Chang's Noodle Salad

Chang’s crispy noodle salad – a fresh and flavourful salad with the most satisfying crunch! Crispy shredded cabbage and toasted almonds are tossed with a sweet and tangy sesame dressing with loads of crunchy fried noodles.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Asian, Australian recipe

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 15

Servings: serves

Calories: 354kcal

Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

Cost: $5

Equipment

Frying pan & stove-top
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl or jar
Whisk

Ingredients

For The Salad

50 g (½ cup) slivered almonds
½ Chinese (wombok) cabbage finely shredded
6 spring onions finely chopped
100 g packet Chang's original fried noodles see notes

Make your own dressing (or use ½ cup store-bought Chang's Crispy Noodle Salad Dressing)

60 g (¼ cup) white vinegar
60 g (¼ cup) caster sugar or brown sugar
15 g (1 tbs) soy sauce
10 g (2 tsp) sesame oil optional
115 g (½ cup) olive oil

Instructions

Place the slivered almonds in a frying pan over low/medium heat. Lightly toast the almonds while stirring and gently shaking the pan.
TIP: Keep a close eye on the almonds as they can go from completely un-toasted to brown very quickly!
Shred the wombok cabbage very finely and place into a large mixing bowl.
If using a Thermomix: Roughly chop the cabbage. Place ⅓ of the cabbage into the Thermomix bowl. Chop for 2 seconds, Speed 4. Place into a large mixing bowl. Repeat with another ⅓ of the cabbage, place into the large bowl. Repeat with the final ⅓ cabbage.
Add the toasted slivered almonds, chopped spring onions and Chang's original fried noodles to the bowl.
If making your own dressing - in a small bowl whisk the white vinegar, caster sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil (optional) and olive oil together.
* Alternatively you can use ½ cup of store-bought Chang's crispy noodle salad dressing.
If using a Thermomix: place the dressing ingredients into the Thermomix bowl and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a further 5 seconds.
Immediately before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
TIP: Do not add the dressing too early or the noodles will lose their crunch!

Notes

Napa Cabbage – shredded Napa cabbage (also called Wombok, Chinese or celery cabbage) forms the base of this delicious and simple salad. It is a form of Chinese cabbage that is softer and leafier than regular green cabbage with crinkly leaves and mild in flavour. It is commonly found in supermarkets in grocers.
Chang’s fried noodles – fried noodles like Chang’s are ready-to-eat, short and crunchy noodles made with wheat flour that have been fried in oil and don't require any cooking. These noodles can be found in supermarkets around Australia and online.
If you can’t find Chang’s brand - substitute for any type of small, fried noodles. Or, use unseasoned packets of ramen; break the ramen into small pieces and fry them in a pan with a teaspoon of butter or oil, until crunchy. You could also oven bake them spread over a tray with a spray of oil until ultra-crispy and brittle. Dry and cool before adding them to the salad.
Almonds - you can swap the almonds for pine nuts or peanuts and toast as per the recipe above. If you need the salad to be nut-free, try sunflower seeds and/or pepitas instead.
If making the salad ahead for transport or to prepare for entertaining, keep the noodles and dressing out until ready to serve! The noodles will hold their crunch for a while, but then they will start to go soft. And nobody likes a soggy salad! All of the salad elements can be prepared ahead of time and kept in separate containers in the fridge. Simply toss everything together at the last minute when ready to serve.
To save time you can swap shredding the cabbage for a bag of ready-made coleslaw or broccoli slaw mix.
I also like to sprinkle mine with some toasted sesame seeds.
If you’re cleaning out your fridge and have some carrots, broccoli or other veggies that need using up, they can be shredded and added too.
The dressing is super easy to make in less than a minute, but if you prefer to use a store-bought dressing, you can use one like this crispy noodle salad dressing by Chang’s.
Keep an eye on the almonds as you toast them, they can go from brown to burnt and overcooked very quickly!
The dressing can be made in a jar with a lid and shaken until completely combined. This is a great option if you are making it ahead of time and storing it, as the oil and vinegar will separate. One quick shake and everything will be good to go!
This salad is best eaten fresh, as soon as it has been made. While it will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, it isn’t great for storing as leftovers, as the noodles become soft and lose their crunch. If you want to make some and eat it later, add the noodles and dressing when ready to eat.

Nutrition