The best way to upgrade your
summer salad game? Add ramen noodles, of course. We always love adding a crunchy element to our salad recipes to create a more interesting texture with our other mix-ins. Nuts, croutons, or toasted tortilla strips are the obvious choices, but toasting ramen noodles creates a crunchy mix-in truly like no other. Whether you make it as an easy addition to your summer picnic or for a quick lunch, this ramen noodle salad will change your salad game forever.
How to make the ramen noodles:
To get your noodles to the perfect crunchy texture, we’re toasting them (along with our almonds!) at 400º for around 6-8 minutes. The goal is to cook them until they’re golden and toasty—once they’ve reached the optimal color and texture, you’re ready to add them to your salad.
Note: No need to save the seasoning packets that come with your noodles! Go ahead and toss ‘em.
The dressing:
We create our dressing from a mixture of olive oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and honey, seasoned with salt and pepper. We think this simple dressing ties everything together perfectly, but feel free to get creative with it! Add some minced ginger or garlic, hoisin sauce, or even a touch of sriracha for some heat.
Variations:
Like most salad recipes, you can really get creative with your mix-ins! Switch up the almonds for your favorite nut variety, add in some shredded chicken for a protein boost, or switch up the mandarin oranges for pineapple. The world is your oyster!
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!