This hearty ramen noodle salad is full of cabbage, carrots, crunchy ramen noodles, green onions and almonds, all tossed in an oriental dressing. The perfect make-ahead salad to feed a crowd.
Ramen noodle salad is a classic dish that’s a welcome addition to any party. It’s simple to put together and people always beg me for the recipe!
In my opinion, the best salads have a variety of flavors, colors and textures. This ramen noodle salad, for example, has the perfect mix of textures due to the almonds and ramen noodles. Those crunchy ramen noodles mixing with the fresh and snappy vegetables make for the perfect side dish.
HOW DO YOU MAKE RAMEN NOODLE SALAD?
To make ramen noodle salad, you’ll put fresh carrots, shredded cabbage, green onion, ramen noodles, and almonds in a bowl. I use both purple and green cabbage because it looks so much more appealing with all the bright colors. Next, whisk together a sweet and tangy mixture of vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sugar, and the seasoning packets from your ramen noodles. Pour the dressing over your veggies, toss to mix well, and you’ve got the perfect side dish!
If you don’t want to chop up your own cabbage and carrots, I don’t blame you! Feel free to grab a bag of pre-shredded carrots and a bag of coleslaw mix to make life easier. This saves a ton of time on prep work which is great if you want to toss this salad together in a hurry.
One of the perks of this oriental ramen noodle salad is being able to easily adjust the flavor without changing up the ingredients. I like to use chicken flavored ramen noodles but you can use any flavor you would like. If you don’t have green onions on hand, cilantro is a great substitute. Sometimes I like to add other ingredients to this salad like thinly sliced snow peas or red bell pepper. I’ve even seen ramen noodle salad made with sunflower seeds instead of almonds.
ARE RAMEN NOODLES HEALTHY FOR YOU?
Ramen noodles aren’t the healthiest option when it comes to food. They’re often fried in oil and the seasoning packets can be high in sodium. However, they have a great crunch to them that adds so much flavor and texture to any salad. The ramen noodles straight from the package are pleasantly crunchy, but will soften a bit when tossed with the dressing.
CAN RAMEN NOODLE SALAD BE A MAIN DISH?
Most dishes can be transformed into a full dinner. Salads are the best for this because they’re already full of veggies. To make this ramen noodle cabbage salad a main course, you can add grilled chicken, shrimp, or even cubes of tofu.
There’s nothing more satisfying than a good salad on a hot day. They’re so refreshing and contain all the best nutrients your body needs to keep pushing through the summer. I make this salad often and have no doubt I’ll be making it again soon!
MORE SALAD RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Chickpea Salad with Avocado
- BBQ Chicken Salad
- Antipasto Salad
Ramen Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded green cabbage
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 packages ramen noodles noodles broken into chunks, seasoning packets reserved
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Place the cabbages, carrots, ramen noodles, green onions and almonds in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sugar and ramen noodle seasoning packets.
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat evenly.
- Serve immediately, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 8 hours before serving.
Dyana G says
So yum!! I don’t make this often but when I do, it’s a hit! I always forget the dressing ingredients, hence my visit to your lovely recipe! I also toast the ramen noodles and almonds lightly on the stove before adding it all together – delish!!
Sara says
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
K says
What is are the calories per serving?
Sara says
284, the full nutritional information is listed at the bottom of the recipe card
Patti says
My granddaughters love this!! I cook the noodles, omit the green onions, use brown sugar instead of white, and use half vegetable oil and half sesame oil. Also sometimes add shelled edamame and sometimes shrimp.
Sara says
That sounds amazing! Glad they enjoy it!
Darlene Eversole says
For a different taste I use oriental ramen, sooo good! I also sub chopped broccoli, instead of green cabbage. My bunch loves!
Sara says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
Nivia Varela says
I’m so excited to make this! Out of curiosity, what flavor of ramen is generally used?
Sara says
I use chicken ramen!
Yvonne Houle says
What the number of servings for this receipt?
Sara says
It makes 8 servings, you can adjust the servings up or down by clicking on the servings number in the recipe card!
Edna Benoit says
Recipe tht I have….doesn’t use the ramen flaor packet?????
Sara says
The ramen packet is used to flavor the dressing!
Kristina Davis says
This is my favorite healthy cheap family meal. I got it once at a potluck in South Carolina or West Virginia. Seriously, delish and so easy and cheap. Cabbage and ramen? I think I just spent a dollar for my next 3 days of food.
Debbie says
Perfect for the potluck ladies night I will be going to next week! Love all the colors!
rika says
I love Ramen… and of course, I love salad! This is a brilliant idea, looks perfect for summer BBQ!
Dina Demarest says
We love salads for dinner at our house. This one looks like one my entire family would love.
Esther Irish says
I want to try this! I’ve had ramen in a salad but never made it myself. Thanks for the recipe.
Heather says
This looks very colorful! I never would have thought to keep the ramen noodles crunchy like that. I love this.
Trina says
This looks delicious, and we always have ramen in our house because my boys love them and they make for a great quick and easy snack/meal.
Joely Smith says
OMG I used to make salads similar to this and totally forgot about them somehow! Thank you for not only reminding me of my own forgotten recipe but giving me a new recipe to enjoy! This is awesome!
Leah says
This is my absolute favorite thing to make for summer bbq’s! My family loves it so much, they are always asking me to make it!
Lisa B says
This is a fantastic recipe. I tried it tonight after finding it on your site and it was a big hit. I have been looking for healthy recipes for my family. I will definitely make this again.
Reesa Lewandowski says
So maybe this will be how I can get my son to eat a “salad”. He loves Ramen! I have to try this ASAP!
Emily says
Oh this looks so good! I like this because it seems like the perfect summer salad idea! We have a ton of BBQ’s we are going to and I always struggle with what side dish to bring, this will be a great one for me to make. Thank you!
Stacie says
This is the fanciest version of the cheapest food I’ve ever seen in my life! I must have this in my life. Om nom nom.