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
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
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
This is the first time I have ever made a comment on any post (I’m not very tech savy) however this salad deserves all the kodos it can get! I took to our Easter picnic and it truly was the hit of the picnic. Your family has improved the traditional very tasty Ramen salad and taken it to a higher more delicious level. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Sandy! We’re so happy to hear this was a hit! :)
Thanks for sharing this recipie. It sounds & looks Delish. I don’t like Mangos what other fruit would be good for this salad. I also thought I would add some chicken chunks.
Thanks Marsha — we hope you enjoy! You could use mandarin oranges or pineapple instead of mangos (we think either would be really yummy)! :)
Hello, I have a question. Won’t the noodles not be cooked if you just toast them for 5 minutes? I am used to seeing them boiled. Could you please inform me as I’ve never tried that. Thanks in advance.
Hey there! Not cooking the noodles and toasting them instead just makes them nice and crunchy. You can totally boil them instead though if you prefer (either way would be yummy)! :)
I am allergic to avocado and mango what else would you suggest to substitute
We think a little fresh pineapple or orange would be yummy in this, and you could also add little raw broccoli florets. We hope you enjoy! :)
Hi!! Love the idea of the recipe, but have some finicky eaters……think I can substitute apples and cranberries instead of edemame and mango?
Thanks!
Most definitely! We hope you enjoy! :)
I would love to pin this awesome recipe for future reference, but its not working. Please help. Thank you in advance.
Hi Esme! That’s strange, it’s working fine for us! You should see a push pin button once you hover your clicker over the photos. Then you should be able to click and pin.
My daughter is allergic to sesame! I was going to make this tonight. Can you think of a substitute for sesame oil? Thanks!
Hi Brooke! You can totally just leave it out, unless you’d like to sub it with peanut oil. We hope you both enjoy this!
I made this salad last night for a family dinner. There were 8 of us, including a 9 and 12 year old. To a person this salad was a HUGE hit. The entire salad was gone in one seating. Thanks for creating and posting. This will definitely take the place of my current Ramen Noodle salad.
We’re glad it was a hit Carol! :)
Can’t wait to try this! About how many portions does this recipe yield?
Thanks Ariel — we hope you love it! It should make about 8 servings.
Just made this and it was really good! Only comment is that this temp was too high for the almonds and burned them.
Hi Lauren! We’re glad you enjoyed this, but we’re so sorry the almonds burned!