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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.
Ha! LOVE the name & this salad does look ridiculously amazing!
What a great asian salad recipe. I love adding ramen to my salads for that crunch factor.
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.
I have a similar salad I make. It’s so so so good!
Can’t wait to try this. I was thinking of using the broccoli slaw mix.
Good alternative!
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!
that is the worst ever Julie!! Glad you are feeling better! This salad does indeed look amazing!!!
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.
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!
I always love this salad!