We ate this Ramen Noodle Salad often when I was growing up and I still love it just as much today as I did 30 years ago. Why? Because it’s light, fresh, deliciously crunchy, filling, and it uses simple and inexpensive ingredients. Plus, this easy ramen noodle salad holds up well in the fridge so you can eat the leftovers for days (less cooking, more eating!). Keep this ramen noodle salad recipe bookmarked because it will get you through those long hot days of Summer!
What is Ramen Noodle Salad?
Ramen noodle salad is a simple mix of finely shredded cabbage, chicken, carrots, green onion, almonds, and …drum roll… uncooked instant ramen noodles for a little extra CRUNCH! The salad also features a simple light dressing that has Asian-inspired flavors, like ginger, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. This delicious salad is commonly called Chinese Chicken Salad, but it’s not an authentic Chinese recipe, so we’re rebranding it with the more accurate name, Ramen Noodle Salad.
Ingredients for Ramen Noodle Salad
Here’s all you’ll need to make this simple but delicious ramen noodle salad recipe:
- Cabbage: You have a lot of choices when it comes to the type of cabbage used for this recipe. Napa cabbage gives the best texture, but green cabbage is much more budget-friendly. We used a mix of green and red cabbage to provide a lot of color while staying within budget. You can also take a short cute and use a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots).
- Carrot: Carrot gives this salad more color, texture, and flavor. We shred the carrot so it mixes in nicely with the shredded cabbage.
- Green Onions: Green onions provide a nice savory flavor to the salad along with a dark green color.
- Instant Ramen Noodles: Ramen noodles are used dry (not boiled) in this recipe to give the salad a lot of delicious crunch!
- Almonds: Almonds provide even more crunch and a nice nutty flavor.
- Chicken: We use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken for this recipe to keep it simple and make the salad extra filling. You can leave the chicken out to make this a lighter side dish if preferred.
- Vinaigrette: We make a simple homemade vinaigrette for this salad using neutral oil, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, ground ginger, garlic powder, and toasted sesame oil. The vinaigrette has a light, tangy, and slightly sweet flavor that perfectly compliments the cabbage.
What Else Can I Add?
I love salads because you can add so many different things to them and this Ramen Noodle Salad recipe is no exception! Here are some other fun ingredients you can add to the salad if you have them on hand:
- Mandarin oranges
- Sesame seeds
- Cashews
- Avocado
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Peanuts
- Shredded broccoli stems
- Shrimp or Tofu (in place of the chicken)
HOW TO STORE THE LEFTOVERS
If you plan to meal prep this ramen noodle salad, which I highly recommend, you have a couple of options. If you want the ramen noodles to stay super crunchy, don’t stir them into the salad before storing them. Simply sprinkle the ramen noodles over each serving just before eating. I kind of like the way the ramen soaks up the flavor of the dressing over time, but you do you! The almonds will also soften slightly as the salad is refrigerated. The salad will stay good in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
Ramen Noodle Salad
Servings 6 1.5 cups eachIngredients
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup neutral salad oil* ($0.16)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar ($0.60)
- 2 Tbsp honey ($0.50)
- 2 tsp soy sauce ($0.04)
- 1 tsp ground ginger ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.10)
Salad
- 6 cups shredded cabbage** ($1.10)
- 1 carrot ($0.14)
- 4 green onions ($0.45)
- 1 3oz. package instant ramen ($0.39)
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds ($0.73)
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken ($4.00)
Instructions
- Make the dressing first. Whisk together the salad oil, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, and toasted sesame oil. Set the dressing aside.
- Shred the cabbage as finely as possible. Shred the carrot and slice the green onions. Crush the instant ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet or save it for another use).
- Place the cabbage, carrot, green onion, almonds, crushed ramen noodles, and shredded chicken in a large bowl. Pour the prepared dressing over top. Toss the salad until everything is evenly combined and coated in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Ramen Noodle Salad – Step by Step Photos
Make the dressing first. Whisk together ¼ cup neutral salad oil, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp honey, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil. Set the dressing aside.
Shred about six cups of cabbage for the salad. You can use green cabbage, purple cabbage, Napa cabbage, or any mix of the above. Shred the cabbage as finely as possible.
Shred one carrot and slice four green onions.
Shred about two cups of cooked chicken breast. We used pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, but you could cook your own chicken breast or even use canned chicken breast.
Place the shredded cabbage, carrot, green onion, and chicken in a bowl. Crush one 3 oz. package of instant ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet or save for another use). Add the crushed ramen noodles and ¼ cup sliced almonds to the bowl. Pour the prepared dressing over top.
Toss the salad well until everything is evenly mixed and coated in dressing.
Serve the ramen noodle salad immediately or refrigerate up to four days. Always give the salad a good stir just before serving to redistribute the dressing.
Enjoy that crunchy fresh Asian Ramen Noodle Salad!!
Made it tonight and my family liked it! Super simple. Used leftover rotisserie
chicken. Great meal- when it’s too hot to turn on the stove!
So good! The salad dressing is amazing! I made a modified version that’s just kale, red cabbage, carrots, almonds, sesame seeds, and sesame ginger tofu (nasoya). I’d eat this everyday.
Beth,
This is another winner! I am so grateful for this website. I’ve found so many recipes here that have gone into our family’s regular rotation. Thank you for all you do!
Great salad! Added red peppers and since the dressing wasn’t as vibrant as I recall, added more vinegar & sugar.
I used hot honey as it was all I had and liked the bit of heat it gave the dressing. Also I used bagged coleslaw mix, mandarins and Kirkland canned chicken like another reviewer said. Super easy to put together and yummy.
This was so delicious! Really easy and impressed my family. I replaced almonds with peanuts
This was amazing! Made as-is with suggested add-ins crushed peanuts, fine broccoli florets, sesame seeds. Added dried cranberries and salted pumpkin seeds in the third helping. A few drops of siracha and black pepper. Used canned Kirkland chicken breast as the rotisserie was too expensive at the local store; turned out good! Family loved it.
Oh, leave the ramen out until just before serving otherwise they get soft
This might be a silly question. But did you cook the ramen before putting it into this? Or did you add it for the crunch?
It’s added raw for the crunch. :) Like croutons, but different!
just so you know that uncooked noodles can give you salmonella as the flour in there can harbor that pathogen. it’s unlikely but at least give a disclaimer for those with immunocompromised systems.
Instant ramen noodles are fried before packaging, so it’s all good. :)
We always called it Napa cabbage salad growing up :)
I started making this about 20 years ago . . . we didn’t put the chicken in because it was a side dish. We called it Asian Slaw. We didn’t serve it right away because the ramen noodles needed “time” to hydrate from the dressing. This sounds good too with the added chicken.
I love this recipe! I was so sad when it was taken down to be edited. It’s so good and keeps well in the fridge.
The only thing different I do is add more carrots and change the Ramen noodles for wonton strips.