Ramen noodle slaws are the crap shoot of the pot luck line, aren’t they? You never quite know if they’re going to be as good as you hope. There are so many variables to consider! Is there enough dressing, not enough, or too much? Are the ramen noodles soggy or nice and crisp? Is there a variety of other ingredients to make it interesting? And let’s think about that flavor profile! Is it too sweet? Too salty? Too blah?
You never knew there was so much to consider about cole slaw, did you?
Well, let me introduce you to my (and I daresay my entire family’s) very favorite dish in this ubiquitous category.
This recipe comes from a dear woman, my aunt’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Beard. Mrs. Beard would always bring this dish (that my dad’s whole family now refers to simply as “Mrs. Beard’s Slaw”) to any family dinner and she made peanut brittle that was to die for. A feisty old white-haired lady, she was as sweet as she was salty (or, at least, that’s how the stories go). And, I’d wager that she’d be pretty proud that her recipe was being published on the internet to be enjoyed by even more people.
So, in honor of Mrs. Beard and for the delight of anyone at your Easter table, here we go!
What I love about this recipe…
- It’s super easy!
- It can be made ahead, as long as you follow the directions on the recipe!
- The dressing isn’t too sweet and isn’t too salty.
- There’s hardly any chopping involved…just mainly dump and stir!
What’s in it?
1 pkg. cole slaw mix
4-6 green onions, sliced
4 oz. slivered almonds
5 oz. sunflower kernels
2 pkg. of ramen noodles, crunched up into small pieces
½ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. vegetable oil
2/3 or 1/2 c. white sugar (more if you want it sweeter, less if you don’t)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 pkg. chicken-flavored ramen noodles seasoning
How do you make it?
First, combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Next, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour them over the slaw mixture and stir well to coat.
Yes, it truly is that easy.
Important note, though!! If you are making the slaw ahead of time, combine all of the slaw ingredients except the noodles. Keep the slaw, prepared dressing, and crunched up noodles separate. Mix together right before serving.
Enjoy! And don’t forget to download the recipe PDF – Mrs Beard’s Slaw
Wait, you don’t have to cook the ramen noodles first??
That’s right!! You don’t cook them!
Do you think it would be good with just sunflower seeds? I’m allergic to almonds. 😢
I don’t see why not! Or maybe you could sub in pine nuts or pecans if you wanted and aren’t allergic.
I made this for a work potluck yesterday and it was so good! I used the “Oriental ” flavor of ramen so it was vegetarian, and used peanuts and sesame seeds instead of almonds and sunflower seeds. I also added two mandarin orange fruit cups — I added the fruit to the salad and the juice to the dressing. So delicious!
Good to know!! I’ll have to try it that way!
This is one of my favorite salads! It is delicious and so easy to make for a gathering, especially cookouts in the summer. Everyone always asks for the recipe!