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Simple and delicious, this Ramen Cabbage Salad packs in all the crunch! Chopped cabbage, ramen noodles, almonds and more make this crisp salad one that everyone will love. An easy peanut dressing to top it all off!
This recipe was originally published in October 2019 and updated March 2023.
This Ramen Cabbage Salad is for all the crunchy salad lovers. You seriously cannot beat the crunch from the Ramen, cabbage, chopped nuts–it’s the perfect salad!
A simple salad that can easily be tweaked into a delicious dinner recipe with some added protein or made even more colorful with the addition of other veggies. Enjoy!
We love all the simple salad recipes, try these other favorites: Apple Arugula Salad, Strawberry Poppy Seed Pecan Chicken Salad, Chickpea Feta Salad or my favorite these days, this Easy Lemon Orzo Salad With Feta!
Why You Will Love This Ramen Cabbage Salad
- All the crunch! It’s the crunch that does it for everyone in this ramen salad. Cabbage, nuts, and ramen bring life to the salad and then the flavors of the cilantro, peanut dressing and all of it tossed together is just so spot on!
- Simple to prep. A little bit of chopping and whipping up some dressing and then tossing this simple salad recipe together–that about sums it up. You can buy pre-chopped cabbage as well for even easier prep!
- Easy to vary. This cabbage salad is a perfect base. You can eat it as is, but you can also add a protein like grilled chicken or even cube up some of this Pan Seared White Wine Chicken to the mix which is our favorite. The recipe is easily made vegan by using maple instead of honey in the dressing. Toss in other veggies.
- A great salad showstopper for the party. Every time I bring this Ramen cabbage salad to a gathering, the bowl is essentially licked clean. It adds to any spread when it comes to summer recipes for the BBQs!
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card below for a full list and measurements!
- coleslaw mix: using a ready to go cole slaw mix to make for the easiest salad prep because prepping shredded cabbage and carrots can take time! You could opt to shred carrots and chop a head of fresh cabbage as well if you are up for the extra work, but I like the convenience of the ready to go mix.
- red cabbage: this is probably the most work of the recipe. Chop up the red cabbage, or sometimes you can find ready to go chopped red cabbage in the produce section of the grocery.
- almonds: sliced almonds (unless an allergy, you can use sunflower seeds) are ideal for a nice crunch. You can add them in as is, or lightly toast them before adding to the salad.
- ramen noodles: crunchy ramen noodles are super affordable and no need to be cooked!
Dressing Ingredients Notes
- vegetable oil: lots of peanut dressing use sesame oil but it’s not my favorite flavored oil, so I opt for a mild flavored vegetable oil. I have used olive oil as well and still thought it turned out great as well.
- peanut butter: the natural, drippy, stir to use peanut butter works best in the this peanut dressing. If you have a peanut allergy, almond butter or sunflower seed butter will sub well in this dressing.
- rice vinegar: if you don’t have any available, you can use apple cider vinegar or even white vinegar. I like the extra flavor the rice vinegar adds. Rice wine vinegar is essentially the same thing!
- soy sauce: you can use tamari for gluten free. Coconut aminos will also work in this peanut dressing
- lime juice: freshly squeezed is ideal over the stuff in the jar
- garlic: minced, fresh garlic cloves over powder. If you don’t have any, use about 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- maple syrup or honey: whatever you have on hand is great. To ensure this ramen cabbage salad is vegan, use maple instead of the honey.
Possible Salad Add-Ins or Variations
- toast almonds stove top for a few minutes before adding
- mandarin oranges
- diced red bell pepper
- shelled edamame (also known as mukimame)
- dried cranberries
- shredded rotisserie chicken
- peas
- chickpeas
- a drizzle of sriracha
- sesame seeds
Recipe Tips
- For easier prep, buy pre-chopped veggies! Why do you think I used the Cole slaw mix?! I can get a package for $1.49 at the grocery. $1.49? Yes, that kind of price is what I am talking about.
- You can toast the ramen noodles if desired. Ramen noodles are actually pre-cooked so you can safely eat them without cooking. However, if you toast them in the oven just a bit, it adds some extra flavor!
- Adjust the dressing to your desired thickness. Not all peanut butters are created equally. I use the really drippy natural kind so it is a bit thinner. You may need to thin yours out a bit more with some extra water.
- Make this salad a meal: add some grilled lemon pepper chicken, citrus maple glazed salmon, or even some air fryer steak bites to your ramen noodle salad. For vegan, you can add some tofu as well. Mukimame is another great option to add. Sliced almonds instead of the peanuts are also great!
Storage
You can store this ramen noodle cabbage salad for up to 5 days. For best results, reserve a bit of dressing for serving and toss it in just before eating. You can add a touch of olive oil if you don’t have any left. Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Common Questions:
As is, it is completely vegan! So feel free to invite all of your plant based friends over to share this one! It’s not always easy to find vegan friendly recipes without making substitutions so keep this one in your back pocket for when you need it!
Most ramen noodles contain wheat flour so no, they are technically not gluten free. You can find gluten free Ramen though so you are in luck! If you have a personal favorite, let me know below in the comments!
Cabbage has more nutrients than many varieties of lettuce. It has more fiber, vitamin c, b5, b6 and folate but some lettuces contain more potassium and dark leafy greens will have more vitamin A. That said, it’s always great to have a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Other Salad Recipes
- Lemon Orzo Salad
- Strawberry Arugula Goat Cheese Salad with Pretzel Crusted Chicken
- Spring Green Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing and Sourdough Croutons
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- Spinach Mandarin Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing
- Tomato Basil Pasta Salad
- Vegan Quinoa Salad with Cucumber and Dill
- Watermelon Avocado Salad with Feta
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Chopped Ramen Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 bag cole slaw mix (16 oz.), chopped
- 1/2 head of purple cabbage, chopped
- 2-3 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ c sliced almonds
- 1 package ramen noodles (3 oz.)
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 2 T vegetable oil
- 2 T lime juice
- 1 T rice vinegar
- 1 T soy sauce, or Tamari for gluten free option
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-3 T maple syrup or honey
- ½ tsp freshly minced ginger, ground ginger will work too
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- 3 T water, more or less as needed
Instructions
- Chop/cut vegetables accordingly and combine in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together aside from the water in a small mixing bowl. Add water to thin out if desired.
- Either pour dressing over salad and toss to combine, or wait until ready to serve to add dressing. (Add desired amount of dressing, you don't have to use the entire amount.) Toss in crushed up ramen noodles and peanuts just before serving. Top with extra cilantro for garnish.
- Refrigerate leftovers in sealed containers.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I am confused! You don’t cook the ramen?
Hi! That is correct—you do not cook the ramen. It is technically pre-cooked and safe to eat. It adds crunch to the salad!
Made this recipe low carb, shirataki noodles and sugar-free maple syrup. Amazing! Rinsed my noodles well and cooked in oven on foil 350 for 30 minutes. Taking this for my lunch this week! Yummy!????
Sounds amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!