4.61 from 28 reviews

Cold Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing

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white bowl filled with an asian salad with ramen noodles, chopped veggies, and peanuts

My Cold Noodle Salad is all I can think about these days!

Well, this salad and my avocado corn salad which is a summer must-make!

As the heat of summer quickly takes over we all need recipes that are fast, easy and require minimal cooking time in the kitchen.

This beat-the-heat cold summer salad is filled with fresh bell peppers, green onions, carrots and red cabbage. 

For a punch of protein and added crunch, I toss in peanuts and sesame seeds, but my favorite flavors are in the creamy, sesame, soy, peanut-y Dressing.  This dressing is bursting with flavor as it cradles the fresh veggies and noodles.  I love the combination of these bold flavors that give this cold salad an Asian flair: soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, ginger and garlic.

cold noodle salad on a plate garnished with green onions.

While the crisp, fresh veggies mixed with the firm texture of ramen noodles make this salad a summer favorite, it’s the bold intoxicating flavors of the dressing that make this Cold Noodle Salad stand out from the rest!

Reasons Why You Will Love My Cold Noodle Salad

  1. This Cold Noodle Salad is so easy to make, and it all comes together in under 30 minutes.
  2. The dressing is simple, tangy and delicious.
  3. This is a great vegan recipe.
  4. Prep this salad in bulk for lunches throughout the week, or for a big party.
  5. The best part about this salad is that the flavors are even better the second day.
  6. It’s light and refreshing and just so pretty!

Ingredient Notes

For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

ingredients in small white bowls needed to make a noodle salad.
  • Noodles: really any noodle works! I used ramen noodles but also love this with thin egg noodles, rice noodles, dried egg noodles, regular ol’ spaghetti noodles, or udon noodles.
  • Vegetables red or yellow bell pepper are great options. You’ll also need green onions, carrots, and red cabbage.
  • Peanuts: love adding these in for crunch! Salted or unsalted, either or works.
  • Peanut butter: this is used for the sauce. I like to microwave it for about 30 seconds so it gets nice and drippy! You could also use almond butter.
  • Soy sauce: tamari or soy sauce both work well here. Steer clear of dark soy sauce for this recipe.
  • Sesame oil: look for a toasted sesame oil, I find it adds more flavor to this recipe.
  • Other ingredients needed for the sauce: ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, lime juice and sugar.
ingredients to make noodle salad in a large white bowl.

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.

noodle salad in a white bowl with sesame seeds on top.
  1. Whisk together the ingredients for the sesame dressing.
  2. Cook the noodles and rinse with cold water.
  3. Add all of the veggies and noodles to a large bowl.
  4. Toss together with the dressing.
  5. Chill and then garnish with more green onions, peanuts, etc.
noodle salad with a peanut dressing poured on top.
cold noodle salad on a plate garnished with green onions.

Expert tips

  • Cook noodles of choice a little al dente to prevent them from turning soggy in the salad.
  • Drizzle the noodles with a little sesame oil to prevent them from sticking before you add them into the salad.
  • Add some spice to the sauce with sweet chili sauce, sriracha or chili flakes.
  • Amp up the salad by topping with chicken, jammy eggs/hard boiled eggs, or kimchi!
  • Allow the salad to chill for at least 30 minutes prior to serving to let the flavors marinate.
  • For a quicker option, use a broccoli slaw or a bagged coleslaw with carrots as a substitute for the carrots and red cabbage.
  • This is a cold salad but you can heat it up if you prefer!
cold noodle salad in a bowl garnished with green onions.

FAQ

What other veggies can I add to the salad?

Edamame, cilantro, zucchini (julienned), snow peas, thinly sliced raw broccoli, bean sprouts or halved green beans.

How long does this cold noodle salad last?

Up to 4 days in the fridge.

What noodle is best for cold noodle salad?

Really any noodle works! I used ramen noodles (toss the seasoning packet) but I also love this with thin egg noodles, rice noodles, dried egg noodles, regular ol’ spaghetti noodles, or udon noodles.

Noodles in salad... yay or nay?

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

white bowl filled with an asian salad with ramen noodles, chopped veggies, and peanuts
4.61 from 28 reviews

Cold Noodle Salad

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
This cold noodle salad is made with plenty of vibrant veggies and a creamy peanut-y dressing that has a perfect balance of sesame oil and lime to it as well. I could slurp up the dressing with a straw if it was a normal thing to do! Serve cold as is or amp it up with chicken or hard boiled eggs on top!

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. white sugar
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced

For the salad

  • 4 packs ramen noodles, ~8-9 oz. Is plenty (but any noodle works! I also love this salad with thin egg noodles, rice noodles, regular ol' spaghetti noodles, or udon noodles).
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 4 green onions, sliced on a diagonal
  • 1 large carrot, julienned
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 3/4 cup peanuts
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain them, rinse with cold water and set aside. Pro tip: toss noodles in a little sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.
    4 packs ramen noodles, ~8-9 oz. Is plenty (but any noodle works! I also love this salad with thin egg noodles, rice noodles, regular ol' spaghetti noodles, or udon noodles).
  • Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed (thin out dressing with more soy sauce, or thicken with a little more peanut butter based on your preference).
    1/3 cup soy sauce, 3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter, 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp. white sugar, 1 lime, juiced, 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced, 1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
  • Assemble the salad. Add the noodles and all salad ingredients to a large bowl. Toss together with the dressing. Chill salad for 30 minutes.
    1 red or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced, 4 green onions, sliced on a diagonal, 1 large carrot, julienned, 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • Garnish with more sesame seeds, green onions, peanuts, etc. and enjoy!
    3/4 cup peanuts, 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Video

Notes

  • Store in an air-tight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 280kcal (14%), Carbohydrates: 21g (7%), Protein: 9g (18%), Fat: 13g (20%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 5g (6%), Vitamin C: 26mg (32%), Calcium: 33mg (3%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Krolls Korner

Krolls Korner

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14 Comments
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Phil

This is a great recipe for a warm weather meal. I don’t really change the recipe as much as add different vegetables and I do use angel hair pasta because it holds up better than ramen noodles. Also, add some shrimp for extra protein.

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Lindsey

This was delicious and received rave reviews from everyone who tried it. Made it exactly as written with udon noodles.

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Carolyn

Just made this tonight and I must have used an ingredient lacking flavor in the dressing. It’s not right, it definitely has the sesame Asian salad taste but maybe it isn’t sweet enough? It seems to be missing a balance. I used a natural peanut butter…what peanut butter do you use? I’m wondering if that is the problem?

Ursula

Hmmm…, the sauce was delicious but 4 packs of ramen noodles was WAYYYYYY too much. Could easily have fed 10. Because of this there was far too little of the other ingredients. What a waste. Next time I would try it with two packs of ramen.

P.K.

What is the amount of sodium in this recipe? It looks delicious, but I need to be careful with the amount of sodium I consume.

Kjones

What’s the quantity of noodles if you use spaghetti or udon or other?

Janel

This was so good and so easy to make. Followed the recipe exactly as written except left out the sugar in the dressing since the peanut butter already had some. Yum! This will be on heavy rotation in the summer.