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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.
- 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.
LOVE, LOVE this Salad. The longer it sits, the better it is. I also use Dill weed. This is a Winner in my house! Thanks for sharing :).
Yes! This is a definite winner :) glad you feel the same!
This is soooo good, I can’t stop eating it.
This was true to the name! I can’t believe how easy (and yummy) this is. Thank you so much for posting ~ I just pinned it to my ‘tried and true’ recipe board. :)
Great to hear, Anita! :)
Hi, I enjoyed reading all your letters. I don’t think some of the responders realize that the ramen noodles have been baked during production. We aren’t eating raw noodles.
Julie, I see nothing wrong with your recipe. To me unshelled means not in the shell….ha.
Thanks :)
Thank you bloggers for your ideas, I love the idea of browning/toasting noodles to give more crunch. Taking this salad to a luau this weekend, I’ll keep you posted! Bonus: Friend gave me a big head of cabbage straight from her garden, solved the issue of what to bring to a potluck. Glad I found this recipe. Mahalo.
Let’s take out the confusion for the simple minded!! Let’s just call them sunflower kernels. If one wouldn’t know to use the kernels, they have no business in the kitchen! Simply doesn’t make sense that one would even think to use the sunflower seeds with the shells on them in a salad! The thought alone is disgusting!
Doesn’t give you the right to call anyone simple minded. You bored..nothing better to do than insult people? Stay off social media until you have learned alittle etiquette. ..look up ” how can I be kind”
I wanted to see if this recipe was any different than the one I’ve used I like a little sesame oil and some of the packet with the rice vinegar and sugar and alot of tossing.
Wow…Some people on the internet are just to troll. I can’t believe that some people would waste their time to argue with the author about “de-shelled’ and ‘unshelled’. Come on, this is a great recipe and my girlfriend loves when I cook nice dishes for her. Go Julie!
Thanks Charles :)
Hi Julie… I would like to add a lil bit of Sesame seed oil… How do you recommend to this dressing cause a lil goes a long way. Thanks!
I would use 1/2 teaspoon and add more, to taste.
we call this The Candy Salad..lol..its so delicious..I usually toast my ramen in the oven before serving..gives the salad an even nuttier taste..I usually use Nappa Cabbage but a lot of the times, I open the nappa and its rotten inside..i LOVE the idea of the coleslaw {no fail} and even the broccoli slaw..yay!..even more fail-proof salad :)
I love this salad! I also toast the noodles a bit for extra crunch, plus I add grilled chicken. With the chicken, it becomes a meal in itself.
How do you “toast” the ramen? Thanks in advance this sounds delish!!