Oriental Coleslaw Recipe

Want to add some Asian flair to your American lunch or dinner? Look no further than this Oriental coleslaw.

This coleslaw offers more than carrots and cabbage in a mayo dressing. It’s colorful, crunchy, and full of umami. Believe me, this slaw is like no other.

Besides the usual ingredients, it’s also loaded with crushed-up instant ramen noodles. You got that right- ramen noodles.

What a fun way to add crunch to your average side dish! 

And you use the ramen’s seasoning packets to flavor the simple vinaigrette dressing.

This Oriental coleslaw is a delectable dish with an Asian twist! 

Oriental Coleslaw

Oriental coleslaw is a surefire dinner win. This is the perfect compliment to an Asian meal. But it also works as a light side for a heavy entree. 

This salad is bursting with varying levels of crunch. It has chopped-up cabbage, carrots, slivered almonds, and crushed-up ramen noodles. 

Talk about texture! 

The salad mix-ins are great, but the dressing doesn’t disappoint either. It’s only a blend of oil, vinegar, sugar, and ramen seasonings. 

But boy, the dressing is divine. 

You’ll also appreciate how quick and easy this salad is to make. 

Unlike other coleslaws that require chilling, this is best served immediately. It’s a perfect last-minute dish to whip up any day!

Ingredients 

This salad is super easy to make. And the ingredients are accessible and affordable as well. What’s not to love?

• Coleslaw Mix- You can cut up the vegetables yourself, but a bag of slaw mix is better.
  • You can also mix and match varieties- like cabbage and carrots with Brussels sprouts. Or broccoli and cauliflower. 
  • The more colorful, the better!
• Green Onions- For a lovely fresh and peppery flavor. 
• Slivered Almonds- This recipe uses raw, slivered almonds. But I like to toast raw almonds in the oven for a lovely nutty flavor. 
• Beef-Flavored Ramen Noodles- I enjoy using beef here, but chicken, pork, and seafood work just as fine. Choose your favorite ramen.
• Vinegar, Sugar, Ramen Seasonings, and Oil- This simple mix creates your dressing. It blends sweet and tart flavors that tie the salad mix-ins well.
  • Use either red or apple cider vinegar for a light and sweet flavor. 
  • I also like to use brown sugar instead of granulated for a deeper flavor.
  • Extra virgin olive oil is best, but I also like sesame oil for that signature Asian flavor.

Tips for Making Your Slaw

• No need to chop up cabbage and carrots! Just get a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix for convenience.
• Raid the fridge for other vegetables you can throw into the mix. Edamame, turnips, radishes, snow peas, cucumber, broccoli stems- anything goes! As long as it’s crunchy, it’ll work.
• For a bit of sweetness, add in some mandarin oranges.
• Add grilled chicken or pork to the salad to make it more filling.
• Toast the ramen noodles and almond slivers at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-7 minutes. This heightens their flavors.
• Add red wine and soy sauce to the dressing for a more intense flavor.
• Want ultra-crunchy ramen noodles? Add them just before you serve the salad.
• Store the salad components (dressing, slaw, ramen noodles, almonds) in different containers. That way, the salad will still be crunchy after days.