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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.
I make this all the time but I substitute most of the oil and sugar for 1 cup of pinapple juice. The juice is sweet without the added sugar and less calories without all the fat. Add 6 drops of sesame oil. My mom is a diabetic and the changes make it good for her. I also use one of the flavor packets that comes with the noodles. Love this recipe.
What a great idea to use pineapple juice in place of some of the oil and sugar, Julie! I was hoping to find a way to make it a little lower in calories, I think that will work perfectly. I have a covered dish at church tomorrow, now I know what I’m taking! Thanks!!
Hi Julie! this salad sure does look ridiculously amazing. Pinned! I think my family would LOVE this! :)
Julie, I have been looking for this recipe for over a decade! A former co-worker brought it to a potluck, and I fell in love with it. Made it today, and it was delicious. Thanks!
Yay! Glad you found it!
How big is one serving? One cup! 1/2 cup? Thank you!
I would say about 1 cup
hey this looks delish!! Do you think there could be a sub for the sugar to make this as tasty (or close to it) but also healthy? Wondered if you had tried any variation with that ingredient. Thanks for sharing this!
I haven’t tried subbing out the sugar but maybe try agave nectar or something?
I use 1 pack of splenda per 2 packs of ramen noodles. Gives it just the right amount of sweet and salty. I also shred carrots in the salad. YUMMY
Thank you for posting this recipe! I had something similar recently but couldn’t find a solid recipe that matched. This is it! Can’t wait to make it this week. Thank you!
Hope you enjoy!
Folks this is always devoured at any party. My way adds a tbsp. sesame seeds to almonds and noodles and brown all in some butter in a skillet. Also I add 1 tsp of soy sauce to dressing and few drops sesame oil. I like the Napa cabbage best. Don’t add the topping until ready to serve so it is crunchy.
Hi Julie! I’m not a Ramen connoisseur, so I’m a bit confused. Isn’t Ramen out of the package hard? Does the dressing help make it softer the longer it sits? Thanks in advance! I’m thinking of making this for a potluck!
Yes, it is hard. That’s the point :) it gives the salad an added crunch! And yes, overtime, the dressing does soften it! I hope everyone enjoys it!
I have tried this with boiled ramen….and it comes out fantastic too!!!!
Hello. Recipe looks great. I’m making it gor my daughter’s birthday party where there will be 20 Adults. Just wondering how many servings this makes? Should I double? And if I do is this salad still good the next day or does it get soggy? Thank you.
Hi Laurie, it’s stated in the recipe under “servings” that it is for 8-10. With that said, I definitely think you should double it! I would make it the day of because yes, it does get a little soggy but not terribly. I would save to add the ramen if you’re going to make it the day before and add in the ramen prior to serving. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Haven’t tried this yet but a friend made one and I wanted the recipe and googled it and found yours. I look forward to trying. I have enjoyed reading all of the comments and yes, unshelled or shelled, I knew what you meant. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Lisa! Hope you enjoy!