Transform the notable noodle into a fast and healthy recipe for Chilled Ramen Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing.
Ramen noodles and I go way back, back to my elementary school days when my mom, Noni, would serve up a steaming bowl of the comforting favorite alongside Saltine crackers and a cold 7-Up.
It was our home-from-school sick meal of choice, and no matter how under-the-weather I or my siblings felt, there was always that bowl of ramen noodles to the rescue.
I’ve taken the 99-cent packaged classic, ditched the seasoning packet, and transformed it into a fresh, veggie-packed salad that marries a rainbow of colors and textures with a sweet-meets-savory peanut dressing that’s whisked together in minutes.
I’ve highlighted a few of my favorite veggies and legumes, including crunchy red cabbage, shredded carrots and tender edamame, but you could easily swap in whatever leftover odds and ends you find in your fridge.
A scattering of slivered almonds add salty crunch, intensifying the nutty flavor of the dressing and making this Chilled Ramen Noodle Salad a make-ahead meatless dinner or side salad winner any day of the week.
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Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 (3-oz.) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 2 cups finely shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnishing
Instructions
Make the salad:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and cook according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the boiling water and set it aside, then drain the noodles and add them to a large bowl.
- Add the edamame, cabbage, carrots, almonds and scallions to the bowl and toss to combine.
Make the dressing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, honey, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes (optional) and hot water until smooth.Â
- Add the dressing to the bowl with the noodles and veggies and toss to combine.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and serve or let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and storing in the fridge.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
I eat nothing with processed packaging, but I tried this because of all the fresh vegetables. It was a family hit. I made it for a long weekend with our kids and grandkids, and everyone liked it. I enjoy many of the recipes from Just a Taste.
Absolutely delicious as are all the recipes I have made !
Yay! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying Just a Taste, Terri!
I have someone with a peanut allergy in our house – any thoughts on maybe some sort of Asian dressing? Would it be weird with almond butter?
Almond butter would work great!
It’s a very good salad but I found it much too sweet at first so I added more peanut butter, lime juice and sesame oil. It was still too sweet for my taste so I added the two seasoning packets. I think in the future I would either cut down on the honey or not put it in all. Crushed peanuts instead of almonds might be a good substitution. Overall it’s a very good salad, thank you for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I made the Strawberry Cheesecake Chimichangas!!! They turned out exactly like the picture on your webpage and were absolutely the best dessert at the BBQ/Cookout!!!! yummy
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Sandra!
The flavors are delicious! The only thing is the ramen noodles were so sticky that it was difficult to get them to mix well with the vegetables. I think next time I will cook the noodles 30 seconds less than called for and immediately run under cold water.
Thanks for your note, Angel! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
I used my KitchenAid grater attachment and it pulverized the carrots and cabbage! Next time I will finely hand slice the cabbage and julienne the carrots as shown in the image. The sauce is very flavorful, so not a total fail.
So glad you enjoyed it, Christie!
I make your peanut dressing recipe for my daughter but I put it on sautéed cabbage, carrots, poblano peppers, onion, cilantro and she absolutely loves it. It’s a winner!
YUM!