Ramen | NancyC

You may have had this coleslaw or something like it at a potluck or picnic. I’ve had this side dish several times recently, and every time I have it, I think, “I need to get that recipe!” The most recent time I had Crunchy Coleslaw was when Juanita made it for a department lunch at work, and it was so good I thought I could have eaten the whole bowl of it! Juanita gave me the recipe, and so I finally had the chance to make it myself–I love, love, love this coleslaw! The crunchiness comes from the toasted sliced almonds and sunflower seeds, along with the crumbled, uncooked ramen noodles. It seems a little strange to call coleslaw yummy, but this really IS yummy…so I hope you get a chance to try it out! This tastes best the same day you make it, while everything is freshly mixed and crunchy, and since it’s so good, you probably won’t have any leftovers anyway! 🙂

JUANITA’S CRUNCHY COLESLAW

Makes a large bowl, about 8 to 10 servings

1 small package sliced almonds (I used 1/2 cup from a larger package)

1 small package sunflower seed kernels (I used 1/2 cup from a larger package)

2 packages Ramen Noodle Soup, Beef Flavor, uncooked and crumbled (save the Beef flavor packets to mix with the vinegar, oil, and other ingredients)

3/4 cup oil (I used olive oil)

1/3 cup red wine vinegar (Juanita likes to add a few extra shakes, so I did, too!)

1/2 cup sugar

1 (16-ounce) bag of coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage

finely chopped green onion to taste, optional (I didn’t add this to mine, but I’d recommend using about 1/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Toast almonds, sunflower seeds, and plain noodles (uncooked and crumbled into small pieces-save the Beef flavor packets for later) on a cookie sheet at 350˚F for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside. The mixture will look like what you see in the small photo here. NOTE: An easy way to crumble up those Ramen noodles is to hit them lightly with a hammer while they’re still in the bag–they break up really easily that way! I also lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper, but it’s not necessary to do that.

In a small bowl, mix the Beef seasoning packets from the Ramen noodles with the oil, vinegar, and sugar, blending everything together well. Set aside.

Just before serving, empty the entire bag of coleslaw mix into a large bowl. Add in the chopped green onion, if using. Then add in the toasted almond/sunflower seed/ramen noodle mixture and toss well with the coleslaw, until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Finally, pour the oil-vinegar mixture over the coleslaw and blend everything together well. Serve immediately while everything is still “crunchy.”