This Chinese Cabbage Salad with crunchy ramen bits is one of those recipes that never gets old. Growing up, it was at every potluck my mom dragged me to and for good reason! Crunchy Napa cabbage is tossed with toasted ramen bits, salty sunflower seeds, fresh cucumber, and scallions. The whole thing is drizzled with an easy Asian Dressing that's downright addicting!
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Chinese Cabbage Salad
There aren't many childhood potluck recipes that I can say I still truly crave.
Except for this Chinese Cabbage Salad with crunchy ramen bits!
It's still just as delicious and just as addicting.
In fact, it's one of my pregnancy cravings that I just can't get enough of.
It's crunchy, sweet, sour, and salty which is basically all that is good in the world.
Although there are many renditions of this recipe all over the internet, this is how my mom always did it and for that, I'm sharing it as-is.
Simply shred one head of Napa Cabbage and toss with sliced cucumbers and finely diced scallions.
The dressing itself is made with rice wine vinegar, a neutral oil of your choice, sugar, salt and toasted sesame oil.
But the real star of this salad is the crunchy ramen bits.
Just break up 2 packets of uncooked chicken ramen noodles and stir fry them with oil and the seasoning packets.
Right before they're done toasting, add in a cup of sunflower seeds and toast for a minute more.
The combination of all the crunchy salad components and the sweet and sour asian dressing make this salad completely irresistible.
If you're looking for something to serve this with, try my husbands favorite laab salad or these tasty pho deviled eggs.
If you're serving it for lunch, you could also pair it with my Ina Garten inspired Chicken Curry Salad recipe or this Thai Noodle Salad.
How to make Crunchy Ramen Salad
Making crunchy ramen salad is super easy!
You'll want to start by making the crunchy ramen noodles.
To do so, add 2 tablespoon of oil to a pan and heat it to medium.
Using the back of your knife, smash the ramen packets until it's broken up. Open up the packets, remove the seasoning packets and set aside.
Add the broken ramen to the pan along with the seasoning packets. Toast for about 7 minutes, tossing often, or until the ramen is golden.
Add sunflower seeds and toast for one more minute until heated. Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the salad dressing.
Add oil, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and salt to a jar and tightly seal.
Shake the jar vigorously until the sugar has dissolved and the dressing is a pale yellow color. Set aside.
In a large salad bowl, add the shredded Napa cabbage, thinly sliced cucumber and scallions and toss with half of the Asian dressing.
Toss everything together and then add the cooled crunchy ramen bits.
Add about half of the remaining dressing and toss one more time.
Depending on the size of the cabbage, you might use all the dressing or you might not.
If you have extra leftover, simply pour the remaining dressing in a small bowl and serve it alongside the salad or store it in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
If you'd like to save this recipe for later, pin it below!
Recipe
Recipe
Chinese Cabbage Salad with Crunchy Ramen Noodles
Ingredients
For the Crunchy Ramen Noodles
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 3 oz packets chicken ramen noodles
- 2 ramen flavor packets
- 1 cup dry roasted sunflower seeds
For the Asian Dressing
- ¾ cup oil I used grapeseed but another neutral oil like vegetable will work
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Salad
- 1 large head Napa cabbage shredded
- 1 large cucumber cut into thin coins
- 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced
Instructions
For the Crunchy Ramen Noodles
- Heat a pan over medium and add 2 tablespoon of oil.
- Using the backend of your knife, carefully smash each ramen packet until it feels broken up. Open the packets up and remove the the seasoning packets and set aside
- Add the broken noodle bits to the pan and toss with the seasoning packets.
- Toast for 7 minutes, tossing often, until the ramen bits are golden brown.
- Stir in the sunflower seeds and toast for one more minute.
- Turn the heat off and let the mixture cool.
For the Asian Dressing
- Meanwhile, add neutral oil, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and salt to a jar. Shake the jar vigorously until the sugar is dissolved then set aside.
For the Salad
- Add shredded ramen, sliced cucumber, and scallion to a bowl and toss. Pour in half of the salad dressing and toss everything together.
- Add the cooled crunchy ramen mixture on top and add about half of the remaining dressing to your liking. Toss everything together and taste. Either pour the extra dressing in a small bowl and serve alongside or toss it in the salad if you think it needs more dressing.
