Ramen Noodle Salad

Published June 1, 2020. Updated March 29, 2021

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Ramen Noodle Salad – A fresh and flavorful salad with such a satisfying crunch! Made with two types of cabbage, thin cut almonds, crisp, toasted ramen noodles and a sweet and tangy dressing.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher. The opinions and text are all mine.

Close up overhead image of Asian ramen noodle salad in a large white salad bowl set over a marble surface.

Asian Ramen Cabbage Salad

The perfect salad for cookouts, lunch parties and picnics. A fresh cabbage salad with a tasty oriental twist.

It’s that famous potluck ramen noodle salad that has been around for decades, the one people just can’t get enough of. It must be that crave-able crunch.

Ramen Salad Video

I’ve loved this salad since I was a kid. When ramen is involved who can resist? We all love to snag a taste of the dry ramen crumbs before preparing it but here we can enjoy an abundance of them.

I love to serve this with grilled chicken or even rotisserie chicken for a shortcut dinner. You can even go ahead and toss the chicken right into the salad.

Tips for Making It the Best

My key changes to the classic recipe that set it apart are to:

  • Toast not only the almonds but also the ramen. It add nice notes of toasted flavor to an otherwise very bland ramen.
  • Add extra seasonings. Some recipes will use the seasoning packet but I think it’s full of bad ingredients (and of course lots of sodium) so I make my own seasoning blend using garlic, ginger and sesame oil.
  • Replace the classic sugar with honey. It has great flavor that goes really well here, and it’s a bit of a healthier option. Same with replacing vegetable oil with olive oil.

Ingredients used to make Asian ramen noodle salad shown in this image. Includes red and green cabbage, carrots, almonds, dry ramen noodles, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and oil.

Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

  • Dry ramen: Remember you won’t need the seasoning packet. You can reserve for another use or discard. Keep in mind not all dry ramen is the same. I’ve tried some organic brands that are a bit too thin, dry and hard (they make great soup but not quite the right texture here).
  • Fisher sliced almonds: Slivered almonds work fine too. Be careful when toasting not to burn, just watch for a very light golden brown color or a slight color change from before.
  • Green and red cabbage: I prefer the texture of it shredded (sliced thin) but it can also just be chopped as shown in the video.
  • Matchstick carrots: You can make these yourself instead of buying them pre-cut. Just peel and cut a large carrot into into thin slices then cut into short sticks from there.
  • Green onions: If you want a milder flavor use just the green portion, for a slightly stronger flavor include white and light portion.

Dressing Ingredients

  • Light olive oil: Regular olive oil will work great too, it will just add a slightly more noticeable flavor.
  • Rice vinegar: This can be found in the Asian food sections of most grocery stores, or sometimes it is found by the other vinegars (down the condiment isle).
  • Honey: You can adjust this to taste. I’ve found 1/4 cup to be what I prefer. Not too sweet and not too subtle.
  • Ginger: I like to use fresh but in a pinch dry could work as well. I’d start with about 1/2 tsp.
  • Garlic: 1 clove is not overpowering but if you want a bit of a stronger garlic flavor bump it to 2.
  • Sesame oil: Another ingredient you’ll find in the Asian section of most grocery stores. It is the toasted type that is a darker color but it won’t always be labeled “toasted.”
  • Salt and pepper: Black or white pepper works fine.

Scroll down for full recipe with measurements.

Collage image of asian ramen noodle salad dressing shown before and after mixing in a glass mixing bowl.

A Must Have Ingredient

This recipe is made using my go-to choice – Fisher Sliced Almonds. They are an ingredient I always keep stocked since they are nutritious and perfectly versatile.

Fisher nuts are available for purchase online for your convenience through Amazon so you can have them delivered to your door.

They are a delicious upgrade to oatmeal, smoothies, and salad. In this Asian Ramen Noodle Salad they really are a must! Without that toasted nutty flavor, and delicate flakey crunch it just wouldn’t be the same.

Don’t skip them!

Collage image of ramen and sliced almonds on a baking sheet shown before and after toasting.

How to Make Ramen Noodle Salad

  1. Prepare the dressing: In a mixing bowl whisk together light olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate while preparing salad ingredients.
  2. For the salad: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread almonds and ramen onto a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.
  3. Toast in preheated oven 3 minutes, remove from oven and toss mixture and then spread out even. Return to oven and toast until golden brown about 3 – 4 minutes longer. Let cool.
  4. To a large salad bowl add green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, green onions, and ramen almond mixture.
  5. Stir dressing then pour over salad. Toss well and serve.

Overhead image of ramen noodle cabbage salad before tossing.

Can it be made in advance?

  • Ingredients and dressing can be prepped 1 day in advance (produce and dressing should be stored in the fridge separately) just wait to toss dressing and salad ingredients together until ready to serve.
  • Once the dressing is added it starts to break down the salad, which is why you don’t want to assemble too far in advance.

Is there a substitute for rice vinegar?

Yes. In a pinch you could use another more mild vinegar like apple cider vinegar or white white wine vinegar.

Can I use Napa cabbage?

Yes, I have also made this salad using Napa cabbage which is a good option if you don’t want bold crunch. Use 8 cups shredded Napa cabbage (about 1 lb) if going that route.

Overhead image of ramen noodle salad tossed together in a large white bowl.

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Ramen noodle salad in a serving bowl shown from a side angle.

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Ramen noodle salad in a serving bowl shown from a side angle.
4.86 from 7 votes

Ramen Noodle Salad

A fresh and flavorful salad with such a satisfying crunch! Made with two types of cabbage, thin cut almonds, crisp ramen noodles and a sweet and tangy dressing.
Servings: 8
Prep20 minutes
Cook6 minutes
Ready in: 26 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 (3 oz) pkgs. dry ramen, broken into small pieces,* seasoning packet discarded
  • 1 cup Fisher Sliced Almonds
  • 6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage** (13 oz)
  • 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (5 oz)
  • 2 cups matchstick carrots
  • 2/3 cup chopped green onions

Dressing

Instructions

  • For the dressing: In a mixing bowl whisk together light olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate while preparing salad ingredients.
  • For the salad: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread almonds and ramen onto a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.
  • Toast in preheated oven 3 minutes, remove from oven and toss mixture and then spread out even. Return to oven and toast until golden brown about 3 - 4 minutes longer. Let cool.
  • To a large salad bowl add green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, green onions, and ramen almond mixture.
  • Stir dressing then pour over salad. Toss well and serve.

Notes

  • *The fastest way to break the ramen is to leave in the package (unopened) and crush with a rolling pin, just be careful not to crush into tiny little bits. For more uniform size you can break it up by hand.
  • **8 cups (1 lb) napa cabbage works great too. If you want a less crunchy salad it's a great option.
  • ***I use 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper (not included in nutrition estimate).
Nutrition Facts
Ramen Noodle Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 361 Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Sodium 100mg4%
Potassium 393mg11%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 5672IU113%
Vitamin C 31mg38%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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25 Comments

  • Terry L Johnson

    I love this salad. I am not a honey fan but I prefer it to sugar in this recipe

  • Sheela

    I made this for a potluck and everyone loved it! I didn’t have rice vinegar so I used white wine vinegar that I had. I also added an additional 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil and I used a ready made coleslaw bag. Delish!

  • Jaclyn

    Love this!!!! Have never been a fan of the Mayo coleslaw so was super excited to try!
    Made it for beach week and making again today for a BBQ! I keep almond/ramen mix separate till I put it out so it doesn’t lose its crunch. I also didn’t have regular sesame oil so I use the garlic & chili one. Today my husband grabbed the wrong coleslaw blend (I’m lazy, I cheat lol) so we’ll be trying it with the broccoli coleslaw mix!

    • Jaclyn

      I think I forgot to give it a rating!!
      Oh I should mention: if you are also lazy there are fresh minced ginger and minced garlic tubes in the produce section by the fresh herbs. So much easier/quicker then peeling/mincing ginger. I use extra since probably not as potent. That I love ginger!

  • Marie O’Neill

    Recipe is good but dressing is way to bland. Added soy sauce, cayenne pepper, cider vinegar way more ginger garlic and salt & pepper

  • Sharon DeSalliers

    Making this recipe for Fathers Day… but I am using brown rice ramen, will this turn out okay?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      It really just depends on the texture of it. Some ramen when you bite into it while dry it’s too dry and crisp for a salad like this.

  • Sandi

    I made this for a salad bar and it was very well received. They ate it all

  • Keisha

    This looks amazing. I will be trying it for lunch today. Also, just an FYI Oriental is outdated and is actually considered a slur now. :-)

  • Andy Baker

    I made this for dinner last night, and every few bites, I said, “This is so good!” I’ll definitely put it in the rotation. Thanks!