Napa Cabbage Ramen Salad

4.57 from 44 votes

This napa cabbage ramen salad with crunchy noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds is our favorite noodle salad recipe.

Prep Time30

Cook Time7

Total Time37

Course: Salads

Cuisine: German

Servings: -8 servings

Calories: 573kcal

Author: Adina

Chop napa cabbage: Finely slice the napa cabbage and place it in a very large bowl. Chop the onion finely and add it to the cabbage.
½ large napa cabbage + 1 larger onion
Dressing: mix the noodles' dry seasoning, oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk well until the sugar dissolves. Set aside
dry seasoning + ⅔ cup oil + ¼ cup white wine vinegar + ¼ cup granulated sugar + fine sea salt and pepper
Roast the almonds in a large pan, without using any fat, until fragrant. Shake the pan often to allow the almonds to roast on both sides and keep them from burning. Remove from the pan.
¾ cup whole almonds + ¾ cup sunflower seeds
Roast the sunflower seeds in the same pan until golden and fragrant. Shake often again. Add them to the almonds.
Combine: Break the instant ramen noodles on top of the sliced napa cabbage. Discard the liquid seasoning. Add the hot almonds and sunflower seeds and the dressing. Stir well to combine.
2 packages instant ramen noodles
Leave to marinate for about 2-3 hours at room temperature. Stir again and adjust the seasoning.

Ramen noodles: I almost always use chicken instant ramen noodles. If serving the salad to vegetarians, choose something else. Discard the liquid seasoning from the packet; you will only need the dry seasoning.
Use a neutral-tasting oil like canola or sunflower oil. If using olive oil, make sure you choose a very mild olive oil that you will taste before making the dressing. If the olive oil is too strong, it will overpower the rest of the flavors.
Rice vinegar and cider vinegar make suitable substitutes. I typically use white wine vinegar, but rice vinegar is a good substitute - just use a bit more, as it’s less acidic. Cider vinegar works as well; since it’s sharper, start with a smaller amount and adjust to taste.