Kale Coleslaw With Ramen

Name: Kale Coleslaw With Ramen
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 12 cups curly kale, chopped or shredded; 1 bunch green onions, sliced; 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (or a neutral oil); 2 blocks ramen, without seasoning packets (we use the rice ramen from Lotus Foods!); 3/4 cup slivered almonds; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil; 1/4 cup tamari; 1/4 cup rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup; 1 fresh orange, juiced

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This kale coleslaw with ramen has quickly become a favorite at our house! With kale, green onions, slivered almonds, toasted ramen, sesame seeds, and a simple sesame vinaigrette, this slaw recipe is easy and satisfyingly crunchy -- perfect for a nutritious side dish. It's also vegan and gluten free!

Healthy Asian slaw with ramen in clear glass bowl with two copper serving spoons

Get ready to make your crunchy salad dreams come true! This recipe is inspired by a Midwest potluck classic -- a dish my family has made and loved for years, and one I remember helping making mom make frequently. It was a vinegar-based coleslaw with green cabbage, crushed and toasted ramen noodles, almonds, and green onions. When I came across a new brand of ramen noodles at the store, I knew I could find a way to adapt this slaw and pack in even more nutrients.

Enter my new version of ramen coleslaw, made more nutrient-dense with brown rice and millet ramen noodles (from Lotus Foods - so tasty!) and kale swapped for cabbage (though cabbage would also be just as delicious and nutritious). I also modified the flavors a bit by adding sesame oil, tamari, and rice vinegar to the vinaigrette, leaning more into Asian-inspired flavors. Let's make this slaw!

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Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations
How to Make This Slaw Recipe
Success Tips
Coleslaw with Ramen FAQs
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Curly kale - Other kinds of kale would work too! I prefer the texture of the curly kale in this recipe.
Green onions - For a mild onion flavor.
Ramen noodles - From a package (but without the seasoning mix). We love the different kinds of ramen from Lotus Foods because they contain nutrient-dense, gluten free ingredients so that all can enjoy (e.g. brown rice, millet, forbidden rice, and buckwheat). They can be found at Target, Whole Foods, Costco, and Kroger grocery stores, just to name a few. That said, any ramen noodle you have access to will work great! Just remember that wheat-based ramen will no longer be gluten free.
Slivered almonds
Sesame seeds
Toasted sesame oil
Tamari
Rice vinegar
Maple syrup
Fresh orange juice - We like to squeeze a fresh orange, but if you wanted to use orange juice you could.

Substitutions & Variations

Need to adapt the recipe to work for your dietary needs and available ingredients? Try one of the swaps below!

Kale - You can totally swap kale for Napa cabbage or another cabbage mix! Or, you can add some cabbage in with the kale for even more crunch.
Nut-free - To make a nut-free version of this Asian slaw, substitute sunflower seeds for the slivered almonds.
Protein-packed - Add edamame or marinated baked tempeh for a vegan protein option! If you don't follow a plant-based diet, you can add other proteins like hard-boiled eggs, chicken, salmon, or pork.
Potluck - If you're bringing this as a dish to pass for a large group, double it!
Sweet - Add some mandarin orange or clementine slices for a juicy and sweet pop of flavor.
Vinaigrette - You can swap apple cider vinegar for rice vinegar, or another sweetener for the maple syrup. Note, this recipe will no longer be vegan if you swap honey for maple syrup.

How to Make This Slaw Recipe

Shredded curly kale and sliced green onions in clear glass bowl

Step 1: Thoroughly wash and dry your kale, then chop it into bite-size pieces or use a kitchen shears to shred it. Then, slice your green onions (green and white parts), combine both into a bowl, and set aside.

Millet and brown rice ramen noodles, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds in black skillet, after being toasted, on cooling rack

Step 2: Use a butter knife handle to smash up the ramen noodles while they're still in their package. Next, heat a couple tablespoons of neutral or toasted sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed ramen and toast, stirring frequently. For rice-based noodles, you'll see that they change from darker-colored and dense to lighter-colored and puffy. This is your signal that they're cooked and safe to eat (not too hard on your teeth). When the noodles are close to being done, add in the almonds and sesame seeds, and toast until lightly browned and fragrant (~3 minutes). Remove the pan from heat while you make the dressing.

Sesame soy vinaigrette in mason jar with silver lid

Step 3: For the vinaigrette, combine toasted sesame oil, tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and juice from a fresh orange into a mason jar. Shake vigorously for several seconds to fully emulsify the dressing.

Toasted ramen, slivered almonds, and sesame seeds with kale and green onions in clear glass bowl

Step 4: Finally, add the slightly cooled, toasted ramen mixture to the kale and green onions, and toss to combine.

Step 5: Pour in the dressing and toss well to coat everything. Enjoy with your favorite protein or as a side dish to any meal!

A serving of healthy Asian slaw with ramen in dark gray bowl with fork, next to mustard-colored linen on light blue and white surface

Success Tips

Massage your kale. For flavorful, tender kale, you can use your fingertips to massage some of the dressing into the kale leaves until they just start to break down. This is my favorite way to eat kale in a salad!
Cook the ramen long enough. As someone who as broken a few teeth in her lifetime (eek!), I can't stress this tip enough! Make SURE the dried ramen is fully toasted. If you are using a rice-based noodle such as the kind from Lotus Foods, play close attention for the dried noodles starting to puff up slightly and become lighter in color. They will be much easier to chew and reduce the risk of hurting your teeth.

Coleslaw with Ramen FAQs

Can I swap apple cider vinegar for rice vinegar?

For sure! Use the same amount of apple cider vinegar as rice vinegar (two tablespoons).

What should I eat with this slaw?

This coleslaw recipe can go with any meal as a side salad, or pair it with your protein of choice! To keep it vegan or vegetarian, try tempeh (such as teriyaki tempeh) or edamame. Otherwise, pork, chicken, and salmon would be delicious!

How do you store leftover coleslaw with ramen?

Store this salad for up to five days in an airtight (preferably glass) container in the fridge. The noodles soak up the dressing and slightly softer...and it's SO good!
I don't recommend freezing this salad or the ingredients in it.

If you like this slaw, you might also like some of our other hearty salads!

Don't miss out on our other favorite grain-based salads! We adore this wild rice and pomegranate salad and this roasted beet and avocado salad.

Did you try this kale coleslaw with toasted ramen? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!

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