Sweet and Crunchy Salad

I really liked this salad! I didn't soak the noodles at all--they soften up in the marinade enough and wanted it crunchy. Used oriental ramen instead of chicken and since I like lots of dressing, added the mandrin juice to the mix. If you double this recipe, make sure you have a seriously huge bowl. I made this for an office dinner and while I loved it, no one really said much, so.......4 stars. As a leftover, the noodles and cashews get soft but it's still very good. I'm planning on making this for Thanksgiving for my more sweet-toothed family. And can anyone tell my why you must use white wine vinegar instead of plain 'ol white vinegar? If anyone is interested, a single recipe of this salad cost about $7.00.

This recipe ROCKS! It was VERY easy to make and tasted amazing! dont lisetn to the others though..soak the noodles well as the recipe states. Will be making this one again.

This is one of the best recipes I've made off this site. I took it to a family reunion today & got many requests for the recipe & I come from a family of very good cooks! I made a few changes--I left out the cashews and added 3 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds, 1/2 cup of toasted sliced almonds and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro. I used the oriental flavor ramen mix which gave the dressing a delicious taste--similar to the dressing from a restaurant's Asian salad. You definitely do not need to soak the ramen noodles first unless you plan to serve the salad immediately after making it. I defintely plan to make this salad again for summer potlucks and as a main dish for my family with the addition of cooked chicken or shrimp. Awesome recipe!!

I made this for my family. I used sliced almonds instead of cashews and didn't soak the noodles, everyone raved.

Light and refreshing. The oranges are a good addition. I only made 1/2 the recipe because I wasn't sure I would like this, but it was great. I like the ramen noodles on the crunchey side, so I only soaked them for 5 minutes. Next time I might try not soaking them at all, and I will try it with the oriental flavor noodles. The only thing keeping me back from straight 5 stars is the kid rating section...some kids might like this, but my kids, who are the world's most picky, won't even try it. Their loss!

This recipe makes a great quantity. I get asked for the recipe often. I used one package of ramen noodles and added 1 cup bean sprouts, 1/2 cup chopped fresh snow peas, 2 tbsps. cilantro and 1 tsp. ginger. I substituted peanuts for cashews.

This is the absolute best salad ever. My husband had four helpings. We had some left overs, but not for long. This a real keeper. I used brown sugar substitute instead of sugar for the dressing. I would not change another thing about this receipt. THE BEST!! Can't wait to make it for company. Thank you for sharing.

Great recipe, I agree with other reviewers that you don't really need to boil the noodles as the oil mixture definitely softens them up pretty well while it sits in the fridge. But the first time out I did follow the recipe. While doing that I also felt with all the flavoring packets that came with the noodles, it made the mixture a bit too salty for my taste. So the second time around, I used 1/2 a packet. Next time, I might lessen the sugar and eliminate the sunflower seeds. Thanks Louise for sharing your delicious recipe!

This was so good!!! I highly recomend this recipe for picnics and gatherings.

Now one of my favorite recipes. Great for summer -- or for a taste of summer on a dreary winter day. Good fresh or a few days old (softened noodles are still delicious).

I first had this salad at a "Food Day" at work. It was heaven from the first bite. I have since made it. Adding fresh cilantro really gives it a wonder flavor.

Hi! I just made this for a big party social for a bunch of college students. Everyone who had the salad loved it and it was extremely simple to make. I did make some changes though...I think it needed more crunch (noodles overwhelmed it a bit) so I added a half a head of cabbage. I also didn't have white wine vinegar and used red vinegar instead. And I didn't have the sesame seeds so did without. Recipe still worked fine. Dressing was amazing. I would actually say that the recipe makes more like 12-14 servings.

I tasted this first at a cookout. I came here to find the recipe and there it was! I can't think of anyone that doesn't like this! Thanks for posting it!

This is GREAT! I've made if several times during the summer. It was a big hit at a potluck, too. I added about 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro which really perks up the flavor. Thanks for sharing, Louise.

Wow this was awesome! I added some sesame oil and this was great! Served at Christmas parties and got rave reviews.

Great side dish! Add cooked chicken and it then becomes a main meal. I never have any leftovers with this one!

Sorry but we didn't enjoy this recipe. I was missing the mandarin oranges, but I can't believe they'd make that much difference. All three kids took one bite and said NO THANKS.

Reallly tasty. Warning, this recipe makes ALOT. I added chicken to make it even more meal-like and had it for lunch for days.

This salad is missing something. It just does not have enough zing for me.

I took this to a Halloween work potluck and was asked by several people for the recipe. I made a mistake in buying Ramen noodles without a seasoning pack. The seasoning was mixed with the noodles, so it washed out when I drained the noodles. I added chicken granules, but I'm sure it would have been better with the seasoning pack. I'll definitely make again. Thanks

Although this salad has quite a few ingredients, it is easy to assemble. I made it the night before with the exception of the cashews. It was delicious and a welcome change from the normal variety of pasta and potato salads. A definite keeper in my recipe collecion!!

This a is family favorite. Makes a lot. Perfect when you don't want to use mayonnaise in hot weather. It there's any left, it's wonderful the next day. I made it exactly as listed, but I did soak my noodles and we like it that way. There's plenty of crunch in the cole slaw mix and water chestnuts.

This was really good. Used almonds and sesame seeds rather than cashews and sunflower seeds. Used the oriental ramen, which was great. I made the night before and did not soak the noodles. I also crushed up the noodles first. Next time, I'll soak the noodles and I won't crush them - I think it will make for a prettier presentation. I also doubled the recipe, which I won't do again. I took this to a large picnic & there was still a ton left over. But I will definitely make this again!

This was the first time I ever made a salad like this. I followed the recipe exactly using toasted almonds instead of cashews, but I forgot to drain the mandarin oranges so there was about a half a can of juice in the recipe by mistake. I took this to a pot luck for a Karate Promotion for my son and I was nervous if anyone would like it. I was shocked. It was the first salad to go and people were going back for seconds. Thank you for your recipe it was a big hit for me since I wasnt sure what to make.

this was fantastic !!! everytime i make it people rave about it - i dont soak the noodles because i like them crunchy, but i do mix the salad up and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours before serving - it is also good the next day, it any is left over, which is very rare. I dont use cashews, i use sliced almonds and sesame seeds and toast them for about 10 mins. in 325 degree oven before i add to the coleslaw. Last time i made it i added some plain, boiled shredded chicken and the oranges just before serving, there were no leftovers !!! everyone always raves about it and i am frequently asked to bring it to functions we go to. It really is a good, basic recipe - most definetely a keeper!!!! thank you Louise for sumitting it -

I made this for a party, found it lacking in flavor, added salt & pepper. That helped. Someone at the party said she makes it but does not soak the noodles. I will try that next time cause I love all the ing.

Very different but very good. I like the fact that you soak the noodles in water to soften them. I've tried other recipes without soaking the noodles and I like this one better. I used sliced almonds instead of cashews.

great recipe...I recommend that you soak those ramen noodles because I did not and after 2 hours, some noodles were still crunchy. I used oriental ramen packets and I added in a bit of roasted sesame oil for more flavor. Yum! I also threw in a handful of fresh cilantro. I reduced the sugar by half and added a bit of orange juice to the dressing. Just devine! Thanks Louise.

This was a very different kind of recipe for me, but I was looking for cholesterol-free recipes so I gave it a try and was glad I did. I left out the oranges and most of sugar and it was still sweet but not too sweet. I loved it.

This is a wonderful salad. Everytime I make it I am asked for the recipe. I added boiled chicken breast which I slice and marinate in a little of the salad dressing. Wonderful salad to take to a potluck. I usually make a double batch and come home with an empty bowl :)

This is delicious! I'm a little leary of what's in the seasoning packages, so I left them out of the dressing and substituted about a tablespoon of high quality soy sauce and a half teaspoon sesame oil. I added some bean sprouts to the coleslaw as well. When I make this again, I may try it with romaine instead of coleslaw.

I confess--after I finished this recipe, I taste-tasted beyond what is chef-like. I must have had twenty bites before I summoned the discipline to finally "say no" to another bite. This is one of the best salads I've ever had. It's perfect for a summer cookout. No doubt, I will use this as a staple side dish when I'm looking for something wonderful and delicious. Crunchy and sweet ... Asian like ... a recipe you won't soon forget. I'm going to remember the liquid as a possible base for other side dishes, such as a bean salad. Excellent, just excellent.

This was fantastic. I only soaked the noodles for 5 minutes and left out the onions due to personal preferance. I used oreintal flavored noodles as well.

I have several versions of this recipe and this is my favoite. Definitely a good idea to add dressing just before serving so the cashews don't get too soggy. (However that certainly doesn't stop me from inhaling any leftovers!) Made it once with almonds instead of cashews. It was fine; but I think the cashews are the perfect complement (and I do love almonds in recipes).

Delicious!! I used regular and purple cabbage for extra color. - Everyone loved it.

Wonderful recipe Louise, thankyou so much. I tested it out on company tonight. I doubled the sauce and added some chow mein noodles, maybe 2 cups, also 1/2 cup of celery, and a shredded carrot, fresh sliced mushrooms,chopped brocolli, toasted almonds instead of the cashews and toasted sesame seeds, This recipe allows you to do add what you want, the oranges were so good in this. Thanks again, I will be making this many more times.

Delicious! I used oriental ramen noodles, which I did not soak. That allowed me to skip the cashews and still have plenty of "crunch" in the dish. It was the perfect potluck sidedish and so simple to make.

All of the reviews inspired me to try this recipe for my mother's 93rd birthday. It was "okay" at best. I was disappointed and will not make it again.

This is the best recipe I have found for Chinese Cole slaw. I bring it to every party and BBQ & is always a hit. I can practically eat the whole thing myself in several sittings. Some people like chocolate...I love this vinegary cole slaw!! You can change it up with using beef ramen instead of chicken. I omit the water chestnuts & sometimes the mandarin oranges depending on if I want it sweetened up by the oranges. Pour the dressing on just before serving so it won't get soggy. You'll love it & if someone has never had a salad like this one, they'll ask you for the recipe!

What an awesome recipe! I have made it for a few cookouts already and there is never anything left over! Everyone loves it! It's very light and tasty and perfect for bbq's and parties. I have passed the recipe along to quite a few people already!

This was great. I used only half the ramen noodles, and that was plenty. Doubled the cashews for more crunch.

This is a hit at my family gatherings. Everyone loves it and is always asking for the recipe!

Great recipe! Sometimes I won't even soften the top ramen noodles. I add them uncooked but broken up so they are crunchy. My kids love it this way even more. Sometimes I've added fresh minced garlic - 1 or 2 cloves to the vegetable oil to spice up the salad a bit more. Sometimes I add soy sauce with the rice vinegar and a tablespoon of peanut butter to make it more of a thai type salad. So easy to vary this recipe and it's always good! You can even add chopped cooked leftover chicken and it makes a main dish. During the winter I've added sliced red and green bell pepper to make it more holiday "ish". Wow. I could go on and on. Try it! You'll like it!

This is my favorite coleslaw recipe now! I only had oriental flavored ramen noodles so I used it instead of the chicken and I also skipped soaking the noodles and left them crunchy. Very good!!

I have made it twice, one with regular cole slaw mix and one with vermicelli cole slaw mix which was really good. I thought this was a very good recipe.

I took this salad to a family picnic and it was a hit. The salald is great

This was very, very good. I omitted the water chestnuts and mandarin oranges and it was still wonderful. This gets even yummier the next day. Recommended.

My husband was skeptical of this recipe when I made it, but now it's his favorite side dish! It is quick and easy to make. I only soak the noodles for about 5 minutes, and I used red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar. Will definitely make over and over again!

Made this recipe as written and it is wonderful!! Definitely a keeper.

Really terrific for pot luck. We like using the oriental noodle seasoning best.

Absolutely fabulous. I used red cabbage and savoy cabbage instead of the packaged mix. It turned out great. Dinner party guests liked it so much they begged for the recipe. Will definitely make this one again and again.

This is awesome. Next time I am going to add grilled chicken.

I didn't care for this and hubby just said it was ok. I made it for a BBQ and noone really ate it. One person was allergic to sunflower seeds so thank goodness I left those off, but still noone touched it. Very disappointed.

This salad is really good. Everyone in my family loves it!!! I do use oriental ramen noodles and normally use pineapple instead of the mandarin oranges (just because I have those on hand more often). I also don't soak the noodles at all, the time in the fridge before serving softens them just enough. I have also added grilled chicken and pork to this and it is awesome.

Great recipe Loiuse! Lipp Snaith likes your recipe. Actually, the entire Snaith family loves it! Very refreshing after a summer evening of limboing!

A friend of mine was having her baby shower and the hostess cancelled at the last minute. I had to find easy recipes and this one was a LIFESAVER Everybody loved it.

Based on the previous reviews, I made a few alterations to this. Basically, I made half the dressing for the full amount of salad. It was just enough to coat the cabbage. Everyone LOVED it! I used 1 package of oriental flavored noodles, 1/4 cup veg oil, 1/4 cup sugar, and just under 1/4 cup of vinegar (rice wine and white wine mixed). I added the dressing to the coleslaw, oranges, water chestnuts and scallions and refrigerated it for several hours. Immediately before serving, I added the seeds, nuts and the crushed UNCOOKED noodles. Delicious and crunchy! Will certainly be making this again.

I made a few adjustments. I cut the oil in half and I only soaked the noodles for 5 minutes so they would be a little less soft than cooked Raman noodles. I used apple cider vinegar because that is what I had on hand and I used olive oil to make it more health-friendly. It was delicious! My kids loved it too!

This is soooo good. As good as if not better than what the restaurants serve. I used Rice Wine Vinegar, a zero calorie sugar, and 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 vegetable oil. I added toasted sesame seeds when I was ready to eat it.

I generally only think of desserts as being "addictive", but this salad breaks that rule!

Loved it!!! I left out the oranges and replaced the cashews with slivered almonds and it was excellent!!! This will now be a summer-time regular!!!

This was AWESOME!!! I couldn't eat it fast enough! Will make it again, and again, and again! I am also mailing a copy of the recipe to my sister! Great!!!

this tastes so great and it is easy and can be very quick to make! One thing though it would be a good idea to make the dressing and keep it on the side and not to toss it with the salad because I did that and my leftovers were all soggy. So unless you want a soggy and sweet salad pour the dressing on as you go. Otherwise it really is one of the best salads I have ever tasted.

I used oriental flavored ramen instead of chicken, cut back on the amount of oil and left out the cashews. I also added some fresh snow peas. Loved it!

Awesome and really easy! A+++++. Thanks for sharing! P.S. I didn't soak the noodles either like another reviewer suggested!

I made 1/2 a recipe but added the full bag of cole slaw mix. It had enough dressing and noodles.

I was, initially, a bit leary of this salad. When I had my husband read the recipe to see if it sounded delicious and appropriate for a caribbean themed summer party, he turned his nose up at it. He doesn't like more than half of the ingredients. Let me say, he had three helpings of this salad the day of the party. As the word spread around the party that the salad was delicious, more and more people tried it and everyone loved it. Such a wonderful flavor and so "summer friendly".

I served this at a party and everyone loved it. I agree with several other reviewers though that the serving size is way off. I doubled the recipe and there was so much cole slaw. The recipe is probably for about 12 people as is. Everyone wanted the recipe though. Thank you.

This is an excellent salad! You don't need to soak the noodles as long as it says...they get softer when they are added to the salad plus the dressing. The first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly. The next time, I cut the seasoning package down a little to cut the sodium. It is worth trying!

I don't always have the cashews so I add peanuts instead. My family loves it!

Fantastic. Whenever I take it to a party or pot luck, everyone wants the recipe.Easy to make and wonderful to eat!

I loved this salad! I don't think you need to use all of the dressing. I used two bags of slaw and it was still too much dressing. I used toasted sliced almonds and sesame seeds (toasted myself) in mine and it was a big hit. They added a delicious flavor and crunch.

This is wonderful! Even my 25yr old daughter who is a very picky eater loved this. She even made it and she doesn't boil water! I took it to my sons baseball party and all the 11yr old boys enjoyed this dish! It's a must!

Very yummy! I didn't have the cashews so I used the toasted almonds. I also had a head of cabbage I wanted to use up so I shredded cabbage and carrots in the food processor instead of using the coleslaw mix. This recipe was great. We mill make this again for sure. Thank you!

Easy and delicious! A weekly favorite!

I take this to company potlucks and I have to double the recipe because everyone likes this one. I don't mix the dressing in until I am ready to serve. I also don't put the nuts in until I am ready to serve because they tend to get soggy. This is a very refreshing salad. One of my favorites.

EVERYONE loves this salad!!!

Very good summer salad. I would cut down the onions to 1/2 bunch. Could also add shredded carrot. I will make this again!

I served this at a fourth of July party and it got rave reviews from everyone. They all wanted the recipe! Very tasty.

This is a keeper!! I made this for Easter dinner. Everyone loved it.. I did not soak the noodles before hand.

My family loved this...had to write out the recipe three times before everyone left. I only soaked the noodles about 5 minutes as every said and they soaked up the dressing so it wasn't too wet or soggy and added the snow peas as others did. It was great!

WOW! I love impressing friends with this one. It's so easy and simple...I just hate disspelling the myth of difficulty by handing out the recipe. This is one of my favorites, and it has become my signature salad over the summer. People request the salad even if I am unable to attend the function...not sure how I feel about that.

This is great. I have to bring copies of this recipe to parties because people always ask me for it

INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS. I haven't even finished eating it and I had to login to rate it because this is the most delicious salad I've ever eaten. I followed other people's suggestion to leave the noodles crunchy and used olive oil and Splenda to make it healthier. UPDATE I make this all the time now because everyone loves it. A few more helpful suggestions: I add a handful of chopped cilantro and it adds a delicious flavor to it. I've also sometimes added edamame for its wonderful source of low calorie protein. Additionally, I now have substituted the cashews for dry roasted peanuts since they're less expensive and just as delicious. I do think this salas is at its best while it's still very crunchy, so I usually don't add the dressing until I'm ready to serve it.

This was soooo good! My kids loved it and asked that I make it again soon. I swapped toasted Almond slices for cashews, because that's what I had on hand. Because of other's suggestions, I only soaked the noodles for 3 minutes to give them a "head start". They were still firm, but pliable when added to the dish. It turned out perfectly.

Very good - and one of the best recipes for this salad on Allrecipes.

Very easy and yummy. I added cilantro and chopped snow peas per another reviewers suggestion. I took the drained juice from the mandarins and added to the dressing mix in lieu of sugar. I'm sure it was more liquidy this way but it wasn't bad and I didn't use ALL THAT sugar and made use of the mandarin syrup as well.

This is so cool, refreshing and delicious. Even better, my husband loves it and asks for it by name. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Made it exactly like the recipe said except I didn't cook the ramen soup and everyone loved it. I will definitely make this again!!

Made this recipe and really did not care for the flavor of how it turned out.

Excellent salad! Try it with red wine vinegar instead of the vinegar called for in the recipe. I have shared this recipe with many people.

This is excellent. As suggested I used oriental flavored noodles and did not have white wine vinegar so I used red wine vinegar. It turned out great!!!! I did not soak the noodles - I just broke them in small chunks and they turned out great.

I love, love, love this recipe. It works with regular white vinegar too. I also like it with sliced almonds instead of cashews. YUMMY!!

Delicious!! I didn't have sunflower seeds so I left those out. Great recipe!!

I am known in my circle of friends to try new recipes on them when we have a gathering. This salad was a definite hit!! I made a few changes - such as using olive oil instead of veggie oil and I used a large can of mandarin oranges. I only had sunflower seeds so I doubled them and left out the cashews and also did not soak the noodles.

This is a great salad! I omitted the water chestnuts and added cilantro for personal preferences, but that's all I changed. The flavors are so great together! This is my new hot weather salad for lunch. One batch will last the week and it is SO filling! Thanks for the recipe!

Out of this world!! I couldn't believe how wonderfully this salad turned out. My boyfriend couldn't stop raving about it over dinner, and he continued to talk about it the next day! I omitted the sunflower seeds and cut the sugar down to 1/3 a cup. This salad is a must try!

I thought this recipe was fantastic! I made it for a church picnic and everyone loved it! Since it was hot outside it was refreshing to eat a sweet cold pasta salad! I had multiple people asking me for the recipe including the minister of my church. To anyone that makes this I suggest that you don't soak the noodles any longer than the 15 min. I did and they were just a little too soft but that was my own fault. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was a huge hit!!!

Fabulous salad. This is the second time I have made it and both times everyone RAVED. I used the Oriental flavored Ramen, which works perfectly. I mixed the slaw with the dressing and put it in the frig for two hours. Right before serving I mixed in everything else. I did not soak the noodles. The crunchiness is what makes it sooooo good! I served it with sesame-crusted sashimi tuna. Perfect combination.