If you’re one of those people that think salads are boring, I’m here to tell you that you just haven’t tried the right ones yet! Salads can be so much more than bland lettuce and a bottled dressing. For instance, this Ramen Noodle Salad! Not a single leaf of lettuce in the whole recipe and an easy homemade sauce knocks it outta the park in the flavor department. Give it a shot and it’s sure to change your stance on salads!

To make preparation super simple, we’ve gone with a bag of coleslaw mix, AKA shredded cabbage. Feel free to start with a whole cabbage if you’d like, but eliminating the grating step and mess makes assembly even easier. For the ramen noodles, you won’t be boiling them as usual, but toasting them on the stove top. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter and add the dry noodles, almonds, and sesame seeds. This step bumps up the flavor of the whole dish with beautiful toasty notes.

The final step will be to toss everything together in your homemade sauce made up of olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Your salad is now ready to serve! We find this dish is best eaten right after preparation so the noodles are still crispy. Eat it for a light lunch or pair it with your favorite Asian main dish. You can’t go wrong with a salad this tasty!