Orange Almond Cherry Ramen Salad
Look, I hate fruit salads. They're always trying too hard to be healthy and cheerful, like some demented wellness coach in a bowl. But this Orange Almond Cherry thing? It's got ramen noodles crashed right into the middle of all that virtuous fruit nonsense, and suddenly I'm interested. The toasted almonds add this nutty crunch that makes you forget you're eating something that could technically count as vegetables, while those dried cherries are like little sweet bombs going off between your teeth. It's the kind of salad that shows up to a potluck wearing sunglasses and leather jacket, completely unbothered by all the quinoa bowls giving it dirty looks. The orange vinaigrette ties it all together with this bright, citrusy attitude that's impossible to ignore. Honestly, if more salads had this kind of rebellious streak, maybe I wouldn't spend so much time avoiding the produce aisle.
Cherries dot the swirl—Almond slivers, citrus fire—Color bursts in bowls
Let Me Tell You...
This salad exists because my sister dragged me to one of those potluck parties where everyone brings something aggressively healthy and then spends the entire evening talking about their juice cleanses.
I was supposed to bring a salad, which is basically my personal hell, but I was determined not to show up with some sad bowl of lettuce that would make everyone feel sorry for me.
I had a bag of shredded cabbage in my fridge that I'd bought with good intentions and completely forgotten about, plus some dried cherries left over from a baking project that never happened.
The breakthrough came when I spotted a brick of ramen noodles in my pantry and thought, why not just throw caution to the wind and see what happens?
I started by crushing up the ramen noodles and toasting them with sliced almonds in a 350-degree oven, stirring them once to make sure they got evenly golden.
The smell that came out of my oven was incredible—nutty, toasty, and completely addictive.
While they were cooling, I segmented an orange over a bowl to catch all the juices, because wasting citrus juice is basically a crime against nature.
The orange segments were bright and juicy, and I knew they'd add the perfect sweet-tart contrast to all that crunchy texture I was building.
The dressing was simple but perfect—olive oil, fresh orange juice from those segments, a touch of honey to balance the acidity, and salt and pepper to tie it all together.
I tossed the shredded cabbage with the dried cherries and orange segments, then added the toasted ramen and almonds right before serving so they'd stay crispy.
The whole thing looked like a rainbow exploded in a bowl, with all those different colors and textures creating this visual feast that made me actually excited about eating salad, which is not something I ever thought I'd say.
When I brought it to the party, people kept asking what was in it, and when I mentioned the ramen noodles, they got this confused look like I'd just told them I'd added glitter or something.
But then they tasted it, and suddenly everyone was asking for the recipe.
The combination of the sweet cherries, crunchy almonds, bright orange, and those unexpected ramen noodles created this textural symphony that made every bite interesting.
My sister still brings it up as the time I "accidentally made something healthy," but honestly, I think the ramen noodles disqualify it from being truly virtuous.
Sometimes the best dishes come from refusing to follow the rules and being willing to throw random ingredients together just to see what happens.
Ingredients
- 1 ramen brick, crushed and toasted
- 1 large orange, segmented (plus extra for juicing)
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 4 cups shredded cabbage or kale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread crushed ramen and sliced almonds on a baking sheet; toast for 5–7 minutes, stirring once, until golden. Cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage or kale, dried cherries, and orange segments.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, honey, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Add toasted ramen and almonds to the salad, drizzle with dressing, and toss to combine.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature, topped with your choice of toppings: feta, pomegranate, mint, candied orange peel, poppy seeds, coconut flakes, and microgreens.
Chef's Tips
- Toast ramen and almonds together on the same baking sheet, stirring once halfway through for even golden browning.
- Segment oranges over a bowl to catch juices, then use the collected juice in the vinaigrette for maximum citrus flavor.
- Variation: Substitute dried cherries with cranberries, dried apricots, or pomegranate seeds for different fruit flavor profiles.
Serving Suggestion
Serve on chilled plates as a refreshing summer side dish at barbecues, or pack in mason jars for portable picnic lunches with dressing on the side.