Also known as Asian coleslaw or Asian cabbage salad, this tasty dish made with ramen noodles and a savory dressing can be served as a side or, with protein added, as a main meal. The noodles aren't cooked, giving an extra crunchiness to the salad and making it very easy to make.
Ramen Noodle Salad
To mix up a ramen noodle salad, you'll need to start with a few basic ingredients. A head of Chinese cabbage, 2 packages of Oriental ramen noodles, about 1/8 cup of sesame seeds, 1/2 a cup of sliced or slivered almonds and green onions will make up the salad. For the dressing you'll want 1 part rice wine vinegar, 2 parts oil -- vegetable, olive or sesame oil will work -- to a 1/2 part soy sauce and 1 of the ramen noodle seasoning packets. If you like a touch of sweetness, add a 1/2 part honey to the mixture.
Video of the Day
Video of the Day
Tip
If you're not a sesame seeds fan, replace them with roasted sunflower seeds.
When you're ready to make the salad, chop the cabbage and green onions into small pieces. Then crumble the ramen noodles in with the cabbage, onions, almonds and sesame seeds together in a bowl. You'll whisk the dressing ingredients together and then toss with the salad ingredients. While you can eat ramen noodle salad immediately, chilling it for an hour or 2 in the refrigerator allows the dressing to soak into the salad and will kick up the flavor.
Tip
You can add a slight toasty flavor to the salad by sauteing broken-up ramen noodles with the nuts in olive oil over medium-low heat. Saute them just for a few minutes, then toss with the rest of the ingredients.
Variations
Try leaving out the ramen noodle seasoning packet when making up the dressing. It will give the salad a subtler flavor. This version is a good option if you're adding seasoned chicken or shrimp, as the protein brings its own flavor to the dish.
For an even quicker version of an Oriental ramen noodle salad, use a pre-made coleslaw mix and toss with the dressing, nuts, and ramen noodles. You can also try adding chopped broccoli to the mix for a delicious variation.