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This broccoli ramen salad recipe is crunchy, sweet, and has a tangy Asian-inspired dressing. It’s the perfect side dish for family gatherings and BBQs for something different!
You may also like my Avocado Corn Salad or Best Coleslaw next.
Why you’ll love it
This broccoli ramen slaw is bursting with flavor, and the best part is the irresistible texture it has from the cashews and crumbled noodles! It’s not your average slaw. The tangy Asian-inspired dressing is made with pantry ingredients like soy sauce and rice vinegar.
There are plenty of recipes out there for ramen salad, but my own little twist will make this one the star of your next potluck or summer gathering. The sweetness of the dried cranberries also really complements the freshness of the broccoli, carrots, and cabbage.
What you’ll need
For the salad
- Broccoli slaw – it’s typically found in the same place as the pre-bagged salad mixes in your local grocery store
- Noodles – we’re using the noodles from those ramen soup packages (flavor packet discarded)
- Cashews – they’re filling and add a crunch and nuttiness
- Dried cranberries – for a sweet complement and pop of flavor
- Scallions – these mild green onions add freshness
For the dressing
- Olive oil – the base of the vinaigrette
- Toasted sesame oil – find it in the Asian aisle. Note that it’s different than regular sesame oil and is also sometimes labelled as pure sesame oil.
- Rice vinegar – it gives that signature zip to this slaw
- Soy sauce – for more savory depth of flavor
- Brown sugar – it adds sweetness and balances everything out
Pro tip
This is totally optional, but one way to kick up the flavor even more is to toast the noodles. It’s a little more work, but all you need to do is put the crunched up raw noodles into a skillet with a bit of olive oil or butter over medium-low heat. Stir it occasionally, and once they’re lightly browned, let them cool prior to adding them to the salad.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I make many of my salads in these sturdy glass prep bowls.
- Easily serve up this slaw with a pair of these scissor salad tongs.
- Storing your brown sugar in one of these airtight pantry containers will keep it fresher for longer.
How to make broccoli ramen salad
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Make the dressing by tossing it vigorously in a jar. Break up the uncooked ramen noodles using your hands.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a bowl.
- Toss with the dressing, and let it sit for a bit. Depending on how soft you want the noodles, you can let it sit for 15 minutes or more prior to serving. I like having a bit of crunch.
Substitutions and variations
- As with any salad dressing, feel free to adjust quantities (e.g. add more oil, vinegar, or sugar) depending on personal taste preferences until it’s perfect for you.
- If you’re a big dressing person, feel free to straight double the dressing ingredients.
- Want to add some protein to this salad? Try some rotisserie chicken or leftover Baked Chicken Breast! Even some leftover cold Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon would work.
What to serve with this broccoli slaw
- This salad serves 8 or so as a side dish depending on how much people eat. I enjoy it at BBQs and potlucks alongside other favorites like my Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Thighs, Easy Grilled Pork Chops, and Easy Macaroni Salad.
- It’s also a great pairing with other Asian-inspired recipes like my Honey Garlic Shrimp, Easy Orange Chicken, or Simple Mongolian Beef.
Leftovers and storage
- I like eating this broccoli ramen slaw sooner rather than later, but it’ll keep for a few days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Keep in mind that the noodles will continue to soften up over time, though.
- Discard the leftovers if it’s been sitting outside for too long.
If you made this easy broccoli noodle salad, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to hear from you. Or tag me on Instagram so I can see it.
Broccoli Ramen Salad
Ingredients
- 2 (12 ounce) bags broccoli slaw
- 3 (3.5 ounce) packages ramen noodles flavor packets discarded
- 3/4 cup roasted cashews
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup chopped scallions
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil see note
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (packed) brown sugar
Instructions
- Add the dressing ingredients to a jar and give it a good shake so the sugar dissolves.
- Using your hands, break the ramen noodles up into smaller pieces. It's ok if some pieces are bigger than others.
- Add the broccoli slaw, ramen noodles, roasted cashews, dried cranberries, and scallions to a large salad bowl.
- Give the dressing another shake and pour it over the salad. Toss to coat. I like to give the salad at least 15-20 minutes to let the noodles soften up a bit, but it's up to you how crunchy you want them. You can eat it right away or let them soften up even longer.
Notes
- Toasted sesame oil isn’t the same thing as regular sesame oil. It has a very distinctive flavor. You can find it in the Asian section of most grocery stores.
- If you don’t want to use rice vinegar (also found in the Asian section of most grocery stores), try white vinegar or cider vinegar. I’d start with 2 tablespoons and work my way up from there since rice vinegar tends to be a bit more mild.
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Hi Natasha! Tried this tonight and was so excited looking at both of these new recipes to me (Firecracker Chicken & Broccoli Ramen Salad). I’ve had the ramen salad at summer picnics before made by others and have always been a big fan. I have never made it before, and it it is so easy and so tasty! The Firecracker Chicken was a huge hit and I have to say, I’ve never been a big spice fan. I’ve slowly been trying some of your recipes that call for say 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and find I actually like it! So I went all in and tried this as you put out in the recipe. My hubby and son always have lots of hot sauces to add to recipes as needed, but were not needed with this! A huge hit! Served the chicken dish over instant pot rice. Will definitely be making both again!
Also for the ramen salad I did take the 10 minutes to heat the ramen on the stove to brown and loved how it added to the flavor. The grocery store only had one bag of the broccoli slaw so I just added a bag of coleslaw and it still tasted great. ❤
Excellent!! 😀 Thanks for your detailed review as always, Angela!
I’ve been making my version of this recipe for Years! It has always been a hit! I do like to lightly toast the noodles as it gives a lovely nutty rich flavor and crunch, without the addition of cashews. Highly recommend trying this salad, folks!
Love that!