This quick and easy broccoli slaw with ramen noodles packs a flavorful punch! A mayo-free salad that's ideal for cookouts and parties...
Okay, so I know that there are, like, a million-and-one recipes for broccoli and ramen slaw out there! But today I'm going to make it a million-and-two...
Why? Well, because my dad made his ramen noodle broccoli salad for our Christmas Day dinner last week. And while it was really good, as I was munching away, I couldn't help thinking about how I could improve on it.
The onion seemed just a little too prominent - and I'm not a fan of raw onions to begin with. Plus, I felt like it could use a touch more sweetness to balance out all of the savory...
🥗 Salad Ingredients
So I picked up the ingredients for this broccoli slaw with ramen noodles at Walmart the very next day. After playing around with the flavors a bit, I'm super pleased with the results.
Broccoli ramen salad ingredients:
- bagged broccoli slaw
- soy sauce flavor ramen noodles (formerly "oriental" flavor)
- green onions (green parts only)
- roasted sunflower seeds
- sliced almonds (oven toasted)
- dried cranberries
I tweaked my dad's broccoli ramen salad recipe quite a bit. While I kept the broccoli coleslaw and roasted sunflower seeds, I opted to use just the green parts of the onions. The greens provide a more subtle onion flavor.
New additions to this broccoli slaw with ramen are sliced almonds, which I first toasted in the oven. This is a simple way to quickly add more depth to any recipe. And I also threw in roughly a cup-and-a-half of dried cranberries for a touch of extra sweetness!
TARA'S TIP
🧅 Soaking Green Onions
If you want to use the both the green and white parts of the scallions, soaking them in ice water will remove some of the bite.
- Slice the green onions thinly with a sharp knife.
- Submerge them in a bowl of ice water for 10-15 minutes.
- Drain the water well. Pat the onions dry with a paper towel before adding them to your salad.
🫙 Slaw Dressing
While I didn't change the quantities of the ingredients in the broccoli slaw salad dressing, I did swap in some alternatives for the oil and vinegar.
I opted to use rice vinegar in lieu of regular white vinegar for a tangier base. And instead of straight vegetable oil, I used a flavorful half-and-half combination of toasted sesame oil and canola oil.
Broccoli slaw dressing ingredients:
Adding the soy sauce spice packets from the instant ramen is totally optional. Use one or both at your discretion, or leave it out altogether. I typically add a single packet, because it really gives that umami "extra something" to the slaw dressing.
🍜 Oriental Ramen Noodles
Those of you who have saved this broccoli slaw recipe in the past may recall that it called for oriental instant ramen noodles. In fact, if you scroll back up to my ingredients image, you can see the original packaging in it.
Recently, most major brands have changed the name from "oriental" to "soy sauce" - as shown below for the Maruchan Instant Ramen Noodles.
According to Maruchan, the name was changed to more accurately describe the flavor of the seasoning. The brand has stated that the traditional flavor seasoning ingredients remain the same.
📒 Variations
This ramen noodle broccoli salad is always a huge hit at parties and cookouts! Since there's no mayo in the recipe, there's no need to worry if it's sitting out for awhile.
But you could just as easily turn it into a main dish adding some diced or shredded rotisserie chicken! If you go this route, I'd suggest doubling the broccoli slaw dressing. Then marinate the chicken in half of it for 30 minutes before combining it with the slaw.
Other tips & suggestions:
- Customize the slaw dressing. Use different ramen noodle flavor packets to change the flavor profile. I've heard that the beef flavor is very good! And I'm guessing the chicken would be good as well, especially when adding chicken to the salad.
- Sweeten the dressing with honey. Honey can be substituted for the granulated sugar. However, I'd recommend using only ¼ cup since it's sweeter.
- Use 50% less sugar Craisins. These are a great option for those of you that find dried cranberries to be a little too sweet.
- Can't find broccoli slaw? Just use regular coleslaw mix, which is very easy to find.
- Add more crunchy green veggies. Shelled edamame, diced seedless cucumbers, and/or thinly sliced snow peas are all delicious options.
Have another idea? Give me your suggestions in the comments!
Printable Recipe ↓
Easy Broccoli Slaw With Ramen Noodles
Ingredients
For the broccoli slaw salad:
- 1 (12-ounce) bag broccoli slaw salad mix
- 2 (3-ounce) packages soy sauce instant ramen noodles
- 2 green onions, green parts only, chopped
- 1 cup shelled roasted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1 ½ cups dried cranberries
For the broccoli slaw dressing:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1-2 soy sauce instant ramen flavor packets, (optional)
Instructions
- Toast the almonds and cool completely. While the almonds are roasting, crush the ramen noodles in a zip-top plastic bag using a rolling pin. Reserve one or more flavor packets, as desired.
- Combine the broccoli slaw, crushed ramen noodles, green onions, sunflower seeds, roasted almonds, and dried cranberries in a large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sugar, 1-2 soy sauce flavor packets (optional), and rice vinegar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Gradually whisk in the toasted sesame oil and canola oil.
- Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad and toss until well coated. Refrigerate covered for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours. Toss again before serving.
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Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your broccoli and ramen slaw turns out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!
Dawna riley says
Could I substitute honey for sugar? If so how much should I use?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Sure, you can substitute honey if you'd like. However, honey is sweeter than sugar, so I'd recommend only using 1/4 cup.
ForeverMama says
Good flavor all around and love the crunch. All the ingredients make a perfect marriage. So tasty and well enjoyed for our 4th of July meal. Thank you, Tara, for sharing. Made it for The AmaZ'ing Race 2023 tag game over at recipezazz.com.
Vhoff says
Question, can you add chopped chicken? And if so, how much do you recommend?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, chopped chicken would be a great addition! I’d probably add 2 cups or so.
Chelsie says
I had a salad like this years ago, but this one is so much better than I remember. I eliminated the almonds because I didn't have any and I used half the oil. Sooo yummy! Thank you for the craisin idea. I think it makes all the difference.
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you loved it, Chelsie! I agree, the Craisins add the perfect bit of sweetness to it.
Mel says
Are the ramen noodles cooked? I haven't made anything like this before...
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Mel! No, you don't need to cook the ramen noodles. They will soften up a bit when they sit in the dressing, so they'll just be slightly crunchy when it's served.