Mar 9 2023

Crunchy Asian Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad

Name: Crunchy Asian Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 – 16 oz bag tri-colored coleslaw; 1 – 16 oz bag broccoli slaw (or can use an additional coleslaw); 4 green onions, sliced; 1 cup carrot matchsticks; 1 package of ramen noodles only (seasoning packet not used) *if you like more crunch, add a second noodle package – slightly crush the noodles; 1/2 cup sliced almonds; 3/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar; 1/2 -3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 3/4 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 3/4 cup olive oil *or any light oil; 1/3 cup white vinegar; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 -1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper

Find the recipe card at the end of the post. Make sure to read the content as it contains chef tips, substitution options, and answers to FAQs to help you succeed the first time around!

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The iconic ramen cabbage slaw we all grew up loving but with a choice of 2 different dressings: Classic & Upgraded!

Did y’all grow up with this salad too?

I swear growing up, every bridal shower, baby shower, Tupperware party, Pampered Chef and any other home party, this salad was always on the table.

And summer BBQs?! Most definitely it was there. It doesn’t contain mayo or dairy so it was OK if it sat out for the most part.

Gather Your Ingredients

In this post you’ll see in the recipe card that I’m giving you 2 different dressing recipes: classic and upgraded. Both are equally delicious in their own right. The upgraded one has a more Asian flavor with the rice wine vinegar and fresh ginger. The classic more along the lines of what I grew up with.

Slaw – I use a mixture of tri-colored coleslaw and broccoli slaw as I like that flavor marriage
Veggies – matchstick carrots and green onions
Toppings – ramen noodles (from the cheap packets of ramen). You can save or discard the seasoning packets
Dressing – oil, acid, sugar, seasonings and depending on the dressing you’re making, garlic and ginger

Make The Dressing

To a bowl add all of your dressing ingredients and whisk to combine.

Toast Your Toppings

So what makes this salad so awesome is the crunchification factor.

Preheat the oven to 400F and place the crushed ramen noodles and almonds on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for 3-4 minutes or until they are toasted brown.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. If storing for a day or two, add them to an air-tight container.

Mix It Up!

Once the slaw and veggies are in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and toss to combine.

Now you have a few options here:

Cover and chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to combine; or
Serve it immediately

When To Add The Crunchy Ramen

The biggest thing to remember with this salad is if you want the crunchy factor to remain you should only add the toasted ramen and almonds to the salad right before serving.

You can also serve it on the side and let folks add it if they wish. The only thing I will mention with this is definitely double the topping factor if you serve it this way as I can guarantee it that folks will take more.

Recipe Substitutions

I get it, we all don’t like the same thing. Here are some suggestions for substitutions:

Slaw – instead of cabbage or the broccoli slaw, try riced cauliflower or toasted quinoa
Almonds – you can omit or try other chopped, toasted nuts
Ramen – if you’re gluten-free, try the gluten-free version of ramen noodles or simply omit. Additionally you could also use rice noodles

Recipe Additions

I’ve said it a million times, this is my favorite section of my recipe posts. I LOVE to change it up (thus my upgraded dressing variation). Here are some of my favorite additions to add:

Fruit – Mandarin oranges, chopped pineapple, chopped Asian pears
Veggies – chopped sugar snap peas, chopped radishes, diced water chestnuts, red bell peppers, edamame
Crunchies – toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds
Herbs – cilantro brightens up this dish as well

How To Store Asian Ramen Salad

This salad will last about 3 days in the fridge once it’s dressed. It’s cabbage and if you’ve ever made any type of coleslaw, you’ll see that it will start to weep after a day or two once it’s dressed.

Just use a slotted spoon when you serve it.

Make This A Main Dish!

This is something I do quite often when it’s just for me. To a bowl of this salad, add cooked shrimp or grilled, chopped chicken.

Make This A Wrap or Sandwich Topping!

Whether you add protein or items to make it a full meal, take some and add it to a wrap. Have a sandwich like my Crunchy Korean Shrimp Burger and put a scoop of this on top! Or if you saw on my Instagram Reel, put this and my Sticky Gochujang Pork Belly Burnt Ends on a bun! Seriously, that was pure heaven!