Transform cheap ramen into a nutritious lunch by skipping the flavor packet and adding fresh veggies, chicken, and almonds. A sweet‑tangy dressing (it even uses ketchup!) ties everything together, giving you fiber, protein, and healthy fats to power through the afternoon.
Steam broccoli instead of boiling it to keep more nutrients. If you’re short on time, rotisserie chicken works just as well as home‑cooked chicken.
Active time: 20 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes
Crunchy Almond Chicken Ramen Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 4 tsp ketchup
- 4 tsp low‑sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
For the salad
- 1 package (3 oz) instant ramen noodles – discard the seasoning packet
- 8 oz broccoli florets, plus finely chopped stems
- 1 ½ cups cooked skinless chicken breast, diced
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 green onions, sliced
- ¼ cup unsalted almonds
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together ketchup, tamari, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking.
- Break the dry noodles into bite‑size pieces. Toss them with the dressing and let sit 10‑15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the noodles are soft but still a little chewy.
- While the noodles soak, heat a dry skillet over medium‑high heat. Add the almonds and toast, shaking the pan, for 2‑3 minutes until fragrant. Remove, let cool, then coarsely chop.
- Place a steamer basket over a pot with 1 cup of water. When the water boils, steam the broccoli for about 3 minutes, until bright green and crisp‑tender. Transfer the broccoli to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry.
- Combine the steamed broccoli, chicken, cabbage, red pepper, green onions, and toasted almonds with the dressed noodles. Toss everything together until evenly mixed.
- Serve immediately. The salad makes about four generous portions.
Serves: 4 | Serving size: 1½ cups
Nutrition per serving: 351 kcal, 16 g total fat, 6 g fiber, 26 g protein, 27 g carbs. Also provides potassium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium.