Grammy's Ramen Noodle Salad
We love the combination of crunchy nuts and ramen noodles with a sweet and acidic dressing. We vary Grammy's recipe slightly by using balsamic vinegar in place of red wine vinegar and cutting down the sugar (Robin's expecting our third child). Our daughter loves the mandarin oranges! Originally served as part of: Grilling on the Fourth of July.
Ingredients
- ½ package any flavor, packet not used ramen noodles
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ head green leaf lettuce
- ½ large red bell pepper
- 1 bunch scallions
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
- salt & pepper
- ½ can 11 oz can, whole segments in light syrup mandarin oranges (Dole)
Instructions
We start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees to toast the nuts and ramen noodles. One of the ramen noodle bundles is removed from the package and the rest of the package is covered with plastic wrap and set aside. We could have put the ramen in a resealable plastic bag and used a rolling pin to break it up into pieces, but we opt to break it with our hands onto a foil-covered cookie sheet. The nuts are also spread on the sheet.
While we wait for the oven to preheat, we wash and dry our lettuce with our salad spinner and tear it into manageable pieces. We place the clean lettuce in a large salad bowl.
We bake the ramen and nuts for about 5 minutes, shake the pan carefully (using a potholder), and continue to bake for another 5-8 minutes. We want the nuts and ramen lightly toasted and fragrant. When done, the cookie sheet is removed from the oven and the foil with the nuts and ramen is lifted to a dinner plate.
We rinse and pat dry our red pepper and scallions. The red pepper is chopped, the scallions trimmed, and the light parts of the scallions are sliced. These are added to the lettuce.
In a 1-cup measuring cup, we combine the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, a little salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. We stir well to dissolve the sugar.
All of the parts could have been made early in the day, the salad ingredients and dressing refrigerated. When ready to eat, we open and drain the can of mandarin oranges. We add half of them to the salad bowl, giving the remainder of the oranges to our daughter!, and toss the dressing with the salad. The ramen and nuts are sprinkled on top and the salad is served.
Ingredients
- ½ package ramen noodles (flavor packet not used)
- ¼ cup walnuts (chopped)
- ½ head green leaf lettuce
- ½ large red bell pepper
- 1 bunch scallions
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp superfine sugar
- salt and pepper
- ½ 11-oz can mandarin orange segments (Dole) (drained)
Instructions
What's a kid job?
A Kid job is a step kids can help with, with a grown-up nearby, not one they do on their own. Every kid is different, so go by what your child can do rather than by age. Roughly:
- Little ones (about 2 to 4) can stir, pour in ingredients a grown-up has measured, tear lettuce, wash vegetables and sprinkle toppings.
- Older kids (about 5 to 8) can also measure and level, crack eggs, whisk, roll and cut out dough, and put things together.
- Bigger kids can read the recipe aloud, keep track of the timer, and take on more of the cooking as they're ready.
Steps with a knife, microplane, skewers, stove, oven, grill or hot oil, or with raw meat, poultry or seafood, are marked Grown-up. Kids can still watch those, from a safe distance.
Grown-up
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Kid job
Break one bundle of ramen by hand onto a foil-lined cookie sheet and spread the nuts beside it.
Kid job
Wash and spin the lettuce, tear it into pieces, and put it in a large salad bowl.
Grown-up
Bake the ramen and nuts about 5 minutes, shake the pan with a potholder, and bake 5 to 8 minutes more, until lightly toasted. Lift the foil onto a plate.
Grown-up
Chop the pepper and slice the light parts of the scallions. Add to the lettuce.
Kid job
Stir the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, a little salt and pepper in a measuring cup until the sugar dissolves. (Everything so far can be done early in the day.)
Kid job
At dinner, add the oranges, toss with the dressing, and sprinkle the ramen and nuts on top.