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This bright and flavorful Cold Ramen Salad with Sesame, goma dressing is a rich and creamy salad, packed with fresh veggies. It is quick and easy and so full of flavor and texture, not to mention gluten-free, dairy free and vegan, making it perfect for anyone following these dietary requirements. And those who aren't won't be able to tell!
What you will need
This cold ramen salad packs in lots of fresh veggies. I get as many of mine as I can from my favorite local growers at Raven Ridge Farms. If you have a favorite local grower, or CSA, I would highly recommend buying your veggies with them!
- Rice Ramen Noodles- These are how we keep it vegan and gluten-free. I buy mine at Costco and they are an Organic Brown Rice and Millet Noodle by Lotus Foods, but you can also buy them on Amazon HERE. They are perfect for this salad.
- Bell Peppers- I use red just because they add a pretty splash of color, but you could use the baby bell peppers and use 1 orange, 1 yellow and 1 red! Now that would be REALLY pretty!
- Cucumber- I prefer the English cucumbers, but really any cucumber will work. They add a nice freshness.
- Carrots- You will need just a couple of baby carrots. You will shred them up. You can use big carrots too. Either one is great.
- Green onions- Fresh green onions. We will use both the green and white parts.
- Cilantro- We will use fresh cilantro as a garnish on top. If you don't care for cilantro, feel free to use a little more of the greens from the green onions instead.
- Peanuts- These will be chopped up and used as a garnish. If you have peanut allergies in your group, feel free to substitute chopped almonds, cashews or sesame seeds.
What you will need for the Sesame Dressing
- Mayonnaise- Use Avocado Mayo to keep it vegan, otherwise any mayo will work.
- Toasted Sesame Oil- This is what adds that delicious sesame flavor.
- Coconut Aminos- These add a salty sweetness. You can also use Tamari, most Tamari is gluten-free, but not all, so just make sure it does not contain any wheat if you are trying to keep it gluten-free.
- Tahini- This is basically a creamy sesame butter. It adds thick creaminess and a teeny bit of bitterness that balances all the flavors.
- Rice Vinegar- I love the vinegary tang that this adds. When you first taste the dressing it may seem a little too tangy, but when you toss it with the noodles and veggies, it will be just right.
How to put it all together
This salad is so easy and a great make ahead meal. The most important thing to remember is that when you boil your noodles, pull them out of the hot water right at 3 minutes, (or whenever the directions on your noodles tell you to).
Once you have drained them, put the noodles directly into a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking any more. If they cook too long, they will be mushy and not al dente like we want.
Once the noodles have cooled, and we have cold ramen, drain the water and place the noodles in the fridge to chill while you prep the veggies. Once you have the veggies sliced and diced and shredded, you can place them all (except for the cilantro) on top of the noodles in the fridge (don't toss yet!) and cover with plastic wrap while you make the dressing.
To make the dressing, place all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk them all together until it is smooth and creamy. It is that easy!!
When you are ready to serve, drizzle the dressing on top, toss it all together, and then sprinkle the chopped cilantro and peanuts over the top and serve!
When to make this Cold Ramen Salad
If you are one who likes to meal prep as much as possible, this is a great salad option to accomplish this!
Simply prep the veggies, cook the noodles, and make the dressing. Store the noodles with the veggies on top in a bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and the dressing in a mason jar, or container. These can chill in the fridge for up to a couple of days. (Any longer than that, the cucumbers may get a little soft). When you are ready to serve, just pour on the dressing, toss it all together and garnish for a super easy and quick dinner or lunch!
This salad is SO great to bring to an occasion where you are asked to bring a side, or a salad! In this case, make the dressing in a large bowl, then place the noodles and veggies on top of the dressing (don't toss) and then cover it all with saran wrap, or a lid if you have a bowl with a lid, like this one! Then when you get to the party, unwrap, toss it all together and garnish. SO easy!
Another option is to have the noodles and veggies in the bowl, and the dressing in a separate mason jar, or snap lock container. When it is time to serve, just pour the dressing over the veggies and noodles, toss and garnish. Either way works well!
This salad would be a delicious side to accompany this Rockfish with Yuzu Butter Sauce, or these yummy Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps!
Additional Options
If you would like to make this salad go a little farther, or add a little more roughage to it, just add one cup of shredded cabbage, or coleslaw mix right before you add the dressing. You should still have plenty of dressing, but if you want to be safe you can double the dressing recipe, or just drizzle it all with a little extra sesame oil. Personally, I would double the dressing recipe because it is just SO good, and if you end up with extra, it can be used on so many other things.
To make it a filling, protein rich meal on its own, just add grilled tofu, or if you don't mind it not being vegan, add chicken breast, or shrimp.
If you have left over dressing, it is delicious on avocados, a dip for this Steamed Artichoke, or these Veggie wraps, so many things!
More Delicious Recipes
- Thai Fresh Rolls with Peanut Sauce- These are so beautiful and so delicious!
- Poke Nachos- If you like sushi, you will love these!
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Gochujang Glaze and Yuzu Aioli- The absolute best brussel sprouts recipe, IMHO!
- Crispy Salmon Cakes with Basil Lime Sauce- Keep the recipe handy if you make these, because your guests will be asking for it!
- Rockfish with Yuzu Butter Sauce- Light, fresh and simple!
I hope you love this vegan and gluten-free Cold Ramen Salad with Sesame Sauce! I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Thank you and thank you for visiting Mollie in Montana~*! โฅ๏ธ
๐ Recipe
Cold Ramen Salad with Sesame Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil the ramen according to the directions on the package.
- As soon as the Ramen is done, drain it and rinse it in cold water or an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Drain the noodles and place them in a bowl and place in the fridge to chill until you are ready to put the salad together.
- When you are ready to serve the salad, add the veggies and pour the dressing over the top.
- Toss it all together.
- To garnish, Sprinkle the top with chopped peanuts and cilantro.
- Serve and Enjoy!
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl and whisk everything together until it is smooth and creamy. Easy!
Notes
Recipe Notes
- You may substitute Regular Mayo (or any kind!) in the dressing if you don't mind it not being Vegan.
- If you would like to make the salad go a little farther, or include a little more roughage, add 1 cup of shredded cabbage, or coleslaw mix. If you do this, you may want to an extra teaspoon of sesame oil.ย
- This may seem like a lot of dressing, but the noodles will soak it all up. For this reason, add the dressing right before you serve, as you normally would with a salad.
- If you like a little spice, add a tablespoon or so of Sriracha to the dressing. Just make sure you know the spice tolerance of your guests! Otherwise, you can serve Sriracha on the side if guests would like to add their own.ย
- Feel free to use red, yellow, or orange Bell Peppers! Or, if you want a really colorful salad, add half of a baby bell pepper in each color!
- Enjoy!ย
Abby says
Yum!