Crushed Ramen Noodles Give The Crunch Your Coleslaw Has Been Waiting For

If you've never had ramen noodles in your salad, it might be time to start rethinking how you've been utilizing this convenience food for that purpose. This inexpensive brick of noodles is not only a college staple, but it can add a crunchy element to just about any salad, including coleslaw. Shredded cabbage and carrots mixed with chopped spring onions tossed in a dressing of mayo or a tangy vinaigrette is delicious to eat alongside fried chicken or nestled on top of pulled pork. Still, when you add in some crushed ramen, it becomes a unique meal all by itself.

Instant ramen noodles — made from flour, salt, water, and an alkaline water known as kansui – are steamed, air-dried, and fried before they are packaged. They are tasty and can be made in just a few minutes when you want something fast to make and satisfying to eat. But all of these qualities also make their uncooked version a perfect salad topping that adds texture and a salty flavor to coleslaw. Once you add them to this dish, you will discover they have a place in your salad topping repertoire right beside those nuts, croutons, and fried onions.

While crushing up these instant noodles requires little work, there are ways you can really take this add-in up a notch — you can toast them on the stovetop in a skillet with a little butter or on a sheet pan in the oven. This will give them a sweet, nutty flavor that adds another dimension to your coleslaw. Ramen noodles toast quickly, so be mindful and don't walk away to multi-task, or you might end up with charred noodles. If it's uncooked ramen you add to your coleslaw, you want to do it right before you serve it — if you don't, your noodles will start to lose their crispness after about 30 minutes as they begin to absorb the dressing.

You can also use the seasoning packet that comes with pre-packaged ramen to punch up the flavor of your basic vinaigrette. These little metallic packets generally contain onion, garlic, scallions, chives, and cilantro — all of which can help create a yummy dressing with an umami flavor. Just add the salty mix to some cider vinegar, olive oil, and soy sauce and whisk well before drizzling over your coleslaw veggies. The end taste will be tangy, spicy, and a delicious complement to your crispy salad topping. If you use crushed ramen in your coleslaw, consider adding some sweet mandarin oranges to add sweetness to your coleslaw.