This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
This Asian ramen salad is so ridiculously amazing!
This salad is true to its name.
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 Asian ramen 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. If you need a side dish to bring to a party or potluck, this Asian ramen salad has your name written all over it!
Bring this Asian ramen salad to a potluck or party. It is fit for a crowd!
It’s so easy to double, triple, or quadruple this Asian ramen salad for whatever size potluck or party you are going to. I have heard of someone trying to make this for 100 people.
Can you imagine?
That is a whole lot of Asian ramen salad to go around! Haha
But I think the most appealing part of this recipe is how easy it is and the fact that it’s okay if it sits out at parties and potlucks. Nothing will “go bad” in this recipe so after you take it out of the fridge from its initial chilling, it is fine to sit out at the table.
What kind of add-ins could I add into this Asian ramen salad?
So, my Asian ramen salad recipe is from my aunt and just like all recipes, there is a bunch of different ways that people make this recipe. There are so many variations and different ways it has been passed down!
In being passed down from generation to generation, there’s always little add-ins that I have heard of through the years that would make a great addition to this salad.
Here are some that I think would be great:
- Shredded chicken
- Mandarin oranges
- Edamame
- Napa cabbage
With or without the seasoning packet?
I get a lot of questions on this and my answer is no.
In my recipe below, I actually tell you to omit the seasoning packet from the ramen because it’s filled with not-so-good ingredients and so much sodium.
Would sesame oil work in this Asian ramen salad?
Using sesame oil would completely overpower the salad. I would say if you want to add in sesame oil, use like 1/2 tablespoon.
Are the ramen noodles supposed to be crispy/uncooked?
Yes. That’s the point. The crunchy ramen noodles give it texture and bite.
They do get “soggy” after they have been sitting in the salad for awhile (since it soaks up the liquid) so there are two ways you can go about this:
- Don’t add the ramen noodles until right before you serve if you want the crunchy texture.
- Add the ramen noodles in before you put it in the fridge to chill; you’ll get slightly softened/soggy noodles but some people don’t like the extra crunch.
Alright, so now I’ve talked your ear off about this Asian ramen salad you should probably go grab the ingredients listed in the recipe below and get to making!
It’ll be gone soo fast and you’ll get requests from everyone for the recipe :)
Come back and let me know how it goes ;) That’s how positive I am that it’s THAT good!
Other great potluck recipe ideas:
- Honey mustard and onion pretzels
- Tangy potato salad
- Mexican Street Corn off the Cob
- Cabbage Slaw with Creamy Hummus Dressing
- Cowboy Caviar
- Broccoli Salad
Ridiculously Amazing Asian Ramen Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounce (454 g) bag coleslaw mix
- 1 cup (134 g) sunflower seeds, de-shelled/shelled/no shells
- 1 cup (237 g) sliced almonds
- 6 ounces (170 g) dried ramen*, (any flavor, you won’t be using the seasoning packets so it doesn’t matter)
- 5 stalks of scallions, sliced
- ¾ cup (177 ml) vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) white vinegar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place coleslaw mix, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, crushed ramen (see note below), and scallions.16 ounce (454 g) bag coleslaw mix, 1 cup (134 g) sunflower seeds, 1 cup (237 g) sliced almonds, 6 ounces (170 g) dried ramen*, 5 stalks of scallions
- In a large measuring cup, add vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk together. Don’t worry if the sugar will not completely dissolve.¾ cup (177 ml) vegetable oil, ⅓ cup (79 ml) white vinegar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
This looks amazing, I love Asian slaw salads! Thanks for sharing.
This salad is always a hit!
I would Loooooove this salad. On my list to make asap :)
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!!
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.
I know this post is several years old, but when you refer to the sunflower seeds, I believe the packages refer to them as sunflower kernals.