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This Asian Ramen Noodle Salad is packed with crunchy noodles, fresh veggies, and a sweet and savory sesame dressing that comes together in minutes. It’s the perfect make-ahead side for summer potlucks, cookouts, or to serve with dinner any day of the week.
Why You’ll Love This Ramen Noodle Salad
- Quick and easy: Ready in just 20 minutes from start to finish.
- No cooking required: Skip the stovetop; just toast and toss.
- Big on texture: Crunchy ramen, crisp cabbage, and toasty almonds in every bite.
- Perfect for sharing: Make it ahead and take it to potlucks, BBQs, or picnics.
- Flexible and fun: Use store-bought shortcuts or mix in your favorite add-ins.
Ingredients Notes
Here’s what you need for this original ramen noodle salad recipe, with easy swaps and add-ins included.
For the Dressing
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Seasoned rice vinegar – or substitute with mirin or dry sherry
- Mild olive oil
- Honey
- Grated ginger
- Grated garlic
- Sesame oil
For the Salad
- Ramen noodles, crushed – discard the seasoning packet; use any brand or flavor (chicken, beef, veggie). To keep it gluten-free, use gluten-free ramen noodles or swap with crunchy rice noodles or crushed nuts.
- Sliced almonds – reserve some for garnish if desired; watch closely while toasting to avoid burning
- Green cabbage, thinly sliced – or use a bag of coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw mix to save time
- Red cabbage, thinly sliced
- Matchstick carrots – skip if using a coleslaw blend
- Sliced green onions – plus extra for garnish, if desired
Add-In Ideas & Variations
- Swap or add veggies like sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, or bok choy
- Add dried fruits like craisins or raisins for a touch of sweetness
- Toss in mandarin orange segments or edamame for extra flavor and protein
- Sprinkle sesame seeds for added crunch
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Ramen Noodle Salad
- Make the Dressing: Shake or whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined and emulsified.
- Toast the Ramen and Almonds: Spread crushed ramen noodles and almonds on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 5–7 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Let cool completely.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, green onions, toasted ramen, and almonds.
- Add the Dressing: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat all the ingredients.
- Serve and Garnish: Transfer to a serving bowl and top with reserved almonds and extra green onions, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- For the crunchiest texture, wait to add the dressing until just before serving.
- Break the ramen noodles in the bag using your hands or a rolling pin, but don’t crush them too small; you want bite-sized pieces for the best crunch.
- Add red pepper flakes to the dressing if you like a little heat.
- Add protein to bulk up the salad by tossing in grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, or tofu for a more filling meal.
Storage Tips
- Best enjoyed fresh: The salad has the best texture right after it’s assembled, while the noodles are still crisp.
- Prep ahead smartly: Store the dressing and salad ingredients separately in the fridge, then toss together just before serving.
- Limit leftovers: Once dressed, the noodles will soften over time; try to enjoy any leftovers within 1 day for the best taste and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make ramen noodle salad the night before?
Yes! You can prep the veggies and dressing a day in advance. Just keep them stored separately in the refrigerator, and wait to add the crushed noodles and toss with the dressing until right before serving. This keeps everything crisp and fresh.
Can I use a different dressing?
Absolutely. If you’re short on time, a store-bought Asian-style sesame dressing or ginger vinaigrette works great as a shortcut.
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Chinese Chicken Salad – Packed with crunchy veggies and a simple sesame dressing
- Mexican Pasta Salad – A bold, colorful pasta salad for taco night
- Olive Garden Salad – Copycat favorite with zesty homemade Italian dressing
- 5 Cup Salad – Sweet, creamy, and only five ingredients
- Sub Sandwich in a Bowl – Everything you love in a sub, no bread needed
If you’ve tried this Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Ramen Noodle Salad
Serves — 8
This easy Asian ramen noodle salad is bursting with crunch and color, tossed in a quick homemade dressing. Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, or simple weeknight dinners!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- ¾ cup mild olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1½ teaspoons grated ginger
- 1½ teaspoons grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Salad
- 6 ounce (2 3-ounce) packages ramen noodles crushed and season packet discarded
- ¾ cup sliced almonds (reserve 1-2 tablespoons for garnish after toasting, if desired)
- 5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about ⅔ of a large head)
- 1½ cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about ⅓ of a small head)
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- ½ cup sliced green onions (plus additional for garnish, if desired)
Instructions
- To make the dressing, add to a large lidded jar the low sodium soy sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, mild olive oil, honey, grated ginger, grated garlic, and sesame oil. Attach the lid and shake vigorously for 30-45 seconds or until all the ingredients are fully combined. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients in a medium bowl until emulsified then set aside.¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar, ¾ cup mild olive oil, 3 tablespoons honey, 1½ teaspoons grated ginger, 1½ teaspoons grated garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the crushed ramen noodles on half the prepared baking sheet and the sliced almonds to the other half being sure that the ramen noodles and sliced almonds are in an even layer.6 ounce (2 3-ounce) packages ramen noodles, ¾ cup sliced almonds
- Place the baking sheet in the oven to toast the ramen noodles and sliced almonds. This should take 5-7 minutes or just until the almonds are lightly golden and fragrant. Check the almonds at the 5-minute mark to ensure they are not burning. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool completely while preparing the remaining salad ingredients. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the toasted sliced almonds to use as a garnish if desired.
- To a large bowl add the green cabbage, red cabbage, matchstick carrots and green onions, cooled ramen noodles and sliced almonds.5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage, 1½ cups thinly sliced red cabbage, 1 cup matchstick carrots, ½ cup sliced green onions
- Pour the prepared dressing over all the salad ingredients then toss to evenly combine all the salad ingredients and evenly coat the vegetables with the dressing.
- Transfer the ramen noodle salad to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved toasted sliced almonds and additional sliced green onions if desired before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- Best enjoyed fresh: The salad has the best texture right after it’s assembled, while the noodles are still crisp.
- Prep ahead smartly: Store the dressing and salad ingredients separately in the fridge, then toss together just before serving.
- Limit leftovers: Once dressed, the noodles will soften over time; try to enjoy any leftovers within 1 day for the best taste and texture.
- For the crunchiest texture, wait to add the dressing until just before serving.
- Break the ramen noodles in the bag using your hands or a rolling pin, but don’t crush them too small; you want bite-sized pieces for the best crunch.
- Add red pepper flakes to the dressing if you like a little heat.
- Add protein to bulk up the salad by tossing in grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, or tofu for a more filling meal.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 745mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2967IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
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