A colourful, no-cook salad made with crunchy ramen noodles, shredded rooster, napa cabbage, broccoli slaw, recent herbs, and roasted peanuts. The whole lot will get tossed in a toasted crimson curry peanut dressing with the right steadiness of savory, candy, spicy, and umami taste. Simply combine, toss, and revel in. Nothing fancy. Excellent for lunches, dinners, or simple entertaining. You’ll wish to make this one on repeat!

I’ve shared just a little about my Aunt Katie earlier than. I didn’t get sufficient time along with her, however each reminiscence I’ve is a contented one. Normally round a summer time campfire, on the ski hill, or tucked away at our household’s cabin in Western New York for New Yr’s. There was at all times a roaring hearth, cinnamon rolls each morning, tamales for dinner on New Yr’s Eve, and my mother’s cookie pie for dessert.

Not sufficient reminiscences, however I’ve realized that the majority of my favourite ones centered round meals.

In the summertime, our households have been collectively on a regular basis. We’d have yard BBQs at our home overlooking Lake Erie, with the fireplace pit going and easy summer time meals on the grill. If we weren’t at our home, we have been at Clifton Seaside. Trying again now, these are a few of my most treasured reminiscences. We ate so many burgers, grilled rooster, this peanut salad, and naturally, my mother’s Particular Ok Bars (if you recognize, you recognize).

For years, each of my cousins, Maggie and Abby, have requested me to recreate this salad. I by no means knew precisely how Aunt Katie made it, however they each assured me it was the only salad. A fast peanut dressing, raw ramen noodles, plenty of shredded greens, handfuls of peanuts, and no matter fruit she occurred to have available. I believe it was just a little completely different each time she made it.

I did my perfect to recreate that simple, toss-and-go salad. It type of kills me that we’re not toasting the ramen noodles first, however truthfully, they don’t want it. The salad is recent, crunchy, and comes collectively in minutes simply as it’s.

That mentioned, if you wish to take it up a notch, right here’s my little secret. Toast the crushed ramen noodles in a skillet with sesame oil and butter till they’re golden and aromatic. It’s an additional step—and positively not vital—but it surely provides much more taste and crunch. Take it or depart it. You do you.

Both method, I hope this salad turns into a type of recipes that finds its method into your individual reminiscences, identical to it has in mine.

These are the small print

Ingriedients

For the Dressing

• creamy peanut butter
• rice vinegar
• tamari or soy sauce
• toasted sesame oil
• olive oil
• honey or maple syrup
• Thai crimson curry paste (or sambal oelek)

For the Salad

• napa cabbage
• broccoli slaw
• ramen noodles
• cooked shredded rooster
• inexperienced onions
• recent cilantro
• recent basil roasted
• salted peanuts
• sesame seeds salt

The Steps

Step 1: Make the Dressing

That is as simple because it will get. Add every part to a blender. I like utilizing the Beast Blender I’m at all times sharing, however any blender will work.

You’ll want peanut butter, rice vinegar, tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos), sesame oil, olive oil, honey, and Thai crimson curry paste. Mix till clean and creamy, including a splash of water till the dressing is pourable.

Style and modify with just a little salt if wanted. I normally don’t add any.

Entertaining Tip: I like making the dressing a day or two forward. It saves time, and the flavors solely get higher. I virtually at all times make a double batch as a result of it’s so good drizzled over grilled rooster, salmon, and even roasted greens all through the week.

Wish to swap it up? Add a clove of garlic, just a little recent ginger, a spicy jalapeño, and even some mango for a contact of sweetness.

Step 2: Toss The whole lot Collectively

In your largest salad bowl, mix the cabbage, broccoli slaw, crushed ramen noodles, shredded rooster, inexperienced onions, cilantro, basil, peanuts, and sesame seeds.

Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss very well. Add extra dressing till every part is coated simply the best way you prefer it.

If you happen to’re making the salad forward of time, wait so as to add the ramen noodles till simply earlier than serving in order that they keep good and crunchy.

Taste Tip: My Aunt Katie at all times appeared to throw in no matter fruit she had available. I like including chopped mango or mandarin oranges after they’re in season for the very best little pop of sweetness. She used blueberries quite a bit too, and so they’re scrumptious right here.

Step 3: End and Serve

High the salad with one other handful of herbs (cilantro was at all times her go-to), a sprinkle of sesame seeds, additional peanuts, and edible flowers you probably have them.

I’ll be trustworthy—it type of kills me that we’re not toasting the ramen noodles first. However after making this salad so many instances, I actually don’t suppose it’s vital. It’s recent, crunchy, and so good simply as it’s.

If you wish to take it up a notch, toast the crushed ramen noodles in a skillet with sesame oil and butter till they’re calmly golden. Sprinkle in just a little garlic powder simply earlier than taking them out of the skillet, then allow them to cool fully earlier than tossing them into the salad. It’s an additional step, but it surely provides much more taste and crunch.

Serving

That is one among my favourite salads to place out at a summer time BBQ or serve for a straightforward dinner. It goes with burgers, grilled rooster, steak, or actually something coming off the grill. And if there are leftovers, they’re fairly nice for lunch the subsequent day too.

If I’m making this for dinner, I virtually at all times prepare dinner and shred my very own rooster as an alternative of utilizing rotisserie. Then I toss the nice and cozy rooster into the salad simply earlier than serving. I truly choose it this manner. The nice and cozy rooster barely softens the greens, the dressing coats every part superbly, and the salad doesn’t really feel fairly so chilly. It’s recent, crunchy, just a bit heat, and my favourite technique to get pleasure from it.

This publish was initially revealed on July 27, 2026