Name: Chinese Ramen Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1/2 head cabbage, shredded; 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded; 3 green onions, sliced; 1 pkg ramen noodles; 2 Tbsp sesame seeds; 1/4 cup sliced almonds; 1 Tbsp butter; 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced; 3 Tbsp sugar; 3 Tbsp olive oil; 3 Tbsp soy sauce; 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar; seasoning packet from the ramen

Chinese Cabbage Salad . . . cabbage, lettuce, chunks of chicken, a light Asian dressing, and crunchy ramen noodle topping give this salad incredible taste and texture!

I figure that you’ve probably eaten enough Reese’s eggs, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, Peeps, chocolate eggs, and other Easter goodies that the thought of more treats makes you want to hurl. (At least till tomorrow.) So today, I am sharing a really healthy recipe.

This Chinese Chicken Salad recipe has been a favorite at our house for several years. I’ve tasted several variations of it and I love them all.

The thing I like about this one is that it doesn’t call for any unusual ingredients, and the dressing is much lower in fat than most. It has plenty of flavor, but it doesn’t have a greasy texture. And I’m not much into oily salad, so I find that a bonus.

My kids even like this salad. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the ramen noodles. Every time I make this I think “Man, I should really make this raman salad more often.” It is a perfect summer meal, especially served with homemade rolls.

HOW TO MAKE ASIAN CABBAGE RAMEN SALAD

(To skip my tips and just see the full recipe card, scroll to the very bottom of the post.)

Ingredients needed:

green cabbage
iceberg lettuce (You can use either all cabbage or all lettuce, but we think the combination of both is the best.)
green onions
chopped cooked chicken breast (Cook your own, or use a rotisserie chicken. Both options work great!)
sliced almonds (or slivered almonds)
sesame seeds
a packet of ramen noodles(We like chicken flavor best, but you can experiment to see which flavor you prefer.)
butter
granulated sugar
olive oil (or another oil that is liquid at room temperature)
soy sauce
white vinegar
seasoning packet from the ramen

PREPARE TOPPING: Break up the ramen noodles and place them in a pie pan with the sliced almonds, sesame seeds, and butter. Bake at 350 degrees till lightly browned, stirring occasionally. You can skip this step and eliminate the butter, but it really does add so much flavor!

DRESSING: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk till the sugar is dissolved. You can experiment with different flavors of vinegar, but we like the plain white vinegar best, and I always have it on hand.

SALAD: Chop the cabbage and lettuce into bite sized pieces, and slice the green onions. Toss together in a bowl with the cooked chicken.

SERVE: Just before serving, stir in the dressing and crunchy ramen topping. Or if you prefer, you can serve the dressing on the side. You may not need all of the dressing depending on the size of your lettuce and cabbage.

LEFTOVERS?

If you know that you will have leftovers, don’t add the dressing and toppings to the entire salad. The dressing wilts the lettuce, and the ramen noodles get soggy. It is definitely best to store the dressing and topping separately.

The salad with chicken needs to be refrigerated, the dressing and topping are fine at room temperature. The salad will keep for 3-4 days.

Here are a few more chicken salads to check out!

CHINESE CABBAGE SALAD WITH CHICKEN

Yield: 6 servings

Chinese Ramen Salad

Healthy cabbage salad with chicken, Asian dressing, and an unbeatable ramen noodle topping.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Salad:

1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
3 green onions, sliced
1 pkg ramen noodles
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 Tbsp butter
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

Dressing

3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
seasoning packet from the ramen

Instructions

Place ramen noodles, sesame seeds, almonds, and butter in a pie plate. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Let cool.
Combine sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and seasoning packet in a small bowl and whisk till combined. Set aside, stirring occasionally till sugar is dissolved.
Chop cabbage and lettuce, place in a large serving bowl. Add green onions and cooked chicken.
Just before serving, stir in the dressing and the cooled ramen noodle mixture.

Notes

I don't always use all of the dressing, it depends on how much cabbage and lettuce I end up with.