Napa Cabbage Salad Recipe {Asian Ramen Noodle Salad} (2024)

FAQs

Does cabbage belong in ramen? ›

It's a great base to add to. Occasionally I'll add other vegetables if I fancy a more veggie-heavy ramen. Using cabbage of course is not traditional, but often pak choy and Asian-type vegetables are imported and not seasonal, so here you can achieve a similar taste with a seasonal vegetable.

Key ingredients for this Crunchy Ramen and Sesame Salad.

The lettuce- You can use whatever you want or have on hand. For the greens, I used a mix of lettuce for the texture. Super crunchy romaine and softer spring mix is a good balance.

This cold noodle salad is made with ramen noodles, carrots, green onions, bell pepper, peanuts and a creamy peanut-y dressing that has a perfect balance of sesame oil and lime to it as well. I could slurp up the dressing with a straw if it was a normal thing to do!

Keep the white and the green parts separated. Cook the white part first before adding the greens, for the perfect cooked texture. (Optional) You can further slice or dice the white or green parts into smaller pieces, for example, long thin strips for making salad and coleslaw, or a small dice for dumpling filling.

It's served with a warming bowl of slurpable ramen in an easy-to-prepare savory broth. I absolutely loved this cabbage ramen with pork. It's the perfect cold-day bowl of noodles, and the pork is just divine. The sweet, sesame-soy pork works perfectly with the veggie-heavy broth and springy ramen noodles.

Let's face it: Ramen ain't health food. But it's pretty simple to add a bit of roughage to your starch. Quick-cooking vegetables like baby spinach, romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, thinly sliced cabbage, watercress, and scallions (amongst others) can be stirred into the soup right before serving.

Ramen is actually of Chinese origin, with most historians agreeing that it was brought to Japan by Chinese immigrants living in Yokohama in the late 19th century. Today, ramen restaurants offer a variety of styles and toppings, but early iterations of ramen were simpler—wheat noodles with Chinese-style roasted pork.

Ramen is not inherently unhealthy, but the flavor packet provided in instant ramen does contain high amounts of sodium. Diets high in sodium are associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, a leading cause of stroke and heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Toppings like tortilla strips, croutons and nuts offer a pleasant crunch, while creamy, salty cheeses add unique flavor. Of course, meats, beans and tofu add a protein boost, and berries and dried fruits lend a touch of sweetness.

First up, Bok choy. This green veg softens perfectly when it's dropped into hot ramen broth, and makes a nice contrast to the spices and proteins you might be including into your bowl.

Do I rinse noodles for a cold salad? ›

If you're making a dish that will be served chilled or at room temp—think cold soba, rice noodles, pasta salad—you do want to rinse so that you get toothsome (sorry) individual strands rather than one big gummy clump. Certain types of noodles benefit from a rinse in almost all applications.

Crush up the uncooked ramen noodles along with some herbs to make "breadcrumbs," or fry them with cinnamon and sugar for an easy dessert topping. The noodles can also be transformed into burger buns or used as a unique filling for grilled cheese sandwiches.

Cut each half of the cabbage in small chunks that can fit into the neck of your food processor. Place the lid on the food processor and remove the pushing mechanism from the feed tube. Make sure the lid snaps into place. Turn on the food processor and add cabbage, one chunk at a time, to the feed tube.