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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.
If you make this recipe with ingredients as listed this is the way it is supposed to taste. If you cook the noodles and add other ingredients you are not making this recipe.
After you cook for a while, you learn to tailor things to your own taste, to add things, etc… It’s one thing if you give a recipe a bad rating after you make changes. That is a terrible thing to do. But taking a base recipe and playing with it, and giving it good reviews is another–as long as you mention your changes in your review, it;s all good. This recipe is especially fun to play with and add to. It’s a part of becoming a good cook.
Love this!!! Made it for a work potluck and roasted the almonds in a little butter and used napa cabbage; I also added mandarin wedges but cut the sugar a little. Yummmmmm
I make this substituting 2 Tbs vegetable oil for 2 Tbs Seaseme oil and I use one packet of the beef flavoring. Personal preference. It’s always a winner.
What flavor of ramen would you recommend? I’m thinking oriental flavor but would that be too strong?
You don’t use the flavor seasoning packet in the ramen for the recipe.
We tried oriental once it it had a very strong ginger taste. Chicken is nice and mild, so we use that. We always add the packet. It makes the dressing.
Do the ramen noodles get soft? Or stay hard? Thank you!
If you add them in prior to refrigeration, they get soft. If you like the crunchy texture, you can add them in after the salad has chilled.
I made the Asian salad. I used garlic vinegar and next time I am going to add an extra bag of ramen or cut down the amount of oil I also used the seasoning packets (the chicken picante ones)freshly ground pepper, red onion and celery. I am letting it sit for the 2 hours, just tossed it again and there is to much oil for my taste
can you use other oil in this recipe?
olive oil or avocado oil?
I would say avocado oil and not olive oil since olive oil has more of a taste and you don’t really want that in this salad.
Try adding a little sesame oil in with the vegetable oil…yummy!
We had it last night. Great!! I used rice wine vinegar and sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and almonds. We starting snacking on it before dinner couldn’t stop! Grilled bone in chicken breast with Weber Kick’n Chicken seasoning. A new go to summer dinner.
Jane, how funny that we ALL have been making this salad, each with a different “tweak”! I’ve been making the original recipe for at least 30 years, always being told I need to bring it to the Bunco, Tupperware or Princess House party of the week! LOL! Not to mention Baby Showers, Wedding Showers……ya’l get where I’m going! And yes, The recipe is always requested! After making this for many, many years, I too felt a “tweak” was in order! After a lot of test runs, finally landed on one that I liked. My dressing is made with evoo, red wine vinegar, 6 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Chicken flavor or Roasted Chicken flavor Top Ramen packets, soy sauce, sesame oil, and jam! Yep! I use one of the following, depending on my mood, Apricot, Peach, Orange Marmalaide, or any variety of berry. I also use 1 bag cabbage slaw and one bag of broccoli slaw. I toast with a pat of REAL butter almond slices or slivers and use one whole bunch of green onions. Oh yeah! I almost forgot! I add an entire bag of raw Snow Pea pods. It’s so good! And I don’t add the dry noodles or dressing until just before serving. I swear ladies, I think I’ve have each one of your recipes at least once through the years. I guess this is why I read cook books like a novel! So much FUN trying a new “tweak”!
Lots of variations on this recipe out there. It’s a good one. I like to add snow pea pods to this as well. A really nice addition is to add some soy sauce and some grated ginger to the salad dressing. To cut the calories, I only use about 1/3 c. oil and sometimes I change the vinegar to rice vinegar or change the oil to sesame oil. Fresh Edamame is also a good addition. For a full meal, add shredded cooked chicken, diced leftover pork loin roast, or cooked shrimp to the dressing to marinate it for about 15 minutes before adding to the coleslaw. This works with any of the Ramen noodle flavors, but Oriental is still the best.
We add edemmamme and cashew, along with bell pepper and english cucumber, the ramen packet, a dash of sesame oil, and soy sauce. We also just add one tbsp. of sugar and use rice vinegar (it’s milder.)We don’t add meat and just have an extra big bowl to make it a meal. It’ so good.