You’ve gotta try this Chinese Slaw Recipe with Ramen Noodles! It’s simple to make, and the perfect dish to bring to your next potluck or summer BBQ. Often, we have it as a side salad for lunch and dinner. You just can’t go wrong. It is so delicious.
This is truly one of the best salads we make. Plus, the best part is that it only requires a few basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
It’s a great recipe to turn into a whole meal. Just add some protein like rotisserie chicken and you have a main dish.
It takes less than 10 minutes to make this amazing dish and it is a great side dish to serve at you next meal.
Make Ahead Recipe
The great part about this salad is that it can be made ahead of time. Get all the ingredients into a large bowl and toss with the Asian salad dressing.
Make this 30-minutes to an hour ahead of time. The cabbage will soften and wilt down. The nuts and noodles will still be crunchy. The dried fruits will plump a bit in the juices that form from the sweating of the cabbage and the salad dressing.
The flavors have a chance to meld together for a delicious cabbage salad.
We have served this for the Holidays as a healthy side dish recipe. It is perfect with so many main dish meals.
Ingredients in the Asian Coleslaw Recipe
You probably have the ingredients already on hand. While you can shred your own cabbage, often, I just get a bag of pre-shredded cabbage. Roast the Ramen noodles in butter. Add some honey roasted pecan pieces, sliced almonds, cranberries, and toasted ramen noodles and you have a delicious combination of fresh crunch ready for the vinaigrette.
The vinaigrette is made from oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. That’s it! Just whisk all the ingredients together and pour over the salad ingredients. It is a great way to add lots of Asian flavor to this ramen noodle cabbage salad.
You Can Customize Your Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
Just about any substitutions are allowed with this recipe. It is perfect for using up your fresh vegetables.
I like using olive oil for the salad dressing; however, you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, or other neutral oil for this recipe.
I have used bagged coleslaw mix, broccoli slaw, and shredded my own cabbage for this recipe.
Sub in sunflower seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, macadamia nuts or any other mild tasting nut for the almonds. No matter what seeds or nuts are used, make sure that they are toasted. They add so much crunchy texture to this Chinese coleslaw.
Add raisins, diced mandarin oranges, or a bit of fresh pineapple cut up.
For the Asian Salad Dressing, you can swap out the sugar for honey or maple syrup. In place of the apple cider vinegar, I have sometimes used rice vinegar, white vinegar, and champaign vinegar.
Add even more flavor by adding a bit of minced garlic. Don’t overdo though or as it can be overpowering.
Fresh sliced green onions are a nice touch for a little crunchy bite occasionally.
Let’s Talk About the Ramen Noodles
This recipe is made using the ramen noodles that are in the package with the seasoning. I crush the noodles by gently pounding on the bag. Don’t pound too hard or the bag can split open, and your noodles will go everywhere.
I do not use the ramen seasoning packet in this recipe so set that aside.
Some recipes call for Ramen noodles just crushed and added to the salads without being roasted first. I urge you to take a few minutes to toast your noodles before adding. They will take this coleslaw over the top.
It is so easy to roast the dry noodles. I do this before I make the rest of the slaw recipe. That way the noodles have a chance to cool down before I add them to the salad.
Just melt the butter in a skillet, add the broken-up noodles and fry for about 2 minutes. Stirring often. They will take on this toasty smell and when they start turning a golden brown, they are toasted and ready to add to the salad.
How to Store Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
This will keep overnight in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. The nuts are still crunch and the ramen noodles will start to soften a bit. However, all the flavors are still there.
It is a great option for lunch the next day.
If you enjoy this recipe, you might enjoy this Asian Ramen Salad Recipe, which is a slightly different version of this recipe.
Chinese Slaw Recipe with Ramen Noodles
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Coleslaw Mix 1 bag
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Ounces Ramen Noodles 1 package
- ½ Cup Honey Roasted Pecan Pieces
- ½ Cup Sliced Almonds
- ½ Cup Cranberries
Asian Salad Dressing
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil Or some other light oil you like
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar, Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Instructions
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. While the butter is melting, crush the uncooked ramen noodles into small pieces while they are still in the package. Remove the flavor packets as they are not needed for this recipe. Add the crushed noodles to the melted butter.
- Fry the ramen noodles for about 2 minutes. Stirring often. They will take on this toasty smell and when they start turning a golden brown, they are toasted and ready to add to the salad.
- Mix the Asian Salad Dressing. Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce to a bowl and whisk a minute to combine. Another option is to add the ingredients to a mason jar and shake to combine.
- In a large bowl, add the cabbage, sliced almonds, honey roasted pecans, cranberries, and toasted crunchy ramen noodles. Pour the salad dressing over the top and toss to combine.
