August Meal: Ramen Noodle Chicken Salad

The night after the Journeymen dinner, we were invited to a friends End-of-Summer Cookout! Once again, to help out, I brought a salad. The best news is that, because of the chicken in it, it can easily serve as your entire meal. I grew up with my mom making this every summer, especially when we went to the beach. My friends and in-laws love it as much as I do so I've passed the recipe on to them and decided to let you in on the goodness too!

This meal takes a little bit more time to make (lots of things to chop) but there is no cooking involved so that saves on time. AND if you have a helper like I did it goes by fast!

Ingredients:

• 2 packages Top Ramen chicken flavored noodles, *Don't cook the noodles*
• 1 rotisserie chicken (If you only want white chicken, buy 2. If you don't care and can deal with the dark meat you can just buy 1.)
• 1/2 head shredded cabbage
• 3 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoon toasted sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon accent
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup each red, green, yellow sweet peppers finely chopped
• 1/2 can chopped green onions, tops too
• 1 small can sliced water chestnuts drain (this is optional and I usually always leave it out, because once again, I can't ever find them in the grocery store and am usually in too much of a rush to stop and ask)

Instructions:

1. Remove soup packets from Ramen and set aside. (You will use these later so don't throw away.)
2. Crunch up dry noodles and place in large bowl.
3. Finely chop green onions and sweet (bell) peppers and rotisserie chicken.
4. Add cabbage, peppers, green onions, water chestnuts (if you choose), and rotisserie chicken.
5. Mix in another small bowl: sugar, lemon juice, oil, accent, salt and pepper, and the contents of the two small soup packets. Mix well.
6. Add sesame seeds and pour dressing over all the contents in the big bowl.
7. Mix thoroughly and cover with lid (wrap).
8. Set for 24-36 hours before serving for best results.
9. Scatter toasted almonds on top before serving.

I use the Ziploc bag to help break up the noodles before dumping into the bowl.

 
 

This is what the dressing looks like before adding the sesame seeds.

 After adding the sesame seeds.

 

This is what it looks like with everything except the chicken and dressing. You will want to mix it all well before serving. I don't have a picture of the final product but it looks good and tastes incredible!

Bon Appetit!