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Ramen Noodle Chicken Salad

Crunchy ramen noodles top a flavorful, colorful and healthy salad to enjoy for satisying lunch, easy dinner or your next potluck. Use a rotisserie chicken for a short cut and quick and light no cook summer meal.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: asian ramen chicken salad, carrots, chinese chicken salad, green cabbage, ramen noodle salad, red cabbage, seasoned rice vinegar, sesame oil, sliced almonds
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • (2) 3 oz. packages Chicken Top Ramen Noodles crushed, raw (flavor packet reserved for dressing)
  • 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (black, white or combination)
  • 1/2 head green cabbage chopped or sliced into thin shreds
  • 1/2 head red cabbage chopped or sliced into thin shreds
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken or more if desired
  • 3 green onions sliced, about 1/3 cup

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup neutral oil of choice vegetable, canola, avocado or light olive oil
  • 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce reduced sodium
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon from ramen seasoning packet more or less to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger optional but recommended

Instructions

To toast ramen noodles /almonds:

  • Crush ramen noodles and spread on a parchment lined baking sheet along with sliced almonds. Place in a 350-degree oven until fragrant and slightly brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight jar until ready to mix with salad.

To make dressing:

  • Add ingredients to a 16 oz. jar, shaking well to combine. Store in refrigerator to chill and allow flavors to meld until ready to dress salad.

To make salad:

  • To a large bowl add cabbage, carrots, green onions, chicken, and sesame seeds. Toss to mix, drizzle desired amount of dressing over top and toss to evenly coat.
  • Add ramen noodle mixture to top of salad. Serve right away for crunchiest results.

Notes

  • Adjust quantity to taste, scaling salad up or down.
  • Omit almonds if allergic
  • I prefer to shred or chop the cabbage from the head which makes for a fresher salad but feel free to substitute a 16 oz. bag of coleslaw mix in place of the cabbage and carrots if desired.
  • The ramen flavor packets contain about 2 teaspoons of seasoning. There is a lot of sodium in the seasoning packet so I only use 1 teaspoon in the dressing. Adjust the seasoning in dressing to your taste, using more or less.
  • Seasoned rice vinegar is seasoned as the name suggests 😉 and is more flavorful than regular rice vinegar. It has a slightly sweet flavor with added sugar and salt. I’ve made the dressing with regular rice vinegar but prefer seasoned rice vinegar for the added flavor.
  • Optional add ins or substitutions: Roasted Sunflower Kernels, Shelled Edamame, Mandarin Orange Slices, Broccoli Slaw, Sliced Radishes, Chopped Peanuts
  • To make salad ahead: Shred cabbage and mix with carrots and green onion in a bowl. Store toasted ramen noodles /almonds separately so they retain their crunch. When ready to serve, add chicken and sesame seeds to the cabbage mixture, tossing together. Stir in dressing; tossing to coat. Add ramen noodle mixture right before serving. This a favorite salad to eat during the week for lunch. The shredded cabbage/carrot mixture will stay fresh (undressed) in a lidded container in the fridge, 4-5 days.