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Home ❯ Recipes ❯ Vegan Side Dishes

Cold Ramen Noodle Salad

Updated: 05/28/2025 · Author: Lori Rasmussen · This post may contain affiliate links

Photo of the dish with title text to save on Pinterest.
Photo of the dish with title text to save on Pinterest.

This Cold Ramen Noodle Salad is layered with so many amazing flavors and textures. With tender noodles, crisp and colorful veggies, edamame, and a crunchy ramen topping, it's perfect for summer BBQs, potlucks, and lunch meal prep. The 8-ingredient Asian-style dressing pulls it all together!

Large serving bowl filled with ramen noodle salad on a colorful peach surface.

Have you ever tried the Asian noodle salad from the Whole Foods salad bar? I've always loved that dish because it's so savory, flavorful, and always satisfying.

There's just something about the marriage of cold noodles, fresh veggies, and that over-the-top, garlicky sesame oil dressing—with just the right balance of sweetness and acidity.

This cold ramen noodle salad is basically my homemade, slightly healthier take on the Whole Foods noodle dish. It's also inspired by my Vegan Sesame Noodles recipe, while leaning more in the direction of a veggie-forward summer pasta salad.

Why You'll Love It

  • Endlessly versatile! Switch up the veggies, make it gluten-free, and tweak the flavors in the sauce to get it just right for your taste buds.
  • A healthy way to enjoy fresh veggies AND get your carb/noodle, comfort-food fix at the same time.
  • A crowd-pleasing side dish for parties and potlucks, and since it holds up well several days in the fridge, it's even great for meal prep.
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love It
  • Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
  • How to Make Cold Ramen Salad
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Variations
  • FAQs
  • More Asian-Inspired Salad Recipes
  • Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Labeled photo of the ingredients needed for the recipe.
  • Ramen noodles: I used Hakubaku organic ramen noodles that I found at Whole Foods, but any type of noodle you have is fine. Go with regular or gluten-free ramen, or use soba, udon, rice noodles, or even spaghetti!
  • Vegetables: I included green cabbage, carrot, cucumber, radishes, broccoli, and green onion. But there are no rules here! Use your favorite veggies or whatever looks best and freshest in the produce section. Cauliflower, red cabbage, snap peas, and red, orange, or yellow bell peppers are also nice additions.
  • Shelled edamame (optional): I really enjoy the texture of edamame, plus the lovely green color and the extra protein are welcome additions to any Asian noodle salad. You can use a ready-to-eat edamame like the one from Trader Joe's, or frozen shelled edamame (you'll need to cook it first according to package directions). Green peas are another option.
  • Dressing: You'll need rice vinegar, olive oil, tahini, maple syrup (or agave or brown sugar), soy sauce (or GF tamari), fresh ginger, garlic, and toasted sesame oil. I also like to include a touch of spicy mustard to emulsify the dressing and bring it all together. It also complements all of the savory flavors. Chili garlic sauce is good, too.

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See the recipe card below for amounts and step-by-step instructions.

How to Make Cold Ramen Salad

Toasting broken ramen noodles and sesame seeds in a pan.

Step 1: Make the crunchy ramen topping. You can skip this step if you like, but it's really easy to do and does add a little extra something to the dish.

Take approximately 1 ounce of the noodles and break into small pieces. Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat.

Stirring frequently so that they don't burn, cook until the noodles are slightly darker in color, about 3 minutes. Add the sesame seeds, stir well, and remove from heat. Set aside to cool.

Oven-Toasting Option :

If using the wavy type of ramen, it's easier to toast them in the oven, since they don't make good contact with the pan like straight noodles do.

To do it, spread the broken noodles on a baking sheet and toast in a 380°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring at the halfway point.

Mixing all of the vegetables together in a large bowl before adding the cooked ramen.

Next, cook the remaining ramen noodles until al dente, about 1 minute less than indicated on the package. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. While the noodles are cooling, make the dressing and chop the veggies.

Finally, combine the vegetables, edamame, and cooled noodles in a large bowl. Drizzle with about half of the dressing, and toss to combine. Add more dressing, to taste, and garnish with the crunchy sesame-ramen topping.

Serving Suggestions

  • Side dish: Cold ramen noodle salad is a fun and casual side dish for picnics, backyard cookouts, or any type of potluck gathering. The flavors pair well with many other foods beyond Asian-inspired dishes.
  • Light entree: The edamame and generous amount of veggies make it more satisfying than your average pasta or noodle salad. To make it even more filling, increase the amount of edamame, add another protein source, or serve it with a side dish.
    Pair it with:
    • a simple baked or pan-fried tofu
    • Baked Peanut Tempeh
    • Air Fryer Tempeh
    • Savory Tofu Pancakes
    • or sushi rolls

Variations

  • Gluten-free: Traditionally, ramen noodles are made from wheat, but you can find many gluten-free options made from rice, millet, or other gluten-free flours. They are available online, and you may even find them at your local grocery store. To keep the dish gluten-free, you'll also want to use a certified gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce, which contains wheat.
  • Oil-free: If you avoid extracted oils in your diet, replace the olive oil with tahini. Keep in mind that this creates a thicker dressing. You can thin it with lime juice and/or a splash of water.

FAQs

Are ramen noodles vegan?

Yes, ramen noodles are wheat-based and traditionally made with just three ingredients: water, flour, and an alkaline salt called kansui. Prepared ramen is usually not vegan, but the plain noodles are, which is what we're using in this salad.

How long does it keep?

Store ramen noodle salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that some vegetables don't hold up as well as others.

More Asian-Inspired Salad Recipes

  • Edamame salad with other colorful veggies in a large serving bowl.
    Edamame Salad
  • A dark red bowl filled with sliced cucumber tossed in spicy Asian dressing.
    Spicy Cucumber Salad
  • bok choy pear salad in a large serving bowl.
    Baby Bok Choy Salad
  • close up view of saucy miso dressing on noodles.
    Quick Vegan Miso Noodles

I hope you love this cold ramen noodle salad as much as we do. Let us know in the comments if you give it a try!

Recipe

A serving bowl filled with ramen noodle salad and colorful vegetables.

Cold Ramen Noodle Salad

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
This cool ramen noodle salad features a bounty of fresh veggies, edamame, tender ramen, and a sesame-soy dressing with just the right balance of flavors. The crunchy ramen topping is quick and easy to make and adds fun contrast and crunch!
Serves 6-8 as a side dish or 4-5 as a light entree with additions.
5 from 1 vote
Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Cook Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Save on Pinterest Print Recipe

Equipment

  • microplane

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces dry ramen noodles - gluten-free if needed
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 4 cups shredded green cabbage - about half of a medium head
  • 2 cups broccoli florets - cut small; or cauliflower
  • 1 large carrot - peeled and shaved into ribbons or julienned
  • 1 bunch radishes, trimmed and sliced - optional
  • ⅓ cup chopped green onion
  • 1¼ cups cooked shelled edamame

For the Dressing:

  • ¼ cup olive oil - or tahini for oil-free; see Notes
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce - or gluten-free tamari
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup - or agave
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic - grated or minced
  • 2 teaspoons spicy dijon mustard - or a chili garlic sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional

Instructions
 

  • Take approximately 1 ounce of the dry noodles and break into small pieces (if using wavy ramen see Notes below). Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat. Stirring frequently, toast the noodles for about 3 minutes, until slightly darker in color. Add the sesame seeds to the pan, stir, and remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
  • Cook the remaining ramen noodles according to package directions but reduce the time by about 1 minute. You want the noodles to be just al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse well with cold water.
  • While the noodles cool, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Finish preparing the veggies if you haven't already.
  • Combine the vegetables, edamame, and cooled noodles in a large bowl. Drizzle with about ⅔ of the dressing, and toss to combine. Add more dressing to taste, and garnish with the crunchy sesame-ramen topping. Serve now or refrigerate until chilled.

Notes

If using wavy ramen, toasting in the oven tends to work better. To do it, spread the broken noodles on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated 380°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. Add the sesame seeds, and set aside to cool.
Oil-free: If you avoid extracted oils, replace the olive oil with tahini, and omit the sesame oil. Keep in mind that this creates a thicker dressing, which you can thin with lime juice and/or a splash of water.
Store ramen noodle salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, depending on the veggies used (some may not hold up as well as others).

Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 9gFat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 430mgFiber: 4g

Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.

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  1. Susie says

    July 10, 2024 at 4:36 pm

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Lori!

I'm passionate about flavor and simplicity. I share vegan recipes with a focus on both!

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