Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad
This post has affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.
Want to make the perfect salad that EVERYONE LOVES?? Then make this Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad!! This salad is THE G.O.A.T. for family dinners or potlucks or picnics or even a summer cookout. Everyone loves it. LOVES IT!
This cold ramen salad features fresh crispy cabbage tossed together with shredded carrots, sliced green onions and celery. It’s tossed together with an EASY homemade salad dressing and crunchy ramen noodles.
This is the salad to bring when someone says “Oh, just bring a dish to share.” It’s perfect for summer cookouts or a summer bbq because the dressing isn’t mayonnaise based and therefore less deadly in the sun.
This delicious salad is perfect for the next potluck because it’s truly one of the best salads out there. I also love this Antipasto Salad for parties or potlucks, it’s best served with a vinaigrette as well.
When do you add the ramen noodles to this salad?
You can add the crunchy ramen right when you make it and the noodles will soften up. OR you can add them RIGHT before you serve the ramen salad so it’s truly crunchy. I like it both ways! Try it each way and see what you like.
About the ramen
You can use ANY flavor of ramen noodles you have on hand. You’re not going to use the seasoning flavor packets, just the crunchy noodles. You just need the dry noodles for this salad.
You can eat uncooked ramen noodles because they’re fried before packaging at the factory. And they just taste so good before cooking! Salad lovers everywhere love this tasty salad because of the noodles.
Do you use one or two packets of ramen??
When I first started making this salad I only used one packet of ramen noodles. After a while I realized I WANTED MORE CRUNCH in the salad, so I added TWO packets of ramen noodles.
If you want to cut calories or carbs you can use 1 or 2 packets depending on what you like and prefer.
You could EVEN do one packet right when you make it and the noodles will get soft and then crunch another one into the salad right when you’re about to serve it up.
What do you need to make Ramen Salad?
- green cabbage (see ideas below for changing up the cabbage!)
- celery
- carrot
- green onions
- ramen packet
- rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- light olive oil or vegetable oil
- sugar
- a large mixing bowl
- paring knife
- chef’s knife
- wooden spoon
- optional crispy toppings-add cashews, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, toasted sesame seeds
What other kind of cabbage can I use?
I used green cabbage for recipe development on this salad. But you can use a large bag of precut shredded coleslaw mix, it definitely makes it quicker to pull together.
Or use a mix of green and red cabbage if you have that on hand. If you prefer napa cabbage it can easily be used in place of regular cabbage.
Finally, you can use a bag of broccoli slaw if you prefer it to cabbage slaw! I love broccoli slaw, it’s so tasty!
What to serve with this Ramen noodle Salad?
You can make grilled chicken in the air fryer to go with this salad. Or make crispy air fryer chicken. Even oven bbq pork chops work well! But you can also pair it with something simple like this air fryer chuck roast.
Want to make this side dish salad a main dish?
While this is a great side dish salad you can make it a main dish! Add leftover chicken or steak to this salad, and toss it together to make this a main dish salad.
Or add a can of drained chicken, stir it up and it’s perfect!
Do I need to make a Salad Dressing for this salad?
I did! It’s a simple and tangy dressing and super easy to make. But if you don’t have all the dressing ingredients to make it or you don’t feel like making it, you can easily buy a dressing that will work. You can use Kewpie Salad Dressing or Ken’s Asian Salad dressing with sesame, it’s so tasty!
Got leftovers?
This salad stores well in an airtight container. Be aware that the crunchy noodles will get soggy in storage. Add more crispy fresh noodles if you need that crunch.
Crunchy Ramen Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces green cabbage or 1 pound of coleslaw mix
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
- 1/3 cup carrot shredded
- 1/2 cup celery sliced
- 2 packs ramen noodles
- 1/3 cup light olive oil
- 1 TBSP sesame oil
- 3 TBSP seasoned rice vinegar can sub in apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBSP soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar can double to taste
Instructions
- slice the cabbage thinly as if for coleslaw
- place in a large bowl
- chop the green onions, measure them out, and add them to the bowl
- peel the carrot and finely shred it, add it to the bowl
- clean and slice the celery, add to the bowl
- crunch up the ramen in the packet and then pour it over the salad, if there are any big chunks break them up **if you're making the salad for the next day save off the noodles and dressing and finish mixing about 10 minutes before serving, cover the salad tightly and refrigerate until ready to put together**
- mix the liquid dressing together and whisk in the sugar
- taste and adjust as needed, add more sugar or soy sauce
- pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine
- let it rest 10 minutes at least before serving to let the noodles slightly soften
