Sesame ramen noodle salad is a refreshing dish loaded with toppings and served with a flavorful sesame dressing. It’s light, satisfying, and perfect for warm-weather lunches or as a make-ahead side.
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What’s great about this recipe
- Great for summer – It’s a cool, refreshing dish that doesn’t require much cooking—perfect for warm days.
- Quick and easy – Uses instant ramen and a simple homemade dressing that comes together fast.
- Totally customizable – Let everyone build their own bowl with the toppings they like.
- Budget-friendly – Uses affordable pantry staples and fresh produce.
- Make-ahead friendly – Prep it in advance and keep everything chilled until ready to serve.
What you’ll need
🥑 Oil – This recipe uses avocado oil for its neutral flavor, which works well in dressings. You can substitute with another neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil. A light-tasting olive oil can also be used.
🫙 Seasoning – Low sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger powder, and a pinch of crushed red pepper create a flavorful balance of salty, sweet, tangy, and nutty. Use low sodium soy sauce to keep things from getting too salty, and adjust the sesame oil and red pepper to taste.
🍜 Noodles – Instant ramen noodles are the base of the salad. They’re quick to cook and easy to find—just discard the seasoning packets. Use any brand you like. You’ll also need a small jar or bowl to mix the dressing.
Topping Options
🍅 Produce – Cherry or grape tomatoes, corn, green onions, spinach, and mushrooms add color, freshness, and texture to the salad. Use fresh corn when in season, or go with frozen (thawed) or canned (drained and rinsed). Baby bella or white button mushrooms work well raw.
🫛 Specialty – Sesame seeds and crunchy noodles or chow mein noodles add great texture and a little extra flavor. Seaweed (nori) chips and roasted edamame bring a savory, umami boost. Look for them in the international section of larger grocery stores or purchase them online if they’re hard to find locally.
🥬 Other great toppings – Bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, cashews, peanuts, or crispy wonton strips all work well too—use what you like or have on hand.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make sesame ramen noodle salad
- Make the dressing: Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger powder, and crushed red pepper (if using) to a mason jar or bowl. Stir to combine, stream in the avocado oil while whisking. Refrigerate.
- Cook the ramen: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packets) and cook for 2–3 minutes, just until tender. Don’t overcook.
- Dress the warm noodles: Drain the noodles well and place them in a large bowl. While still hot, pour in 4 tablespoons of the sesame dressing and toss to coat.
- Chill and assemble: Let the noodles cool to room temp, then refrigerate for 20–30 minutes. When ready to serve, divide into 4 portions, then add toppings and extra dressing.
Substitutions and variations
- Use other types of ramen noodles. While instant ramen is the easiest option, you can substitute with about 9 ounces of fresh or dried ramen. Cook according to package directions, then rinse with cold water and drain well before using.
- Topping swaps. Try thinly sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, or cucumbers for extra crunch. Cashews, peanuts, or crispy wonton strips also make great additions.
- Add protein. For a more filling salad, top with grilled chicken, cooked salmon, canned tuna (in water, drained), tofu, or a soft-boiled egg.
Recipe tips and notes
- Shake or stir the dressing well before each use. It will naturally separate as it sits.
- Do not overcook the noodles. It's better to slightly undercook them—they’ll continue to soften from carryover heat while draining and dressing.
- Toss the noodles while hot. Adding some of the dressing while the noodles are still warm helps them absorb flavor.
- Serve toppings buffet-style. For a fun and casual summer dinner, set the toppings out separately so everyone can build their own bowl.
Meal prep and storing instructions
Store the noodles and toppings in separate containers to keep everything fresh and avoid sogginess, especially with ingredients like spinach, nori, and crunchy toppings.
Keep the dressing in a small container or jar in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 1 week. Shake well before each use, as the ingredients will naturally separate.
Crunchy toppings like chow mein noodles, roasted edamame, or wonton strips should be stored according to their package instructions and added just before serving to maintain their texture.
Don’t leave food out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
If you liked this noodle salad, here are a few more cold pasta and salad recipes to try. They’re all easy, make-ahead friendly, and great for warm-weather meals:
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📖 Recipe
Sesame Ramen Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Ramen and Dressing Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1½ - 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
- ¾ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- Pinch Crushed Red Pepper optional
- 6 tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 3 packages (3 ounces each) Instant Ramen Noodles seasoning packets discarded
Topping Options (pick and choose)
- 1 cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Corn Kernels cooked and cooled (fresh, frozen, or canned—drained and rinsed)
- ¼ cup Green Onions sliced thin
- 1 cup Fresh Spinach chopped or chiffonade
- 3 to 4 Seaweed Chips sliced into thin strips or crumbled
- 1 cup Mushrooms diced or thinly sliced (Baby Bella or White Button)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds for garnish
- ¼ cup Crunchy Noodles or Chow Mein Noodles
- ¼ cup Roasted Edamame
- Other options: Bean Sprouts rinsed and patted dry, cashews, peanuts, crispy wonton strips
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger powder, and crushed red pepper to a small jar (at least 8 ounces) or bowl. Stir well with a fork or small whisk to combine. Stream in the avocado oil while stirring briskly. Cover and refrigerate. Shake or stir well before each use.
Cook the ramen noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packets) and cook according to package directions, usually about 2–3 minutes, until just tender. Do not overcook.
Drain and dress
- Drain the noodles well and transfer them to a large bowl while still hot. Immediately add 4 tablespoons of the sesame dressing and toss to combine. The warm noodles will absorb the flavor.
Chill and build the salad
- Let the noodles cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to chill.
- When ready to serve, divide the noodles into 4 plates or containers (for meal prep). Use a fork to separate the noodles.
- Top with your desired ingredients—such as tomatoes, corn, spinach, green onions, nori, mushrooms, roasted edamame, sesame seeds, and other crunchy toppings.
- Drizzle with the sesame dressing or serve it on the side.
- Shake or stir the dressing well before each use.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the noodles. Best to slightly undercook them; they’ll continue cooking off-heat.
- Toss the noodles with dressing while hot to help absorb flavor.
- Serve toppings buffet-style for a fun, customizable meal.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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