Potluck-Style Crunchy Asian Ramen Salad

This recipe is a throw-back to the hip-happenin' days when this salad was a staple at so many church potlucks, family gatherings, summer picnics and reunions. Perhaps it is still a mainstay in some circles at get-togethers today, but it's been quite awhile since I've seen it around. It happened to cross my mind the other day when I was cutting up cabbage for our St. Patrick's Day dinner. I had not eaten this salad in years, so I was excited to make it for my family to see if they'd love it as much as I remember loving it.

The salad is a marriage of thinly-sliced cabbage, lots of crunchy vegetables, sliced almonds, a little fruit for sweetness and crushed, toasted ramen noodles. The whole shebang gets dressed with a simple Asian-style dressing that probably uses ingredients most of us tend to keep on hand.

Many recipes call for inclusion in the dressing of the actual chicken-flavored seasoning packet from the ramen noodle package. I have had the dressing both with it and without. Both are good. I opted to make the dressing without it for nutritional reasons. {If you would like to include it as it does add a little something "extra" that isn't present when omitting it, I recommend lessening the soy sauce called for in the dressing to only 1 tablespoon and using only ONE packet of the chicken flavoring.}

TIME SAVING TIP:  If desired, packaged coleslaw mix can be subbed in for the hand-prepped shredded cabbage and carrots.

SERVES 6 - 8.