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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Sides

    Ramen Noodle Salad

    March 30, 2018 Updated February 28, 2023 BySam 53 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe
    collage of ramen noodle salad, top image of white bowl filled with salad and gold spoon, bottom image of full salad in wood bowl

    Ramen Noodle Salad is loaded with texture and flavor, and it’s SO easy to make! My recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and is the perfect easy side dish for your next potluck or cookout.

    Close-up shot of ramen noodle salad in a wood bowl.

    Quick & Easy Side Dish

    Maybe you’ve tried and loved ramen noodle salad before, or maybe it sounds bizarre to you (I was very skeptical too!). Despite its unusual ingredients, this is one of the easiest and tastiest side dishes I’ve tried, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite potluck recipes.

    I know that ramen noodles–especially dry, uncooked ramen noodles–may seem like an unusual salad addition, but trust me! We’ll break them up into small pieces and toss them together with broccoli slaw, a few mix-ins, and an easy dressing. The final result is a crunchy, bright, and fresh salad full of texture and flavor!

    This is a unique side dish (similar to my broccoli salad!) that goes well with everything from seared chicken to instant pot pulled pork (with a side of deviled eggs!). Bring it your next cookout and be prepared to share the recipe–everyone will be asking for the recipe!

    What You Need

    Overhead view of ingredients including broccoli slaw, ramen noodles, sunflower seeds, and scallions.

    You need less than 10 ingredients for this easy salad. Let’s discuss a few of the most important ones:

    • Broccoli slaw. This consists of shredded broccoli stems, cabbage, and carrots. It’s typically sold right next to bagged coleslaw and salads.
    • Vinegar. I use a combination of rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar. If you can’t find rice vinegar (it’s usually in the asian food section of the grocery store!), you can substitute an equal amount of apple cider vinegar.
    • Sunflower seeds. These add a nice salty crunch to the salad. Chopped peanuts or toasted slivered almonds would also work well here.
    • Ramen noodles. I usually just break up my noodles by hand or smack them with a rolling pin. Chicken flavored ramen is my preference, but you could experiment with other flavors. Don’t forget to save the seasoning packets–we’ll use them for our dressing!
    • Red pepper flakes. I add a pinch just for a little kick, but you can always omit this (or add more if you want a lot of kick!).

    SAM’S TIP: While my recipe has always called for canola or vegetable oil, I’m now trying to move away from these oils as much as possible. An equal amount of light olive oil works just fine here.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make It

    Dressing being poured onto a salad containing broccoli slaw, scallions, ramen noodles, and sunflower seeds.
    1. Prepare the salad – Toss together the broken noodles, broccoli slaw, green onions, and sunflower seeds.
    2. Make the dressing – Whisk the oil, sugar, vinegars, crushed red pepper, and seasoning packets in a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, then pour over the salad.
    3. Toss everything together until well coated and let sit in the fridge for one hour before serving.

    SAM’S TIP: Some people like to toast their ramen before adding it for extra flavor. If you’d like to do this too, you can follow the directions in my how to toast coconut tutorial (just sub the broken ramen for the coconut!).

    Overhead view of two bowls of an asian-inspired noodle salad.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can ramen noodle salad be made in advance?

    I personally prefer to enjoy this salad immediately after the chilling step, but you can still enjoy it the next day. The noodles will soften over time, so you will lose some texture. The flavor will still be great though!

    Do I have to add the seasoning packets?

    I think this salad tastes best when prepared as directed below, but if you want to use less of or completely remove the seasoning packet, you can. If you do this, you may need to add salt or other spices to compensate for the missed flavor.

    What can I add to ramen noodle salad?

    I love my recipe as-is, but some people like to toss in shelled edamame, chopped snow peas or sugar snap peas, mandarin orange segments, sesame seeds, toasted almonds, or cilantro. Lots of fun options!

    Ramen noodle salad in a wood bowl.

    I hope you love this one as much as I do!

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    Close-up shot of ramen noodle salad.

    Ramen Noodle Salad

    Ramen noodle salad is loaded with texture and flavor, and it's SO easy to make! My recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and is the perfect easy side dish for your next potluck or cookout.
    4.93 from 28 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 284kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 24 oz shredded broccoli slaw available by the pre-packaged salad mixes lettuce, etc., usually sold in 12 oz bags, so you will need 2
    • 2 3 oz packages chicken flavored ramen noodles broken into small pieces (reserve seasoning packet)
    • ½ cup chopped green onions about 6 green onions, sliced
    • 1 cup sunflower seeds
    • ½ cup (120 ml) canola, vegetable, or light olive oil
    • ⅓ cup (66 g) sugar
    • ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
    • 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
    • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • Mixing bowl

    Instructions

    • Combine broccoli slaw, broken ramen noodles, green onions, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Set aside. 
      24 oz shredded broccoli slaw, 2 3 oz packages chicken flavored ramen noodles, ½ cup chopped green onions, 1 cup sunflower seeds
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, vinegars, crushed red pepper, and reserved seasoning from both ramen packets.  
      ½ cup (120 ml) canola, vegetable, or light olive oil, ⅓ cup (66 g) sugar, ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar, 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • Drizzle over salad mixture and toss well.
    • Chill in the refrigerator for one hour before serving to allow flavors to meld and noodles to soften. I prefer this salad best when served the same day that it is made as the noodles are still somewhat crunchy and offer a great texture, but it does taste good the next day with softer noodles, too.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/8 | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 429IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gloria Gowins

      September 04, 2023 at 9:11 am

      4 stars
      I followed the directions as posted. The salad was good, but too dry. The next time I make it, I am going to increase the dressing ingredients by 50%.

      Reply
    2. Stefanie

      July 20, 2023 at 10:32 am

      5 stars
      This is a FABULOUS recipe! We love it. SO much better- and economical- than buying deli salads at the store- and we can customize it to suit our tastes. We love your salad recipes using fresh farm market veggies in the summer. Keep these salads coming, Sam!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        July 20, 2023 at 11:27 am

        We’re so happy you love it, Stefanie! Thanks for coming back to leave a review–we really appreciate it! ๐Ÿฅฐ

        Reply
    3. Beth ewalt

      June 17, 2022 at 4:48 am

      I’ll change the dressing considerably, one seasoning packet from the soup, small amount, perhaps 1 tablespoon light soy, juice of one lime, fresh garlic or a peanut dressing would be great also more red pepper or mix harissa or Sriracha into dressing

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        June 17, 2022 at 9:43 am

        Enjoy, Beth! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Amy

      November 21, 2021 at 5:49 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! I make it frequently and my kids love it too. I leave the red pepper flakes out, but add feta. Yum!

      Reply
    5. Renee

      October 06, 2021 at 9:00 am

      Can you leave out the rice vinegar if you don’t have it?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        October 06, 2021 at 11:22 am

        Hi Renee! You could substitute in white wine vinegar, or you could just use all apple cider vinegar. We hope you enjoy the salad! ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
      • Jen

        September 09, 2023 at 6:18 pm

        4 stars
        I make a recipe very similar to this one. I use cole slaw mix instead and I add shredded rotisserie chicken to it. I use about 2/3 of the seasoning packets. It comes out amazing and my kids love it!

        Reply
    6. Lu Ann

      June 23, 2021 at 3:21 pm

      Simple delicious!

      Reply
      • Linda

        June 15, 2023 at 1:31 pm

        U keep saying broccoli salad mix I dont like broccoli Besides ur picture of the finish ramen noodle salad it doesn’t show the broccoli salad mix It shows a different salad mix Help

        Reply
        • Sam

          June 15, 2023 at 1:50 pm

          Hi Linda! It is broccoli slaw mix shown in the photos. You can find it in the grocery store in the produce section where the coleslaw mix is usually sold. I am sorry you do not like broccoli, though I will say I don’t think this salad has an overpowering broccoli taste.

    7. Gidget

      May 12, 2021 at 9:40 am

      5 stars
      Going to make this but will use a store bought ginger sesame salad dressing! ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ‘

      Reply
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