This easy Asian noodle salad recipe is ramen noodles and colorful veggies all tossed in a sesame hoisin dressing. The perfect side dish for any summer celebration!
I could eat a salad every day all summer long, some of my favorites include pesto pasta salad and chickpea avocado salad. This easy noodle salad is full of fresh flavors and is always a crowd pleaser.
I am all about the salads this summer, and the more colorful, the better! This Asian noodle salad is chock full of a variety of rainbow vegetables which are combined with ramen noodles and coated in the most amazing hoisin dressing for the ultimate salad. Best of all, this salad is ready in just 20 minutes! It’s always the first to disappear at potlucks and makes a great side dish for barbecues and other summer events – perfect for this upcoming 4th of July weekend!
How do you make Asian noodle salad?
This Asian noodle salad recipe starts with the vegetables – I use purple cabbage, carrots, red and yellow bell peppers and edamame. The ramen noodles are the little packets of noodles that you find at the grocery store in the soup area. While the noodles cook, I chop the veggies and put together a quick yet super flavorful sesame hoisin dressing. I use Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce for this salad dressing. It adds an amazingly complex flavor and is made from spices, soybeans and sweet potatoes. Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce is not only great for salad dressing, but you can use it for marinades, stir fries, and as a condiment for dipping.
Lee Kum Kee makes a variety of Asian sauces and condiments, with over 200 to choose from! I love that their sauces use premium non-GMO ingredients and they even include some gluten free options to accommodate those with dietary restrictions. Lee Kum Kee was established in China in 1888 and has a long history of promoting Chinese culinary culture, both in the United States and around the world. With Lee Kum Kee sauces, it’s so easy to enjoy authentic Asian flavors at home that taste like they came from a restaurant!
The dressing takes about 3 minutes to make, and along with the hoisin sauce, it’s flavored with sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar and soy sauce. After the noodles and veggies are tossed with the dressing, they’re topped with fresh herbs and chopped peanuts for a little crunch.
I love that this Asian noodle salad is packed full of flavor, yet can be put together in no time and is always the hit of any party. You can’t go wrong with this salad and your guests will most definitely be asking for the recipe!
This post is sponsored by Lee Kum Kee. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible!
More great salad recipes
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Cherry Tomato Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Watermelon Salad
Asian Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 4 3-ounce packages dried ramen noodles (seasoning packs discarded)
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper finely diced
- 1 cup edamame
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions.
- While ramen noodles are cooking, in a small bowl whisk together the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, ginger and salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.
- Cool noodles to room temperature and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrot, bell peppers, edamame, green onions and cilantro to the bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the noodle mixture and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and peanuts and serve.
Can you make this a day ahead of time?
You can prepare all components ahead of time but I’d wait to assemble it all until an hour or two ahead of time, otherwise the noodles will absorb all the dressing.
This was amazing! I cut recipe in half for my husband and I and served with Asian grilled chicken thighs. I will definitely be making this again!
I made this much easier on myself by using pre-packaged coleslaw mix that has red cabbage and carrots in it. I also added 1/2 tsp. white sugar to white vinegar, since I didn’t have rice wine vinegar on hand, and cashews instead of peanuts. We thought it was very good. I would make the dressing again and again. Great stuff.
This is my all time favorite salad! And the hoisin sauce was perfection!
Brought this to a potluck last weekend and everyone LOVED it.
This is a must for summer get togethers, so easy and so good!
This is one of my favorites! Such great flavor – I could eat the whole bowl! 🙂
This dish is so colorful and delicious – we loved it!
Sounds good but I am not a ramen noodle fan. Wonder what would be a good substitute
You can use soba noodles, chow mein noodles, rice noodles, or any other thinner Asian style noodle.
I just threw this together for lunch with my kiddos and it is so yummy! I added some chopped chicken breast to complete the meal and my kids and I loved it! I will definitely be making this again! Thanks!
Potluck favorite! Always a crowd pleaser
This looks amazing! My friends would just love this yummy salad !
I’m definitely making this for a 2nd of July party we are headed to. Love this Hosin sauce!