me!
I also have another tried and true recipe I’ve been making and tweaking for a few years too, Asian Ramen Noodle Salad!
Honestly, this salad is so so delicious! And since I’ve been making it over and over I’ve come up with the easiest way to make this salad without sacrificing any of the wonderful flavors.
I’m so thrilled to share this new and easy salad with you today!
WHAT IS ASIAN RAMEN NOODLE SALAD
Asian Raman Noodle Salad is a beautiful and healthy salad! It has a super crunchy mix of ingredients that are full of flavor and a sweet Asian-inspired vinaigrette! Here is what you will find in this yummy salad…
- Cabbage or coleslaw or other vegetable slaw mixes- this gives the salad its fabulous flavor and crunch
- Green onions- for a bit of light onion flavor
- Sliced almonds- another layer of crunch, you can toast them for a bit more depth of flavor, but not necessary
- crumbled uncooked ramen noodles- more texture and crunch, use the noodles from a package of ramen soup, minus the seasoning packet
- Asian salad dressing- make this tangy and sweet dressing with a few simple ingredients
- Add-ins- this salad is delicious just as it is but to personalize it you can add lots of different add-ins.
MY ASIAN RAMEN NOODLE SALAD STORY
The very first time I made Ramen I was hooked and so was my family! Asian Ramen Salad is a real winner!
So now we have Asian Ramen Noodle Salad added to our salad rotation! And everyone loves it.
I have taken this side dish to a potluck and to parties and picnics. It is perfect to feed a crowd! You can half or double this recipe and it consistently tastes so so good!
And this salad holds so well and stays crisp. And we all love crisp salad!
I keep all the ingredients on hand to make this salad and have an individual Asian Raman Noodle Salad for lunch a couple times a week.
I found I love the taste and variety of using other bags of slaw, like broccoli slaw and rainbow slaw as well as the traditional coleslaw.
For this recipe, I combined rainbow slaw and broccoli slaw. And added extra broccoli florets for color and texture.
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST ASIAN RAMEN SALAD
Here are some tips to help you make the best salad.
Forget buying a head of green cabbage and a head of red cabbage and carrots to make this salad. Make it easy by using bagged coleslaw or rainbow slaw or broccoli slaw or a combination of any of them. This shortcut makes this Asian Ramen Noodle Salad so easy to put together!
The salad in the images was made with one bag of broccoli slaw and one bag of rainbow slaw. I usually make it with a coleslaw mix but our grocery store was out of coleslaw mix. And that was very serendipitous! The rainbow and broccoli slaw mix was fabulous together in the salad!
I use slivered almonds in this salad. If you have time you can toast them for more flavor, but I usually don’t. If you are not an almond fan consider using another nut or seed, like sunflower seeds. And if you are a nut and seed lover use both!
Use the noodles from a package of Ramen soup. I use the noodles from Oodles Of Noodles. You can use any flavor because you won’t use the flavor packet.
Crumble the ramen noodles. I like to put them in a big zip-type bag and gently break them apart with my hands or with gentle pressure and a rolling pin.
You can always toast the dry ramen noodles in the oven for more depth of flavor. But I don’t. They are great without the extra fuss!
If you want to take the extra step and toast your ramen and almonds here’s how: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the ramen and the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for about 3-5 minutes. You want the ramen and almonds to be a light golden brown. Set the mixture aside to completely cool.
Just before serving, pour the salad dressing over the slaw and add the rest of the ingredients to the top of the slaw. Gently toss and serve.
OTHER THINGS TO ADD TO ASIAN RAMAN NOODLE SALAD
This salad is so easy to personalize! You can eat it as is or add other ingredients!
Here are some things that might taste delicious added to the salad…
- mandarin oranges
- edamame
- snow peas
- broccoli florets (I used extra in this recipe)
- diced red bell pepper
- sesame seeds
- grated zucchini
- chopped cucumber
To make this salad a meal try adding…
- salmon
- grilled teriyaki chicken tenders
- flank steak
ABOUT THE SALAD DRESSING
This is probably the easiest salad dressing to make! It’s a bit sweet which works so well with the cabbage flavor.
There are a hundred recipes for making this vinaigrette, and I’m being hyperbolic. But really there are a ton! I’m sure they are all delicious! However, this is the easy version of this salad without taking away any of the flavors!
You can make this vinaigrette with just oil, sugar, and vinegar. It tastes good but by just adding the rest of the ingredients in the recipe you will have a wonderful Asian dressing for your slaw!
One question I see asked a lot about the vinaigrette is… DO I USE THE FLAVOR PACKET IN THE SALAD DRESSING?
The short and delicious answer is NO! I’ve tried the salad dressing with the flavor packet and it takes away from the overall taste and lightness of the dressing.
Here’s what’s in the salad dressing…
- a neutral oil
- sugar
- rice vinegar
- soy sauce
- sesame seed oil
- salt and pepper
The salad dressing is very easy to make. Just put all the ingredients in a mason jar and shake or put the ingredients in a large bowl and give it a good whisk.
So easy peasy! This delicious salad dressing works on other salads too! So make it in a mason jar and keep it in the frig!
It’s best to use a neutral oil like vegetable oil or avocado oil for this Asian Ramen Salad recipe. However, I do add a little bit of sesame oil to give the dressing an Asian flair.
Some recipes I tried call for garlic and ginger in their vinaigrette. I think they can be very overpowering so I don’t use either of them!
LET’S MAKE THE LAZY GIRL’S DELICIOUS RAMEN NOODLE SALAD
EASY AND DELICIOUS ASIAN RAMEN NOODLE SALAD
Print RecipeIngredients
THE SALAD
- 2 12-16 oz bags of coleslaw, rainbow slaw, broccoli slaw, or any combination
- 2 3oz packages of ramen soup with noodles, any flavor use only dry ramen noodles, broken apart
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup green onion, cut on the diagonal
THE VINAIGRETTE
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola oil
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 TBS soy sauce
- 3 TBS sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
FOR THE SALAD
- Combine the slaws together in a big serving bowl.
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
- Top the slaw with almonds, green onions, and dry ramen noodles.
- Toss everything lightly and serve immediately.
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
- Add all the ingredients together and whisk to combine. Or shake in a mason jar.
We love this salad. I also add cauliflower. We like the noodles to be a little less crunchy so I make the salad a day ahead and let the dressing soften the noodles. We also prefer toasted pecans, and I add dried cranberries. I also used to add mayo, but we have enjoyed how much lighter and enjoyable it is without the mayo. Thanks for sharing; I think I’ll make one this week.
Thanks for all the different tweaks you make in this oh, so delicious salad!
I toast sesame seeds in a pan and use on this salad. Adds another layer of crunch and you don’t need the sesame oil!
Yum! Thanks for the tip!
This salad looks delicious! I can’t wait to try the recipe!
Thank you for sharing !
So glad you are going to try it Mary Anne
If making this salad for one, do I add the dressing to entire salad fixings or just as I enjoy my daily meal? Looking forward to making this Asian Salad.
I know you will enjoy the salad!