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This Asian ramen salad is the potluck dish that always disappears long before anything else on the table. Crispy crushed ramen noodles, crunchy sunflower seeds and almonds, and shredded cabbage come together in a sweet-and-tangy vinaigrette—no cooking required, and it only gets better as it sits.
The Potluck Legend Ramen Coleslaw Salad That Never Makes it Home
My aunt gave me this Asian ramen noodle salad recipe—she got it from her late husband’s family in Indiana—and I always think of her when I make it. I love that. A dish this simple carrying that much meaning is exactly why I keep cooking.
Every time we bring it to a potluck or get-together, it is the FIRST thing to go. We have never once gone home with leftovers, which is both the highest compliment and a little devastating when you were counting on having some for lunch the next day.
Unlike most salads, this Asian slaw with ramen noodles actually benefits from sitting out. Nothing in it will wilt or spoil, so it’s safe on the table at a party or potluck for hours. That’s what makes it such a crowd-pleaser for entertaining.
Why I Use Bagged Coleslaw
There’s no chopping here. No shredding cabbage. No julienning anything. That’s the beauty of making ramen noodle salad with bagged coleslaw. You grab a 16-ounce bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix from the store, and you’re already most of the way there.
I know some folks might feel like using a bag is “cheating,” but I promise you, it’s not. The coleslaw mix gives you the perfect blend of green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots, and since everything is uniform in size, every forkful has great texture and color. If you do want to go the homemade route, my cabbage slaw with creamy hummus dressing is a great place to start. But I recommend saving your knife skills for another day.
Someone once tried to scale this up for 100 people. Can you imagine? That’s a lot of coleslaw bags (13 by my calculations!). But I completely understand the impulse because this salad is just that good.
How to Make Asian Ramen Salad
This might be the easiest recipe on the blog: Place the dry noodle block in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to break it into smaller pieces. Add the coleslaw mix, crushed ramen, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, and scallions to a large bowl. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, and sugar in a measuring cup (don’t worry if the sugar doesn’t fully dissolve; it’s fine). Pour the dressing over everything and toss well with a large spatula until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Why I Don’t Toast the Noodles & Nuts
People always ask me: Are the ramen noodles really supposed to go in dry and uncooked? The answer is yes. Absolutely yes. The crunchy, uncooked noodles are the signature texture of this asian ramen slaw. That satisfying snap when you bite in is kind of the whole point.
And no, you don’t need to toast the almonds or sunflower seeds either. It might seem like toasting would add more flavor, but raw is the way to go here. The dressing does the flavor lifting, and toasting can actually make the nuts go soft faster once dressed.
Dressing Tips
The dressing for this Asian ramen noodle salad is just three ingredients: vegetable oil, white vinegar, and granulated sugar. That’s it.
A few questions I get all the time:
- Can I substitute sesame oil? I wouldn’t use it as a straight swap. Sesame oil is potent and will completely take over the salad. If you love that flavor, add just ½ tablespoon alongside the vegetable oil, not instead of it.
- Can I reduce the sugar or make the dressing without it? The sugar is what balances the sharpness of the white vinegar, so I wouldn’t skip it entirely. You could try honey as a substitute—start with a little less since honey is sweeter by volume—but the texture of the dressing will be slightly different. The granulated sugar also doesn’t fully dissolve, which is totally fine and expected. Just whisk it well before pouring.
Ways to Make it Your Own
This ramen noodle coleslaw with sunflower seeds is wonderful as-is, but it also plays nicely with add-ins. A few that I think work really well:
- Shredded rotisserie chicken (turns it into a full meal)
- Mandarin oranges (a little sweetness and juiciness)
- Edamame (adds protein and color)
- Napa cabbage in place of some of the regular coleslaw mix (lighter, more tender)
- Sesame seeds (a small sprinkle goes a long way)
- A pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a little heat
- If you’re into that tangy crunch, my pickled cabbage would be amazing stirred in
And if you love a cold noodle salad as much as I do, check out my soba noodle salad with creamy peanut dressing, too!
The dressing can be made ahead and stored in a jar at room temperature for up to 1 week. Just shake or whisk again before using, since it will separate.
No. I leave it out entirely. The seasoning packets are high in sodium and add flavors that compete with the clean, sweet-tangy dressing. The vinegar-and-sugar dressing is all you need.
The ramen noodles do get “soggy” after they have been sitting in the salad for a while (since they soak up the liquid), so there are two ways you can go about this:
1. Don’t add the ramen noodles until right before you serve if you want the crunchy texture.
2. 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.
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
This asian slaw with ramen is one of those rare salads that’s actually better after it chills. The dressing has time to work its way into the cabbage, and the flavors meld beautifully. Make it up to the point of adding the ramen noodles, refrigerate for up to 2 hours (or overnight), and add the noodles right before serving if you want them crispy.
Once fully dressed, the salad keeps well at room temperature for several hours. Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for 1–2 days. The noodles will continue to soften, but honestly? A lot of people love the slightly softened version even more.
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 have been making this for a few years and I’m always looking to see what other people do with the recipes. The only difference in mine is I toast my almonds and crushed ramen before I add it to my Cole slaw mix!
Hi Julie, I made this for the first time today but I thought I had almonds. BUT I only had walnuts! Do you think they will be ok?
Yes, that’ll be fine! :)
Thank you Julie for such a quick reply. You saved me a trip to the market. ?
I love this salad although not only do I toast the ramen and nuts I add a Finley diced jalapeño to add some kick and I have yet to try it but I may add some Sirachia to the sauce for extra kick as I enjoy a spicy meatball
Love this! BUT, quick question….. I am taking it to the lake this weekend and would love to go ahead and mix up the dressing now and take it in a mason jar. I would think that it would be fine for 4 or 5 days before I mix up the salad since it’s just oil, vinegar and sugar, right? Should I keep it refrigerated? What do you think? Also, there will be about 15 people…. would you mix up a double batch? Thanks!
Yes, it’ll be fine if you mix the dressing in a mason jar and take it with you. I would definitely mix a double batch for 15 people. This salad goes fast! :)
Hi there! I found this recipe thru Pinterest and went to go make it when I started to read the little blog you put with it. When I started reading you were having mouth pain and it got worse when you went to the dr I had to write you. This happened to me. I couldn’t eat drink brush my teeth talk wash my face you name it! Then I found out it had nothing to do with my teeth! I even had teeth pulled thinking that was the reason for the pain. But in fact thru some digging on the internet myself I found out I actually have trigeminal neuralgia.(later diagnosed from a neurologist) The pain comes in waves (and I mean hurricane waves!) so you may be in remission right now but it could come back. And if it does please feel free to email me with any questions because the pain your experiencing could in fact be TN!
Facial pain bites! Now on to write down the ingredients so I can make this yummy looking recipe
Chandra
Thanks for the insight! Mine was simply just a canker sore that FINALLY went away, thank god!
I am from Minnesota and make this salad adding a large can of drained mandarin oranges and a half cup of raisins; the sugar is left out.
Good Morning,
Do you cook the Ramon Noodles (boil) after you crushed them??
Essie
No, you don’t boil/cook the ramen noodles at all. They’re in the salad raw for the ‘crunch’ factor.
Hello! What’s the purpose of letting the salad sit for two hours? Will I ruin it if I assemble it right before eating?
It’s to ensure that the salad gets chilled enough but you don’t have to do that. It won’t ruin anything if you assemble it right before eating.
I am making this for a school event for my son’s class. If I prepare it the night befire, isn’t it going to get soggy? What do you recommend I could do?
It won’t get soggy if you don’t add the ramen in. I would save the almonds and ramen in a zipper bag and then right before serving, add the almonds and ramen in and toss it all together :)
Sometimes I add dried cranberries for a little sweetness. I mix up the dressing the night before and pour it on right before serving. It’s always a huge hit ;)
Hi can I make your salad the night before? Its my first time making it? Also could I use apple cider vinegar instead?! Thank you! Steph
Hi, you can. I would just not add the ramen in until when you want to serve it, but if you like a softer ramen texture then add it in the night before. I just like the crunchier texture. Yes, you can use ACV instead.