This Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad recipe is quick and easy to make, tossed with a simple sesame vinaigrette, and perfect for picnics and potlucks!
Alright, show of hands.
Who else grew up eating ramen noodle salad?
Chances are that if you grew up in the Midwest, this salad crossed your path at least a time or two. My mom used to make it regularly when we were kids, and brought it along to every potluck, picnic, and church function imaginable. And we always, always came home with an empty bowl.
What can I say — people love this salad!
That said, the original version that we made back in the 90s was a little more full of processed ingredients and sugar than I like to eat nowadays. So a few years ago, I gave my mom’s recipe a few modern updates and shared it on blog. But even in the years since then, I’ve actually made a few more updates — including making it with healthier ramen noodles (and even gluten-free ramen noodles, if needed), and adding in some extra veggies. So since we’re entering the prime of potluck and picnic season, I thought I’d share it with you once more. Because no matter the decade, I’ve found that people go absolutely nuts for this salad. And it’s downright delicious.
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Back in the day, this salad used to simply be made with:
- cole slaw mix
- sliced almonds
- sliced green onions
- a vegetable oil / white vinegar / white sugar vinaigrette
- canned mandarin oranges
- …and the noodles from those classic $0.29 ramen noodle packets
Nowadays, I still stick with the cole slaw mix (organic), green onions and almonds. But I also like using (affiliate links included):
- avocado
- fresh mango (instead of the mandarin oranges with added sugar)
- edamame
- …and then I like to use these healthier organic ramen noodles or these gluten-free ramen noodles
Plus, my yummy go-to vinaigrette for this salad now uses:
- avocado oil (or any mild-flavored oil you’d like)
- rice vinegar
- honey (or your desired sweetener)
- soy sauce
- toasted sesame oil
To make the salad, I recommend spreading the ramen noodles and almonds out on a baking sheet and toasting them for about 10 minutes until lightly golden. (<– Tip from my mom!) Then add all of your ingredients to a large mixing bowl, drizzle on the vinaigrette, give everything a good toss…
And in no time, this delicious salad will be yours to share and enjoy!
It’s still just as perfect as ever for picnics, potlucks, or church basement functions…or anytime you need a good salad in your life. ;)
Enjoy, everyone!
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 0 About 8 servings 1x
Description
This delicious Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad recipe is tossed with a simple sesame vinaigrette…and tastes absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
- 2 (3-ounce) packages of ramen noodles*, crumbled (you will not use the seasoning packet)
- 1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and julienned (or diced)
- 1/2 cup thinly-sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions (scallions)
- Sesame honey vinaigrette (see ingredients below)
Sesame Honey Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil, or any cooking oil)
- 1/4 cup honey (or your desired sweetener)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
To Make The Salad:
- Heat oven to 425°F. Spread the crumbled ramen noodles and sliced almonds out on a baking sheet, and stir a bit to combine. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the almonds and noodles are slightly toasted and golden. Remove baking sheet, and give the mixture a good stir to toss. Then return it to the oven and toast for an additional 3 minutes. Keep a very close eye on the mixture so that it does not burn. Remove and set aside.
- Add ingredients (including the vinaigrette) together in a large bowl, and toss until combined.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (This salad is much better eaten the first day, as the noodles lose their “crunch” the longer it sits, and the avocado may brown a bit. Still, it’s perfectly edible and enjoyable even after a few days!)
To Make The Vinaigrette:
- Whisk all ingredients together until combined.
Notes
*You can use any kind of packaged ramen noodles for this recipe. If you’d like organic (and less-processed) alternatives to the classic $0.30 packets at the grocery store, I recommend these organic classic ramen noodles or organic brown rice ramen noodles.
**I also like sprinkling mine with some toasted sesame seeds (I used black sesame seeds in the photo), but that’s totally optional.
I love this ….you say it gets soggy after a couple days…I just add the crunchy noodles and nuts when I eat the salad therefore they don’t get soggy :)
this looks amazing! i cant wait to try it :) is the edamame raw? and also, do you think it would be good with some mandarin oranges added in?
Hi Rachael! Sorry, I should have specified in the recipe that I used frozen cooked edamame. And mandarin oranges would be delicious!!
Where can I find nutritional stats (weight watcher points) for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Kara, you’re welcome to plug the ingredients in at MyFitnessPal.com. Good luck!
Crunchy ramen noodles are the best! I’m so glad to see this recipe as I have been for ways to eat them differently. This looks delicious Ali, great idea!
I have to admit I was too lazy to make the dressing because I have a huge bottle of Asian Sesame Ginger dressing in my fridge so I just used that. But I LOVED the salad. It is so light and fresh and healthy and I think I have eaten it at least 10 days in the last 2 weeks for lunch! I love new twists on old favorites. Thanks for another great recipe!
Ali, I’ve been making this salad for eons, but I LOVE the additions you’ve made… so colorful! I add 1/4 c toasted sesame seeds with the almonds and ramen just before serving. In other words, I let most of the salad marinate in the dressing for about an hour or however long I need to leave it sit {like say if I was in church for 3 hours and then served it at a pot luck lunch}. I toss in the crunchies just before serving.
If mangoes aren’t in season or not available, I’ve found that craisins are a lovely addition too. Adds a nice little zing.
I also toast up a package of slivered almonds and use what I need and keep the rest on hand in a tupperware container. I love adding almonds to my salads, but don’t always have time to toast. Toasted almonds are the best!
My hubby, who does NOT love salads, absolutely LOVED this salad. I used pecans instead of almonds and it was yummy, yummy!!
I loved this Asian Ramen Noddle Salad w Mango when I first tasted @ my son’s party on 7-13-14. ( mango is so sweet!)
I made this for my scrapbook group lunch and it was a big hit! Unfortunately, my mango was not ripe enough so I had to leave it out. I am going to use the mango and try making the Thai Chicken Salad recipe.
I love your food photos! They are so beautiful that it makes me want to try your recipes.
This was so delicious! We added chicken to make it a meal, and it was just perfect for summer. I didn’t have many almonds so I used a combo of almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts, and it was tasty. Thanks so much for sharing.