May 19, 2015

The first time I had Ramen Noodle Slaw with Napa Cabbage was at a block party in the mid 1990’s. It became the rage and variations of the recipe abound. I still have the hand written recipe from Linda Weeks, a neighbor on our street. I have several other variations in a church cookbook and have compared recipes through web searches. I’m not a huge fan of ramen noodles, especially the soup version with the packet of seasoning. But, when the noodles are sauteed in butter with sliced almonds and sesame seeds, they become a delightfully salty, crunchy addition to a salad or slaw.

Ramen Noodle Slaw with Napa Cabbage

My good friend Jane has been making her version of this salad for a long time. It’s her go-to for pot lucks, graduation parties and more. I asked her for her recipe and found that it is most similar to Linda’s original recipe. The dressing is quite sweet but has a good tangy flavor. Jane told me that one of her secrets is using peanut oil for the dressing. I have always used olive oil or canola oil, but will showcase her peanut oil in this recipe.

This is a recipe that you can prepare most of several days before you plan to serve it. The ramen noodle/nut crunch topping can be kept in the freezer or refrigerator for at least a week – and the dressing will be fine in the refrigerator for that long as well. Be sure to wash the cabbage and remove as much water as possible. I typically use a salad spinner for best results. The napa cabbage can be torn or shredded as you like up to 24 hours or so before serving it. It will begin to “rust” around the edges after much longer than that. Jane pulls what she calls the stalk of each leaf out so that the cabbage is torn and more like lettuce. I leave a little more of the stalk on and slice or shred the pieces. The outside leaves have the thickest stalks. This is a personal preference. Green onions are an option to add to the cabbage. Please be sure the dressing and ramen noodle nut mixture are at room temperature when you serve and toss the salad.

I find that the best way to chop the ramen noodles is by pounding the sealed package with a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin. Be careful not to pop the bag, or the noodles will come flying out. The more you tap on the package, the smaller the pieces of noodles will be. You can also place the small bag into a larger zip lock bag to ensure the noodles don’t fly out.

This salad will be a great and easy addition to a college graduation dinner party this weekend. As long as the weather cooperates, it will be a grand occasion for Robbie!

Ramen Noodle Slaw

Serves 15 as a side salad easily.

Preparation time approximately 1 hour.

Ingredients

1 stick butter or margarine
2 packages of ramen noodles (without flavoring packet) chopped fine

1/3 cup sesame seeds (one jar purchased from seasoning aisle at the grocery store)

3/4 cup sliced almonds

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1 to 2 large heads napa cabbage, cleaned and sliced thinly (thick ribs removed)
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin (optional)
1 cup sugar

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3/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs. soy sauce

Instructions

Melt butter or margarine in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add ramen noodles, almonds and sesame seeds. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly until the mixture is golden brown. Cool and transfer to a sealed container.

Wash and slice or tear napa cabbage. Be sure to remove excess water so that the salad is not watery. It can be placed into a zip lock bag and refrigerated ahead of time.

Place sugar, oil vinegar and soy sauce into a jar that can be well sealed. Shake vigorously until sugar is incorporated. I find that heating up the oil in the microwave will help dissolve the sugar best. Just be sure to avoid shaking the dressing up if oil is too warm, it will expand in the jar!

In a large bowl, toss napa cabbage, toasted ramen noodlel mixture with a healthy amount of dressing. Make sure you mix it well so the flavor and crunchy mixture clings to the cabbage.

Notes