This buttery crunchy ramen noodle salad with cabbage is simple to make with just a few pantry ingredients. It’s a budget-friendly easy recipe and makes a perfect side dish for summer BBQ or potluck parties.
Asian ramen noodle salad is one of the oriental style salad recipes I have often ate when I first came to U.S 25 years ago. Every potluck party I went, someone always brought a kind of Asian cabbage salad with ramen noodles. It often has chicken and fruits like apple or strawberry in the salad. Some were really good, while others were oily or too sweet as I remember.
I was surprised to see how cheap the ramen noodles were in the U.S. at first, then even more surprised how horrible it tasted after I made it into a noodle soup. No wonder people only used the noodle part in the ramen package in their recipes.
This quick and easy cabbage ramen noodle salad is flavor packed and it is amazingly crunchy, budget-friendly recipe that everyone will love. If you are looking for another great recipe using ramen noodles, try my 10-minute Ramen Stir-Fry with Vegetable and 5-Minute Kimchi Ramen recipes.
Fun Korean Snack Idea for Ramen Noodles
In Korea, raw ramen noodles are often served as a common snack for poor college students. This is how they enjoy it.
- Break the ramen noodles inside the package even before you open up.
- Then take out the seasoning packet and sprinkle the seasoning powder over the noodles to flavor.
- Shake the ramen vigorously to toss together inside the package. Open up the package and enjoy.
Recipe Tip
Toast ramen noodles for salad
Toasting the ramen noodle in advance gives incredible texture and nuttiness. The addition of sliced almonds (or sunflower seeds) give even better taste.
Use any cabbage of your choice
I like to use green cabbage, but red cabbage or Asian napa cabbage is a great option, too. You can even use colesalw mix in the recipe as well.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the salad:
- ramen noodles – any brand will work
- butter – to toast the noodles
- cabbage – use either green cabbage, red cabbage, napa cabbage or coleslaw mix
- carrot
- green onion
For the salad dressing:
- sugar
- rice wine vinegar
- mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
How to make Ramen Noodle Salad with Cabbage
Step 1. Toast the ramen noodles.
- Break the ramen noodles into bite size chunks and spread over a baking pan. Mix in almond slices or slivered almonds.
- Drizzle the melted butter (or olive oil if you prefer) over noodles and toss well.
- Toast the noodles and almonds in a preheated 350˚F oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven and set aside to cool.
These toasted ramen noodles brought me my childhood memory. I often ate the toasted ramen noodles as a snack growing up. It was popular snack for young kids many years ago in Korea and it still is. Many Korean kids still love to munch these curly noodle pieces. My kids love them, too. So yummy!
Step 2. Make salad dressing.
Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
Step 3. Toss all together
All you have to do is slice green cabbage and carrots very thinly, but you can always use a bag of slaw mix that you can buy at the store to make your life easier.
Add crunchy ramen noodles with almond, cabbage, carrot, green onion in a large bowl, and pour the salad dressing over; toss all together. I can see that some chopped broccoli and dried fruits, like cranberry, would enhance the salad nicely, but I like mine simple as is.
This Asian cabbage salad with ramen noodles is not oily nor overly sweet. The ramen noodle is buttery, nutty, and crunchy. I loved how it tasted and I could eat the entire batch of salad myself.
Serving Ideas for Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad
To enjoy this ramen noodle cabbage salad heartier as a main dish, you can add a protein of your choice; such as chicken, shrimp, peanut, tofu, or other variations.
I can picture it as a beautiful side dish to go with any spring or summer season BBQ or potluck party. Or take it to a picnic since it carries well.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Crunchy Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad
This buttery crunchy cabbage ramen noodle salad is simple to make with just a few ingredients. It’s budget-friendly recipe and perfect side dish for summer BBQ or potluck parties.
- 2 package ramen noodles
- 1/3 cup almond slices, or sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
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Preheat the oven for 350˚F
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Break the ramen noodles into bite size chunks and spread over a baking pan. Mix in almond slices. Drizzle the melted butter over and toss well. Toast the noodles and almonds in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove it from the oven and set aside to cool.
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To make the dressing; combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk well.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot, green onion, and the toasted ramen and almonds. Drizzle the dressing over and toss everything very well. Season more with salt and pepper according to your taste. Serve immediately.
If you don’t want to slice cabbage: Use a store-bought coleslaw mix (or broccoli slaw) instead of slicing the vegetables yourself.
