Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (2024)

Created On: &nbsp| Modified by Nancylynn &nbsp| This post may contain affiliate links. &nbsp| 20 Comments&nbsp| Jump to Recipe &nbsp

Jump to Recipe

ThisCrunchyRamenNoodle Saladis a healthier remake of the classic potluck favorite! It’s made with a sweet and tangy dressing, a crunchy brown riceramennoodle topping, and tons of crisp veggies. Perfect as a side dish for your next bbq or add your favorite protein to make this a main meal.

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (1)

The first time I hadRamenNoodle Salad was at a brunch held at my father-in-laws house and omg – I fell in love at first bite and could not stop eating it. The sweet Asian dressing fresh cabbages, green onions, and a crunchy ramen topping, I was hooked.

And when a member of my online Facebook group asked me to create moreRamenNoodle recipes, I knew a healthier version of ramen noodle salad needed to happen.

Love ramen? Check out my Healthy Ramen Noodles and my Ramen Noodle Stir Fry Recipes!

Table of Contents

Why You Will Love this Easy Ramen Noodle Coleslaw Recipe

  • So Simple – yes, you can wash and chop your own green cabbage and red cabbage for this recipe, but you can also just open a bag of coleslaw mix and it will be just as delicious. I love keeping my prep work to a minimum!
  • Healthy + Fresh – ditch the ramen seasoning packet, sugar, and canola oil for a fresher, healthier Asian ramen salad recipe made with brown rice ramen noodles instead of the typical
  • Perfect salad for Meal Prep – cabbage holds up so well, making this a delicious meal prep recipe if stored properly. I like to hold off on dressing the salad and add the crispy ramen right before serving, so plan accordingly.
  • Great Side Dish or Make it a Meal – add some rotisserie chicken to make this a main dish, or serve it as a side with your favorite protein for dinner or your next family gathering. I love it with my Asian Chicken Thighs or my Honey Glazed Salmon.
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (2)

Ingredients

Dressing ingredients:

  • olive or avocado oil
  • sesame oil
  • rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • coconut aminosor sub low sodium soy sauce – you can also sub tamari. Note – soy sauce is not gluten free unless specifically marked that way
  • honey or maple syrup
  • salt
  • fresh ginger
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (3)

Salad ingredients:

  • 2 brown riceramennoodle blocks (uncooked ramen noodles), crumbled (should equal 1 cup or 200 calories) – I use this brand – they are gluten free and made with brown rice and millet!
  • 16 ounce coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage) – I like sing a mix of green and purple cabbage
  • sliced almonds
  • shelled frozen edamame beans, thawed
  • shredded matchstick carrots
  • scallions
  • mandarin oranges – canned or freshwork great

Substitutions + Additions

  • Easily add shredded chicken, shrimp, or salmon to make this a complete dinner. In fact, you can cook chicken in the oven with your ramen noodles at the same time! Just be sure to allow the chicken to fully get to 165 degrees before removing from the oven.
  • Swap almonds for sunflower seeds or add both for extra crunch. You could also top with some sesame seeds.
  • Instead of mandarin oranges, use fresh mango.
  • Swap some or all of the coleslaw mix for broccoli slaw or add in broccoli florets or red bell peppers for more veggies.

Step by Step Instructions

For full instructions, be sure to check out the full recipe card below.

  • Preheat to 425 degrees. Make the crunchy noodles. Place the crumbledramennoodles on a baking sheet lined withparchment. Spray lightly with avocado oil spray or olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool. (Tip – you can also toast your almond with theramenif you want!)
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (4)
  • Mix ingredients for dressing together and whisk well or shake it up in a small mason jar.
  • Toss coleslaw mix into a large bowl and add almonds, edamame, carrots, and scallions. Then gently fold in the mandarins.
  • Pour dressing over top of the salad and toss to combine. **If you are making this ahead of time, I would add the dressing close to the serving time…but it should keep in the fridge for a few days even after mixing.
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (5)
  • Top with toastedramennoodles before serving!
  • If you have extra blue, try it topped with some avocado! YUM! Have fun with it!
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (6)

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this ramen noodle salad in advance?

Yes! I like prepping everything for the salad – the dressing, the veggies, and the noodles, then storing them all separately until it’s time to serve the salad.
If I am prepping this for lunches, I would divide the cabbage mixture amongst containers, then divide dressing and noodle topping into separate containers.

Will the leftover salad be crunchy?

I actually don’t mind eating the salad as leftovers, but the a lot of the crunch will be gone due to the dressing. The cabbage and ramen noodles soak it all up. For me, I will keep the salad in the fridge for 1-2 days and enjoy the leftovers despite the texture change.
If you want to retain the crunch, be sure to add the dressing before serving.

What to serve with ramen noodle salad?

This yummy salad is perfect for your family potluck dinner, or as a side to many Confessions favorite dinners like my Sticky Air Fryer Salmon Bites, Asian Chicken Meatballs, or Instant Pot Asian Pork Tenderloin.

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (7)

So. Much. Yum. If you make this deliciousness, don’t forget to tag me or #confessionsofafitfoodie on social. I LOVE seeing your healthy creations!

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (8)

Check out some of these other crowd pleasing potluck salad ideas!

Easy Gluten-free Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Greek Pasta Salad

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (9)

Ramen Noodle Salad

Author: Nancylynn

This Ramen Noodle Salad is a healthy remake of the classic potluck favorite! It's made witha low sugar, oil based dressing, crispy brown rice ramen noodle topping, and tons of veggies.

Servings : 6 servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the dressing

  • 1/2 cup olive or avocado oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or sub apple cider vinegar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut aminos or sub low sodium soy sauce
  • Sprinkle salt
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger optional, but highly recommended

For the salad

  • 2 brown rice ramen noodle cakes crumbled (should equal 1 cup or 200 calories)
  • 16 ounce coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage)
  • 2/3 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup shelled frozen edamame thawed
  • 1 cup shredded matchstick carrots
  • 4 scallions thinly sliced
  • 1 cup canned mandarin orange segments rinsed and drained (or sub diced mandarins or mangos)

Instructions

  • Preheat to 425 degrees. Place the crumbled ramen noodles on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool. (Tip – you can also toast your almond with the ramen if you want!)

  • Mix ingredients for dressing together and whisk well or shake it up in a small mason jar.

  • Toss coleslaw mix into a large salad bowl and add almonds, edamame, carrots, and scallions. Then gently fold in the mandarins.

  • Pour dressing over top of the salad and toss to combine. **If you are making this ahead of time, I would add the dressing close to the serving time…but it should keep in the fridge for a few days even after mixing.

  • Top with toasted ramen noodles before serving!

  • If you have extra blue, try it topped with some avocado! YUM! Have fun with it!

Notes

6 servings = 1 1/2 cups per serving

21 Day Fix: 1 1/2 GREEN, 2/3 YELLOW, 1 ORANGE, 1/3 BLUE, 1/6 PURPLE, 1 sweetener TSP (per serving)

WW: Salad without dressing – 4 points (per serving); Dressing – 6 points (per serving) [Calculated using avocado oil]

8 servings = 1 cup per serving

21 Day Fix: 1 GREEN, 1/2 YELLOW, 2/3 ORANGE, 1/4 BLUE, trace PURPLE, 2/3 sweetener TSP (per serving)

WW: Salad without dressing – 3 points (per serving); Dressing – 6 points (per serving) [Calculated using avocado oil]

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 9gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.002gSodium: 695mgPotassium: 514mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 4138IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 3mg

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @confessionsofafitfoodie on Instagram and hashtag it #confessionsofafitfoodie!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stefanie says

    This looks delicious! If I omit edamame, how does that effect the container count? Removes the blue?

    Thanks,
    Stefanie

    Reply

    • Nancylynn says

      It is very yummy! Edamame is a yellow so omitting it it would reduce the yellow count by half!

      Reply

  2. Tracy says

    What size mason jars would you use to make this for work lunches?

    Reply

    • Nancylynn says

      The tall ones!

      Reply

  3. Kara C says

    I am not a fan of fruit in my salads–what do you suggest to substitute instead of the fruit but that won’t change the container counts?

    Reply

    • Nancylynn says

      I would just omit the fruit and omit the purple.

      Reply

  4. Sarah Bennett says

    Hey there! I am making this for the 1/6/20 weekly meal plan and was curious if it could be stored in mason jars for the week or not? And if so, what would you recommend for the layering? Obviously dressing on bottom and then probably chicken since the meal plan has chicken added to this recipe, but I wasn’t sure about the rest since the slaw needs to stay away from the liquidy stuff as much as possible! Thanks in advance for your help! Love your full weekly meal plans 🙂

    Reply

    • Nancylynn says

      I totally wanted to make a mason jar version of this, so I love your thinking here!
      I would layer (from the bottom)
      1. dressing
      2. carrots
      3. endamame
      3. chicken
      4. manderines
      4. slaw
      5. green onion
      7. almonds
      8. ramen noodles

      Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

      • Sarah Bennett says

        Awesome, thanks so much! I will totally let you know how it goes. Making it on Sunday for next week, so I’ll let you know at the end of the week how well it kept in the jars with that layering 🙂

        Reply

      • Sarah Bennett says

        The layering in the mason jars worked great! By the end of the week, the noodles weren’t quite as crunchy, but overall it was awesome and very yummy! Thanks so much!

        Reply

  5. Christie says

    I LOVE THIS SALAD! It is very tasty and even my pickiest eater enjoys it! I did have a quick question about the noodles: mine are extremely crunchy, almost to the point of “I may break my teeth!” instead of the beautiful “crisp” that yours look to be. Am I doing something incorrectly or are they supposed to be very crunchy?

    Reply

    • Nancylynn says

      Hi Christine! I am so happy you love the salad! But, yes – your noodles sound like they are getting too crispy. What brand are you using? Mine are crunchy, but definitely not easy to chew. In fact, my kids love crunching on them!

      Reply

  6. Heather says

    Oh my goodness! I just reread the post and realized you meant it is now a full ORANGE, as in container! So silly of me! But, I am still curious about the ginger. Sorry for my confusion!

    Reply

    • Nancylynn says

      Hi there! I am SO sorry for the confusion! But, yes – I LOVE using fresh ginger! You can sub dry, but it’s not the same :). Hope you love this one like we do!

      Reply

  7. Heather says

    Hi, Nancylynn!
    I have tried and loved many of your recipes. I am looking forward to bringing this to some picnics very soon. I had two quick questions about this recipe. In your commentary, you noted that after talking to your mom, you added more dressing and that now it requires a full orange, but I did not see an orange on the list of ingredients for the dressing? I want to be sure to get it right. Also, the grated ginger that you called for, is that freshly grated ginger or the dried ‘spice’ version?
    Thanks so much for all of your wonderful kitchen inspiration!

    Reply

  8. Elaine says

    where do you find the brown rice ramen noodles

    Reply

    • Nancylynn says

      I linked to one that I get on Amazon, but I have also seen them in the gluten free section of my grocery store!

      Reply

  9. Stephanie says

    Absolutely love your recipes! I have been making them almost every day for the past two weeks and every recipe is a hit! For this recipe I could only find brown rice stir-fry noodles. Would I boil them in water first, and then bake them on a baking sheet?

    Reply

    • Nancylynn says

      That’s awesome, Stephanie!!!! Hmm…I wonder if they would just crisp up without boiling them? I might try that first!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - Gluten Free (2024)

FAQs

Is there a gluten-free version of ramen noodles? ›

Traditional ramen noodles are not gluten-free, but you can find gluten-free alternatives made from rice, potato, millet, or other gluten-free flours online—you may even be able to find them at your local grocery store in the global or international food aisle. Be sure to buy ramen noodles labeled gluten-free.

Can you eat ramen noodles raw in a salad? ›

Yes! It's the whole point. The uncooked, broken pieces of ramen add a big crunch to the salad! The sooner you eat/serve it, the crunchier it is.

Is the seasoning packet in maruchan ramen gluten free? ›

Maruchan Consumer Affairs

For the soup or sauce packets included with some of the products, dehydrated soy sauce (which contains wheat) and or hydrolyzed wheat protein is among the ingredients in the soup/sauce flavoring powder so gluten is present in the soup/sauce as well.

How to crisp ramen noodles? ›

Heat Oil in a frying pan over medium heat, non-stick pan preferred, spread the firmly cooked Noodles, cook until nicely golden, turn over, and cook the other side as well until nicely golden and crispy. You can turn over a few times. Drain the Oil and transfer to a serving plate.

Are Doritos gluten-free? ›

The final verdict: Are Doritos safe to eat if you're gluten-free? Most Doritos flavors aren't gluten-free; the only one that does earn the gluten-free label is the Simply White Organic Cheddar Doritos.

Which noodles are naturally gluten-free? ›

There's no shortage of noodle options that are traditionally gluten-free, like soba (made of buckwheat) and mung bean or rice noodles. But if you're looking for a ramen dupe, try Lotus Foods, which offers a colorful array of noodles made from rice and millet.

Can I crack a raw egg into ramen? ›

If you want to add a poached egg to Ramen, start by boiling your Ramen in 2 cups of water for 90 seconds. Then, stir in your seasonings and crack a raw egg into the pot of water. Place a lid on the pot, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 2 minutes to cook the egg and finish the noodles.

Can you put lettuce in instant ramen? ›

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.

How many calories are in ramen noodle salad? ›

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
450Calories
31gFat
35gCarbs
10gProtein
May 16, 2023

Are any instant noodles gluten-free? ›

itsu Instant Rice Noodles Multipack Cup (Pack of 12) | Gluten-Free | Satay Flavour & Katsu Flavour.

Does pho have gluten? ›

While the rice noodles and meat in pho are naturally gluten-free, the soup can come into contact with gluten during its preparation. For example, if the soup is cooked in a pot that was previously used to make a wheat-based soup, traces of gluten can be left behind and transferred to the pho.

Is quinoa gluten-free? ›

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is gluten-free and is a great alternative to gluten-containing grains. It is a nutritionally dense whole grain that gives a higher amount of antioxidants than other common grains eaten on the gluten-free diet. It's also one of the few plant foods that is considered a complete protein.

How to add crunch to ramen? ›

Add bean sprouts for an extra crunch.

These are perfect for people who need a little bit more texture in their soups. Bean sprouts are the perfect addition of texture and are packed with micronutrients like magnesium!

How to make ramen crisps? ›

Heat 1-inch of oil in a deep pot (to prevent spills) to 340°F (170°C) and fry the ramen in batches until crisp. Drain on a paper-towel-lined rack and cool completely before serving.

What are the crunchy Chinese noodles called? ›

Mein gon (面干 miàn-gān), informally referred to as crunchy noodles or crunchy chow mein, are a type of noodle-shaped cracker (or dried biscuit) used in American Chinese cuisine.

What is a good substitute for ramen noodles? ›

A ramen noodles alternative such as zucchini noodles or shirataki can mimic the texture and provide a similar experience while being more nourishing. The interaction of these ingredients with our taste buds, olfactory system, and brain chemistry forms a complex response that drives cravings.

Are skinny ramen noodles gluten-free? ›

Unlike regular pasta, Skinny Shirataki Noodles and Shirataki Rice are made from a root vegetable native to Asia called konjac or konnyaku. This fibrous root is gluten free, low carb, and low calorie.

Is Lo Mein gluten-free? ›

Avoid: soy sauce (unless labeled gluten-free), oyster sauce, hoisin sauce; dumplings, egg roll or wonton wrappers (made of wheat flour); chow mein, lo mein, or other noodles made of wheat.

Are pho noodles gluten-free? ›

While the rice noodles and meat in pho are naturally gluten-free, the soup can come into contact with gluten during its preparation. For example, if the soup is cooked in a pot that was previously used to make a wheat-based soup, traces of gluten can be left behind and transferred to the pho.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Ms. Lucile Johns

Last Updated:

Views: 6822

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ms. Lucile Johns

Birthday: 1999-11-16

Address: Suite 237 56046 Walsh Coves, West Enid, VT 46557

Phone: +59115435987187

Job: Education Supervisor

Hobby: Genealogy, Stone skipping, Skydiving, Nordic skating, Couponing, Coloring, Gardening

Introduction: My name is Ms. Lucile Johns, I am a successful, friendly, friendly, homely, adventurous, handsome, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.