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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.
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
a day or two but i wouldn’t add in the ramen if you want it to be crispy. i’d add it in right before serving
This looks so good! This is such a crowd pleaser & great to eat as leftovers!
Full disclosure I have not made this yet but giving it 5 stars because you’re trying to avoid unhealthy ingredients and I do plan to make it later today. A find I made last week was a healthy version of Ramen noodles at Costco they call them Tainan noodles but they appear to be the same thing and very short ingredient lists, nothing you can’t pronounce. Of course it’s always best to read the ingredients yourself to be sure you are ok with them but these pass my very stringent approval for both the noodles *and* the sauce. I’ll play with it. Planning to add a little shredded chicken as well and use the Kale salad mix including the topper packet. Easy breezy.
Recipe says 4 oz cream cheese. Then refers to a regular block of cream cheese. A block is 8 ounces. So which is it?
there is no cream cheese in this recipe. i don’t know what you are talking about.
@Julie Wampler, lol. I love to read through the comments bc they have great ideas to spice up a recipe. I came to this one and thought…wth! Omg too funny :) :)
My family and I loved the taste of this but added more slaw since there were just too many nuts. No specific type of oil was mentioned, but I used sesame oil and I think that really upped the great dressing the recipe mixture.
I use 1/2 shredded thin red cabbage , slivered almonds, raw sunflower seeds, scallions .2 packs of beef ramen crushed and I add the beef seasonIng to the dressing. It’s better the next day. For protein, i add rotisserie chicken. Love this recipe!
So many pop ups I had a difficult time reading. Really, what’s the point!
I don’t want the advertising or to see some else making another dish up in the corner. Could only read 3 lines at a time. And no, not 8mpressed with the little hearts floating over the page either.
I’m sorry you feel that way. You don’t want the advertising but you want free recipes. Just as an FYI – the website is paid for because of the advertising. Otherwise I wouldn’t have the money to run the website (web hosting, photography equipment, etc.) and develop recipes. Ingredients/food is not free. It costs you nothing to come to the website and scroll to get a free recipe. If you want to pay a monthly subscription, I’d be happy to add you to the list and you’d get no ads or anything bothersome.
you’re obviously new to the internet, NAN MILLER.
@Julie Wampler, such a turn off reading your reaction to this dear old lady expressing her frustration regarding the overwhelmingly bombarding advertising. It’s overkill.
I understand the need for advertising but is it possible to tone it down? There has got to be a happy medium. They need you just as much as you need them.
Anyway, love this recipe! Quick, easy, delish!
I don’t understand how my response was a turn off. It was very professional and way nicer than her attack at me for just having a website for her to get free recipes. I thoroughly explained why advertising is needed and how I have considered a subscription-only site for those like her who complain about ads. It’s not like I told her to f*ck off or anything rude. She was the one who came at me so of course I’m going to feel defensive yet also try to explain to her the reason for advertising and what kind of costs it covers. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
@Julie Wampler, Love your reply to Nan Miller.
I’ve made this multiple times over the years. A friend had made it and I loved it. I’ve had the recipe since 2009 and have passed it on when asked for a copy. I don’t use the seasoning packet either. I do mix the dressing part ahead of time to give it time to meld together. I use slivered almonds and toast them for a little extra flavor. I really like the crunch of the ramen noodles.
Before making this salad I read thru a lot of the comments. I took the tip advice from some and let me just say….DELISH! I toasted the ramen n almonds til lightly browned, used the breasts, shredded from a rotisserie chicken (chilled meat before adding to salad mix, in the dressing I did add the packets from ramen, a few dash’s of Worcestershire sauce and used rice vinegar. I did use 1 1/2 bags of tri-color cabbage. At serving time I topped with mandarin oranges & lightly sprinkled fresh cilantro on top. This recipe is officially a keeper in my file! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe and also, this is a great salad for spring & summer, very light and scrumptious!
Tina, yours sounds like the one I’d try.
I’ve made this salad before as well but the only thing different is that I add a seasoning packet into the mixture of the dressing, gives it a little more flavor and I also add cocktail peanuts as well.