Zesty Jalapeno Top Ramen Salad

Zesty Jalapeno Top Ramen Salad offers a southern twist on a classic Top Ramen Salad with jalapenos, chipotle chile pepper, and pepitas. 

Top Ramen Salad is one of those quirky salads that’s oddly satisfying. Shredded coleslaw, uncooked ramen noodles, sliced green onion and slivered almonds dressed with a simple vinaigrette makes one delicious – albeit quirky – salad.

Who was this person who thought to add uncooked ramen noodles to a salad? It’s a seemingly random addition, but it works beautifully. Rather than feeling like chomping on raw spaghetti, the ramen noodles soften as they absorb the vinaigrette but avoid becoming unpleasantly mushy. 

Many Top Ramen Salad recipes call for a simple homemade dressing of oil, vinegar, and sugar, and oftentimes soy sauce. I decided to take a few liberties and take it a zestier route. I stayed true to the basic ingredients but spiced it up with fresh jalapeno and chipotle chile pepper. 

While slivered almonds are often the nut of choice in Top Ramen Salad, I swapped them out for pepitas (affiliate link, these Sincerely Nuts pepitas are bomb). With just a couple of tweaks, you too can have your own unique spin with this Zesty Jalapeno Top Ramen Salad. 

If you like Zesty Jalapeno Top Ramen Salad, you’ll most definitely like: 

Corny Quinoa Salad

Kohlrabi Slaw with Lemon Vinaigrette

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw Dressing

Zesty Jalapeno Top Ramen Salad

Zesty Jalapeno Top Ramen Salad offers a southern twist on the classic salad with jalapenos, chipotle chile pepper, and pepitas.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Ingredients

  

• 1 package pre-shredded coleslaw mix
• 2 packages ramen noodles*
• 1 cup pepitas **toasted or untoasted
• 1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced

Zesty Jalapeno Vinaigrette

• 2-3 jalapenos, diced, seeds removed
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chile pepper
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

 

• Add 2-3 diced jalapenos, 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper to a food processor and process for 30 - 40 seconds.
• Put both packages of ramen noodles into a gallon size bag and remove as much air as you can. Use a rolling pin to crush the noodles into smaller pieces.
• Dump the crushed ramen, coleslaw mix, pepitas, and sliced green onion into a large bowl.
• Pour all of the dressing over the coleslaw mix and stir until combined.
• Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. This allows enough time for the ramen noodles to soften but still retain some crunch.
• Add a few dashes of salt and pepper right before serving, to taste. This salad is best eaten within 24 hours.

Notes

*The flavor of the Ramen doesn’t matter, as this recipe doesn’t call for the use of the seasoning packets. If you’d like you can certainly add a seasoning packet to the dressing. I’ve made it with just one packet and without and both versions were good, IMHO. 

**Add pepitas to a pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. You just want to gently heat them. Let cool before adding to the Zesty Jalapeno Top Ramen Salad. 

Keyword jalapeno vinaigrette, pasta salad, top ramen salad