Napa Cabbage Salad With Ramen and Sunflower Seeds

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This tasty napa cabbage salad has crunchy ramen bits, sunflower seeds and almonds to make it extra tasty. The simple homemade salad dressing ties it all together. Serve it as a side or add chicken to make it a meal.

I can still remember the first time I had this salad.  We went over to my grandma’s house for a holiday dinner.  

She was just pulling the toasted ramen out of the oven and it smelled wonderful.  

I always loved holidays and grandma and grandpa’s, and I still do. So I am sure that adds to the warm and fuzzy feelings I get every time I make this salad.

My mom submitted the recipe in the now famous country parish cookbook all those years ago, so it is easy for me to pull out and make.  Usually I make it as a side dish at gatherings, but this time I decided to add some chicken and make it an entree.  It was really good that way as well!

I love how simple this recipe is to throw together.  You can toast the goodies ahead of time if you are making it for a gathering.

The napa chops up easily enough and the dressing just requires stirring together a few simple ingredients.  Of course that can be done even a day or two ahead.

My husband and I eat this with chicken as a meal at least a few times every summer.  But I think it is also a really versatile side salad. 

I’ve brought it to potlucks to rave reviews. I’ve served it along grilled meats, with a ham and even with a roast chicken.

If you aren’t familiar with napa, it is a really mild kind of cabbage.  You will likely find it near the bok choy in the grocery store. 

What does napa cabbage taste like?

The leaves are tender and the ribs are edible too, so I just leave it all together and chop it up.  I do try to chop the larger parts of the rib a little finer, but we eat the whole thing.

Can you eat napa cabbage like lettuce?

Yes, napa works in the place of lettuce in most salads. You can also cook napa in a variety of preparations.

Have you ever tried napa cabbage in other recipes? What are your favorite ways to use it?

More great crunchy salads

Bok choy salad is full of crunch and flavor. Apples, cucumbers and peanuts are layered over bok choy and drizzled with a homemade peanut butter yogurt dressing.

Ramen noodle coleslaw is another recipe that uses the noodles for crunch. It is super simple and starts with bagged slaw mix making it really quick to put together.

Summer corn salad is a mix of fresh corn, bright tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers and more in a delicious fresh veggie mix.

Frito salad gets its crunch from crunchy corn chips. There is so much flavor packed into this delicious salad and the homemade catalina dressing ties it all together.

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