This easy vegan ramen noodle salad with cabbage is a classic summer side! Great for picnics and potlucks, this salad is fresh, healthy, and bursting with flavor! Packed with cabbage, carrots, and crunchy uncooked ramen noodles tossed in a flavorful Asian-style dressing.

A top view of a vegan ramen noodle salad with tong in it.

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Ramen noodle cabbage salad is just one of those dishes that tastes like summer! It’s fresh, crisp and flavorful plus always a hit at picnics and potlucks!

This recipe is

  • quick and easy to make.
  • bursting with flavor.
  • a great light summertime meal or side dish.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Cabbage – I like to use a bag of shredded cabbage to make it quick and easy, but you can wash and shred your own cabbage. A mix with some purple cabbage makes it pretty, but you can use whatever cabbage you want.
  • Carrots – most bags of shredded cabbage contain shredded carrots as well, but if you are not using bagged cabbage, you will want to add 1 cup of shredded carrots.
  • Ramen Noodles – for crunchy goodness in your salad. Be sure to use Top Ramen brand (Maruchun brand noodles are not vegan). All of the Top Ramen noodles are vegan, but most of the seasoning packets are not. Only the spicy chili and soy sauce flavor packets are also vegan. (You will not be using the flavor packets, just the noodles though.) Here is more information about which brands of ramen noodles are vegan.
  • Green Onions – for added flavor. (optional)
  • Sesame Seeds – for texture and color.
  • Sliced Almonds – optional for added texture and flavor. Some people in my family don’t eat nuts, so I usually leave them out or serve them on the side. You can also use pumpkin or sunflower seeds instead if desired.

For the dressing

  • Oil – any neutral-flavored oil will work. You can reduce the amount of oil, but I would not omit it completely for the best taste and texture.
  • Sesame Oil – for flavor. This is key to giving your salad an Asian flavor.
  • Seasoned Rice Vinegar – for sweetness and acidity. You can use white or apple cider vinegar instead, but it’s not as flavorful.
  • Sweetener – I like to use agave nectar or my vegan honey since they are liquid sweeteners and dissolve better in the dressing, but granulated sugar will also work.
  • Soy Sauce – for saltiness and flavor. You can also use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or Tamari.
  • Ginger – fresh grated ginger root adds a lot of flavor to the salad. You can use powdered ginger or simply omit it if you don’t have fresh ginger.
A close up of ramen noodle salad.

Helpful tools

  • Grater- if you are going to be cutting the cabbage yourself.
  • Microplane – for mincing the ginger root.

How to make Ramen noodle salad

Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, mix 1/4 cup of oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons agave (or sweetener of choice), 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger. Stir with a whisk until combined.

A large glass bowl with ramen noodle salad dressing being stirred with a whisk.

Step 2 – Pour in a bag of shredded cabbage mix and toss well until the cabbage is coated in the dressing.

Step 3 – Take the seasoning packet out of the bag of ramen and crush up the noodles until they are in bite-sized pieces. Add the crushed noodles to the salad and toss well again.

Step 4 – Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. (You may also add some sliced almonds or sunflower seeds if desired.)

Pro Tips

  • This salad tastes best within a few hours of making. After about 3-4 hours, the ramen noodles start to get soft.
  • When using fresh ginger, use a knife or a peeler to get the brown skin off of the ginger root. Then use a microplane or zester to mince the ginger into tiny pieces.
  • Add some grilled chicken seitan or deep-fried tofu and turn this salad into a full meal!
A glass bowl full of cabbage ramen noodle salad.

Can I make it gluten-free?

You can make this into a simple cabbage salad without the noodles if you need it to be gluten-free. Ramen noodles are not gluten-free and the gluten-free equivalents don’t taste good uncooked as the wheat versions do.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate: This salad is best served fresh or within a few hours of making. It can be refrigerated and will keep for up to 3 days, but the noodles will get a little soggy.

Vegan noodle dishes

A bowl filled with ramen noodle salad with a fork in it.

More vegan picnic foods

A glass bowl filled with vegan ramen noodle salad with cabbage and carrots and sprinkled with black sesame seeds.
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5 from 8 rating

Vegan Ramen Noodle Salad with Cabbage

Yield: 8
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
An Asian inspired cabbage salad with a light flavorful dressing and crunchy ramen noodles.
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Ingredients

For the Dressing

  • 1/4 cup light olive oil, or canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar, or sweetener of choice
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

For the salad

  • 1 (14 oz. bag) shredded cabbage, (about 6 cups)
  • 2 (3 oz. bags) ramen
  • 1/4 cup green onions
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, and/or 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix 1/4 cup of oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons agave (or sweetener of choice), 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger. Stir with a whisk until combined.
  • Pour in a bag of shredded cabbage mix and toss well until the cabbage is coated in the dressing.
  • Take the seasoning packet out of the bag of ramen and crush up the noodles until they are in bite-sized pieces. Add the crushed noodles to the salad and toss well again.
  • Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. (You may also add some sliced almonds or sunflower seeds if desired.)

Notes

  • This salad tastes best within a few hours of making. After about 3-4 hours, the ramen noodles start to get soft.
  • When using fresh ginger, use a knife or a peeler to get the brown skin off of the ginger root. Then use a microplane or zester to mince the ginger into tiny pieces.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 102kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 132mg, Potassium: 20mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 31IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg
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