Have you ever tried ramen noodle salad before? While I was initially not too sure about it myself, it’s become one of my all time favorite salads. I love bringing it to potlucks to introduce it to people who’ve never had it before, and it is one of the easiest side dishes to make. Try it out for yourself this weekend!
I’m always a little bit hesitant to share particularly green recipes on my blog (this being a primarily sugar space and all), but with the holiday weekend approaching and side dishes being such a hot topic, I thought I’d share one of my favorite salads — Ramen Noodle Salad.
Maybe you’ve tried (and loved!) this salad before. Maybe you’ve never heard of it and it sounds bizarre to you (I was very skeptical the first time it was served to me), but despite it’s unusual ingredients, this has been one of my favorite recipes for years, and I thought you might like to try it out for yourself this weekend.
As I mentioned, this salad couldn’t be much easier to make. You’ll start with broccoli slaw, which I always buy pre-shredded (it’s usually found with the pre-packaged lettuce and salad mixes in the supermarket), chop up a few scallions, measure out your sunflower seeds, and then you’ll need your ramen noodles.
I know that ramen noodles — especially dry, uncooked ramen noodles — may seem like an unusual salad addition. I was skeptical myself the first time ramen noodle salad was served to me, but I’ve since been converted to a believer.
The noodles are broken up into small pieces (I like to keep them smaller than ¾″, and usually just break them up by hand or smack the noodles a few times with a rolling pin before adding them to the salad) and tossed in with the broccoli slaw.
Make sure to reserve your seasoning packets as we’re going to use them in making our dressing. I have always used chicken flavored ramen, but there are so many flavor options out there that would be fun to experiment with.
You’ll want to whisk the salad dressing well before tossing it with your ramen noodle mixture. Then, let the salad sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This will help the noodles to soften a bit, but not so much that they’re totally soft (though the salad is still good the next day!).
I’ve had ramen noodle salad in the past with toasted slivered almonds added as well, so that’s another option for you, but this is my favorite version of ramen noodle salad. If you try it out, let me know how you like it!
If you’re looking for other great side dishes, check out my broccoli salad and million dollar deviled eggs!
Ramen Noodle Salad
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 canola oil vegetable oil would also work (120ml)
- ⅓ cup sugar (66g)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (60ml)
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Combine broccoli slaw, broken ramen noodles, green onions, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together canola oil, sugar, vinegars, crushed red pepper, and reserved seasoning from both ramen packets.
- Drizzle over broccoli slaw 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
Renee
Can you leave out the rice vinegar if you don’t have it?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Renee! You could substitute in white wine vinegar, or you could just use all apple cider vinegar. We hope you enjoy the salad! 😊
Lu Ann
Simple delicious!
Gidget
Going to make this but will use a store bought ginger sesame salad dressing! 😋👍