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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!

Asian ramen salad sauce being poured on salad in a clear bowl.
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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!

Asian ramen salad being tossed in a clear bowl.

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.

Overhead shot of Asian ramen salad on a white plate with two forks.

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.

Overhead shot of Asian ramen salad on two white plates and clear bowl.

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:

Asian ramen salad on a white plate.
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4.61 from 133 votes

Ridiculously Amazing Asian Ramen Salad

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!
Prep Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8

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
  • 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.
  • In a large measuring cup, add vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk together. Don’t worry if the sugar will not completely dissolve.
  • 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.

Notes

To crush ramen, place ramen block into a Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin, gently crush the ramen into smaller pieces.
I personally didn’t add the seasoning packets because I don’t like the sodium content in ramen seasoning packets. However, I know this is a popular recipe and there are MANY variations of it. So, it’s all up to preference on whether or not you want to add the seasoning packets, or anything else to this salad! :)

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 456kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 15g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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448 Comments

  1. I haven’t seen anyone say this so I just thought I’d throw it out there. We actually use broccoli slaw instead of cabbage and we throw in some cooked shrimp as well so it can be a whole meal at our house!

    1. We also use cashew instead of almonds because when my mom was given the recipe I didn’t like almonds. I like then now but I love cashews.

  2. I have also made this salad many times. I add a bit of soy sauce to the vinegar, sugar and oil mixture. I toast the ramen noodles and almonds on top of the stove with a tablespoon of butter and drain on a paper towel. I don’t mix together but let my guests decide how much dressing and crunchies to add. I don’t like the coleslaw wimpy from sitting in the dressing. That way you can store any leftovers separately and be good to go at the next meal.

  3. The sugar in dressing will dissolve better if the dressing is just heated in small sauce pan or microwave and let cool. I usually use sweetener(whatever kind you like)/2-3 packets in glass jar and shake. Taste to see if you have enough sweet to vinegar ratio. I love this salad and take it to any potluck.

    1. Hi Eve, I’m not familiar with avocado oil but if it’s got flavor to it, it might alter the taste of the salad, but if it doesn’t, it would be ok to sub for the canola.

  4. I`m like skimming through the comments and now I feel like some loser because I seriously have never had this before. In ANY variation!! How is this possible??! This looks amazing!!

  5. I love this blog… it’s on my favorites radar! :)

    I made this last night for my man-friend’s SuperBowl party and it’s so weird – you can’t stop eating this stuff!! “Hmmm… just one more spoonful…mmmm….one more…” haha. Love all the recipes and so far, this is the third from your blog that I’ve made. All success stories. :) Keep the awesome coming!!

    1. I’m so glad you love this blog, Janice! This recipe is definitely very addicting :) hope you continue to find recipes to enjoy on here!

  6. JULIE!! OMG, this WAS absolutely delish! EXACTLY like the title of it: AMAZING!
    I didn’t think it would taste as good as it did since there were so few ingredients and it looked too simple to make! We all LOVED it, especially my husband, and he keeps asking me when I’m going to make it again :D I followed the recipe to the “T”, except I toasted the sliced almonds first…..SOOOOO good and highly recommended. Our #1 coleslaw for sure! Thanks for sharing this.

  7. Have a recipe almost identical to this called Crunchy Chicken Salad. In addition to your ingredients, it has green, red and yellow chopped bell peppers as well as diced, cooked chicken which makes a very good sized, colorful bowl of salad. The ramen seasoning packet is also mixed in to the dressing. If you want your salad crispy, don’t add the noodles and dressing until the last minute. If you have any leftovers (and that’s a big IF), the noodles will be soggy within a couple hours after absorbing the dressing. Personally, I like the crunch. Beautiful presentation!!!

  8. This salad is fabulous…my recipe does call for adding the Ramen seasoning packet to the dressing ( hence, chicken flavor is preferable)… I like to add chopped celery for even more crunch…my friend adds mandarin oranges..also delicious!