Ridiculously Amazing Asian Ramen Salad
This ridiculously amazing Asian ramen salad will have you and your guests going back for thirds and fourths. Everyone will be asking for the recipe and you’ll want to bring this easy dish to every potluck!
See how to make this in a video below!
Mouth pain is one of the most annoying pains to have especially since I’m a recipe developer/food blogger. We need to EAT and TASTE TEST everything but when you have mouth issues, it’s kind of hard to do that.
Thankfully, I’m all better now (and thank you for your well wishes!). It was just really rough to eat anything this past weekend. Every time something hot or salty or acidic was put in my mouth, I was in so much pain.
Who knew the dentist could make my mouth worse! Coffee was a struggle but there was no way I could give that baby up so I powered through it. It would be a really good time for someone to develop a coffee IV right about now! Haha
On Sunday, I went to brunch with a few of my new friends that I recently met at Pure Barre. Oh goodness, I was so thrilled to wake up Sunday morning to a healed mouth because that meant all the brunch items I could gobble up!
Brunch + mimosas + good friends + laughs were definitely the perks of Sunday Funday ;)
I’m so thankful for new friendships! We all have so much in common and I have a feeling this will be a regular monthly thing! Our servers are going to LOVE us!
This salad is true to its name. It’s ridiculously amazing.
My aunt gave me this recipe from which she got from her late husband’s family in Indiana. Every single time we make this salad and bring it to potlucks, it is the FIRST to go. Every single time! There’s never a time we leave with some of the salad left in the bowl. It’s always devoured.
I’ve been eating this salad for years and years. I always think of my aunt whenever I have this salad and I love the memories it evokes. See? Food is always attached to a memory!
The best part is, this is probably the easiest thing to throw together and there is no worry about keeping it refrigerated. It’s best served cold but it’s also ok to have it be room temperature.
Either way, I’m sure it won’t last long and you won’t even have to worry about it getting warm. It’ll be gone soo fast and you’ll get requests from everyone for the recipe :)
This ridiculously amazing Asian ramen salad will have you and your guests going back for thirds and fourths. Everyone will be asking for the recipe and you'll want to bring this easy dish to every potluck!
- 1: 16 ounce bag coleslaw mix
- 1 cup sunflower seeds, de-shelled/shelled/no shells
- 1 cup Diamond of California sliced almonds
- 2: 3 ounce bags ramen* (any flavor, you won't be using the seasoning packets so it doesn't matter)
- 5 stalks of scallions, sliced
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- In a large bowl, place coleslaw mix, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, crushed ramen (see note below), and scallions.
- In a large measuring cup, add vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk together. Don't worry if the sugar will not completely dissolve.
- Pour oil mixture over the coleslaw mix and toss everything together with a large spatula until everything is coated well.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Serve cold or room temperature.
To crush ramen, place ramen block into a Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin, gently crush the ramen into smaller pieces.
I personally didn't add the seasoning packets because I don't like the MSG/sodium content in ramen seasoning packets. However, I know this is a popular recipe and there are MANY variations of it. So, it's all up to preference on whether or not you want to add the seasoning packets, or anything else to this salad! :)
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Posted on January 20, 2014
A couple of things that seem off about this recipe – why would you use unshelled sunflower seeds? i would certainly want them out of the shell if I was making this. Also, the sugar should dissolve in the vinegar solution if stirred well. Other than that, could be a good recipe.
Hi Jane, thanks for your comment. I don’t think there’s anything “off” about this recipe. I’m stating to use unshelled sunflower seeds because in my years of blogging, I’ve noticed if I’m not clear with my ingredient listing, I will get asked questions so I’m just trying to be as clear as possible. I said unshelled sunflower seeds because that’s how it was listed on my little jar of sunflower seeds and if folks bought the popular sunflower seeds in a bag, those are shelled and I was positive I’d get a question about de-shelling them or not. I also realize the sugar should dissolve in the vinegar solution, but I also know I will probably get comments about how someone’s sugar wasn’t completely dissolved, so that’s why I added the note there that it’s ok if it’s not totally dissolved.
I am with Jane…if you use Unshelled sunflower seed you either want people to eat the shells or you want them to have to stop at every sunflower seed to ‘de shell’ with their teeth (something my denist is NOT in favor of).
If you want to take this salad to a WHOLE new level, toast the ramen in butter. It is OUT of this world.
We do not combine all of the ingredients. We use cabbage, shredded carrots and diced red pepper in a big bowl, then set out smaller bowls with seeds including shelled sunflowers, and pumpkin, chopped green onions, almonds and the toasted ramen noodles. We usually wind up making twice as much ramen because it is by far the most poplar ingredient. Not combining the ingredients helps with leftovers plus everyone gets to add what they like. I make the dressing in a “good seasons’ dressing carafe and everyone adds to their liking as well. This is broccoli raisin salads are my GO TO potluck dish.
Yes, you’re right. I think we both mean the same thing (as in, the seeds not being in the shells). I changed the wording so it’s less confusing. I thought “unshelled” would mean “de-shelled” but I can see how others are taking it the wrong way! Thanks Janiece!
Ok, my apologies. I see what you’re getting at. When I said “unshelled” I meant that they should be “de-shelled” but my wording was off so I can totally see how people can take that the wrong way. I’ve clarified it in the recipe. Thanks for your feedback!
Deshelled, unshelled, geez. Everyone should know she means sunflower SEEDS (not pods). Why on earth would you add pods into a recipe unless you are making bird food. I think its a great recipe
Thank you, Laurie!! :)
Your recipe sounds delish I’m going to try it.
My problem is why is it so difficult to understand that the flower seeds would of course not have shells, seems like common sense to me, wether you say unshelled , deshelled,shelless, or naked.
This is a delicious salad. I don’t use sunflower seeds, I use sesame seeds, I brown them along with slivered almonds and crushed ramen noodles….amazing taste!! I also add Napa cabbage to the coleslaw mix, add grilled chopped chicken for a complete meal!!
Oh my gosh! You tried so hard Julie! I’m sure most of us knew what you meant but I guess there is just no getting around some people “misunderstanding”. At anyrate , I made the salad and it was fabulous!!! Thank you so much!
:) glad you enjoyed it!!
We make this salad a lot but with we always use the chicken flavor ramen and add the spice package to the oil, vinegar and sugar. It’s quite delicious that way. Give it a try and of course we use sunflower seeds with out the shells.
Hi, this recipe is great- I really didn’t even see the unshelled word in the recipe- cuz I knew better- however, i forgot to put the sugar i had measured out and I had toasted the ramen noodles, with the sunflower seeds and sliced almonds in a tiny bit of sesame oil. As well, i used rice wine vinegar instead of white and only a 1/2 cup of oil, even without the sugar this recipe was awesome. Thanks for posting it-
Also, i went ahead and used one package of the seasoning from the ramen noodles.
Great recipe!
I use broccoli slaw gives a better texture
Ladies, if you even thought about the sunflower seeds, better off you don’t cook. Very good recipe.
SO glad your mouth is better! You would’ve laughed at me yesterday. I could barely open my mouth to eat cereal. And seriously – this looks so fresh and just plain good!!
I would Loooooove this salad. On my list to make asap :)
This salad is always a hit!
This looks amazing, I love Asian slaw salads! Thanks for sharing.
I absolutely love ramen salad!! This looks great!
I love this salad! Oldie but goodie and I like your version because it’s healthier than some I’ve seen. Am making it today. As for shelled or unshelled, I think you both are saying the same thing – just coming at it from different points of view about what “shelled” means. Surely no one would think to put “shells on” sunflowers in this salad. Thanks for the recipe, Julie!
Haha, yes, you’re right. I think we both mean the same thing. I changed the wording so it’s less confusing. I thought “unshelled” would mean “de-shelled” but I can see how others are taking it the wrong way! Thanks Cathy!
Julie, next time just take a picture of the Planters Sunflower Kernels jar…LOL!
Seriously!! Lol!
So sorry to hear about you mouth. Mouth pain is the WORST! Glad it is feeling better!
This salad sounds amazing. I love the flavors!
Way to power through for the coffee! Seriously, glad you are feeling better. I LOVE ramen salads. My mom brings a similar dish to every potluck, and people totally flip. I bet your aunt’s version is killer too!
My mama makes this salad with chicken all the time for parties and potlucks (or when I request it, which is often :))… SO GOOD. So glad to hear your mouth is better — that’s seriously the worst feeling!
I love Asian ramen salads, and this version looks like a winner. But duh. It is called Ridiculously Asian Ramen Salad. :) Can’t wait to try it!
I always love this salad!
Hi. I jus discovered your blog while surfing the net for food blog. I really like it.
Thank you for sharing the ramen recipe. Is the ramen uncooked or do you crush it after cooking?
Emily
Glad you found my blog, Emily! The ramen is uncooked. It’s for the crunch factor!
Does the uncooked ramen noodles soak in any of the dressing? I assume yes but am just curious to hear it straight from you.
This recipe sounds delicious and I want to try it. I feel that ramen noodles are tasteless and I’m not sure I’d be fond of that in the salad.
Thanks for clarifying the unshelled and deshelled! I thought the same way at first, “why use seeds with the shells on?!” So I figured I must’ve had the meaning backwards.
Honestly, the ramen noodles are really there just for the crunch, and yes, they do soak up the dressing since they get soft after a day of sitting in the fridge. They’re tasteless, yes, but the flavor of the dressing and everything else in this salad make it so flavorful that you won’t even know the ramen is tasteless! It’s amazing – you have to try this!
So I finally got around to making the salad and you are right, I didn’t notice the ramen being tasteless. I didn’t think my family would like it but they did so its a keeper recipe for sure! I messed up the recipe for the dressing(1/4c sugar, 1/2c vinegar and 1/2c oil) but we still enjoyed it. I have no idea where I came upon those measurements. I struggle some days.
Glad you enjoyed despite the dressing mishap!
My sister has made this salad for years, she uses Oriental Flavored Ramen and uses the season packet with the vinegar, sugar and oil. Slivered almonds (toasted). Also add crushed ramen noodles just before serving, so they don’t get soggy. This is a great salad!
Oh forgot, you can also use broccoli slaw.
that is the worst ever Julie!! Glad you are feeling better! This salad does indeed look amazing!!!
Glad your mouth is all fixed! Dental problems are the worst. Is there anything than a hard work out, and then a slightly indulgent meal? Glad you’ve made new friends at Pure Barre, they just opened a Barre studio in town and I’ve been meaning to give it a try for a while. Just wish it wasn’t so pricey! This salad does look ridiculously amazing. Yum!
Can’t wait to try this. I was thinking of using the broccoli slaw mix.
Good alternative!
I have a similar salad I make. It’s so so so good!
so glad you are feeling better. I love the idea of ramen salad because it was one of my fav go to salad while growing up but my mom add chopped tomatoes, onion and cilantro.
What a great asian salad recipe. I love adding ramen to my salads for that crunch factor.
Ha! LOVE the name & this salad does look ridiculously amazing!
Wow! Julie, this salad looks incredibly good! Honest, I cannot wait to try it. Thanks for sharing the history of the recipe. So cool that it has some Indiana roots (where I live). Brunch is the best, isn’t it? So much fun..as well as to develop both savory and sweet recipes for it, too. Thanks for sharing and have a great week! Pinning (of course). xo
Looks like a terrific recipe. But I have a question (and no, it does not involve the sunflower seeds). Do the ramen noodles soften up after sitting in the salad for a while. I ask because I have an issue about eating crunchy ramen noodles. I know it’s just me because everyone else seems to love them, but I can’t get past the fact that I’m eating uncooked pasta. And it’s all because of the crunch. Silly, I know. But I don’t think it would be an issue if the ramen wasn’t crunchy. (And yes, I feel stupid even asking, but I don’t want to make it and find out I can’t eat it because the noodles are crunchy.) p.s. I’m glad your mouth is better.
Hi Cynthia! Yes, the ramen noodles do soften up after sitting overnight. By day 2, the noodles were really soft. If you don’t like crunchy noodles, I would let it sit overnight.
Love me ramen! And in a salad, get out of town!!
This is a standard I take to gatherings and it gets gobbled up. EXCEPT I use the Paula Deen version where you use broccoli slaw. It’s delicious.
This salad really looks great and for me it alone would be enough for lunch or even dinner :)
If you add a bag of broccoli salad and some soy sauce to your dressing it really adds a wonderful addition.
I think I have found my lunch idea for tomorrow! Your salad looks amazing!
A ramen salad? This is quite an amazing idea! Definitely trying this!
Gorgeous salad! Now I should tell you that I got food poisoning from ramen in middle school and I can’t really eat it raw but you may have just changed my mind about that!
Oh hey… So um… I want this. Like all day – everyday.
This recipe looks soooo amazing (I totally knew you meant de-shelled seeds)! I can’t wait to make it! My friend makes a similar salad, but she cooks her ramen, and adds the season packet. It’s divine that way, too! I’m sure this salad would be wonderful with cooked noodles, even without the seasoning packets. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I hope you enjoy this, Traci!!
This salad is so addictive!
I’ve had this ramen-type salad before and you’re right, everyone always raves about it. Such a simple idea, but aren’t they the best?! I think this recipe has so much potential for being adapted according to what you have or like. Thanks for the idea!
Sorry for your teeth pain! This looks excellent!
Have you ever made this with balsamic vinegar? I love the flavor of it and wonder if it would make a nice substitute for the white vinegar. I am thinking that adding sesame seeds would give it a nice additionally Asian taste and mouth feel.
I also imagine this would make a great one dish meal with the addition of cold boneless skinless chicken breast slices or chunks, for the hot summer months. My mouth can practically already taste this dish!
Hi Tina! No, I’ve never made it with balsamic vinegar, I can’t imagine this tasting quite right with balsamic vinegar. You’re certainly welcome to try it. Definitely some chicken slices/chunks would work great in this!
This salad looks so simple yet so good – I know i’d inhale it!
My mom makes a very similar asian salad and I love it. It keeps really well in the fridge for a couple of days too!
I like the sound of a crunchy ramen salad!
What a great salad recipe. I must try this salad soon! I am glad you are feeling better!
I really liked this recipe. I used less sugar and added some hot sauce for a touch of heat.
Glad you liked this, Jeri!
This salad is fabulous…my recipe does call for adding the Ramen seasoning packet to the dressing ( hence, chicken flavor is preferable)… I like to add chopped celery for even more crunch…my friend adds mandarin oranges..also delicious!
Hi Jane! Glad you add your own little twists to this recipe!
Have a recipe almost identical to this called Crunchy Chicken Salad. In addition to your ingredients, it has green, red and yellow chopped bell peppers as well as diced, cooked chicken which makes a very good sized, colorful bowl of salad. The ramen seasoning packet is also mixed in to the dressing. If you want your salad crispy, don’t add the noodles and dressing until the last minute. If you have any leftovers (and that’s a big IF), the noodles will be soggy within a couple hours after absorbing the dressing. Personally, I like the crunch. Beautiful presentation!!!
JULIE!! OMG, this WAS absolutely delish! EXACTLY like the title of it: AMAZING!
I didn’t think it would taste as good as it did since there were so few ingredients and it looked too simple to make! We all LOVED it, especially my husband, and he keeps asking me when I’m going to make it again :D I followed the recipe to the “T”, except I toasted the sliced almonds first…..SOOOOO good and highly recommended. Our #1 coleslaw for sure! Thanks for sharing this.
Haha, so glad you enjoyed it, Karen!!
I forgot to add that you need to make it at least 4 hrs ahead of time.
It is even BETTER the next day :)
I love this blog… it’s on my favorites radar! :)
I made this last night for my man-friend’s SuperBowl party and it’s so weird – you can’t stop eating this stuff!! “Hmmm… just one more spoonful…mmmm….one more…” haha. Love all the recipes and so far, this is the third from your blog that I’ve made. All success stories. :) Keep the awesome coming!!
I’m so glad you love this blog, Janice! This recipe is definitely very addicting :) hope you continue to find recipes to enjoy on here!
I`m like skimming through the comments and now I feel like some loser because I seriously have never had this before. In ANY variation!! How is this possible??! This looks amazing!!
Hi, this looks great! Do you think I could sub avocado oil for the canola?
Hi Eve, I’m not familiar with avocado oil but if it’s got flavor to it, it might alter the taste of the salad, but if it doesn’t, it would be ok to sub for the canola.
The sugar in dressing will dissolve better if the dressing is just heated in small sauce pan or microwave and let cool. I usually use sweetener(whatever kind you like)/2-3 packets in glass jar and shake. Taste to see if you have enough sweet to vinegar ratio. I love this salad and take it to any potluck.
I have also made this salad many times. I add a bit of soy sauce to the vinegar, sugar and oil mixture. I toast the ramen noodles and almonds on top of the stove with a tablespoon of butter and drain on a paper towel. I don’t mix together but let my guests decide how much dressing and crunchies to add. I don’t like the coleslaw wimpy from sitting in the dressing. That way you can store any leftovers separately and be good to go at the next meal.
I haven’t seen anyone say this so I just thought I’d throw it out there. We actually use broccoli slaw instead of cabbage and we throw in some cooked shrimp as well so it can be a whole meal at our house!
We also use cashew instead of almonds because when my mom was given the recipe I didn’t like almonds. I like then now but I love cashews.