An Asian slaw of sorts made with Wombok Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), toasted almonds and lots of crispy noodles, this Chang’s Crispy Noodle Salad is a back-of-packet Aussie staple. Always a winner at backyard BBQs!
Welcome to Day 5 of the inaugural Holiday Salad Marathon, a series where I’m doing the polar opposite of the usual baking countdowns and bringing you a new salad recipe every single day through to Christmas Eve!
Today I’m sharing a great Aussie classic:
Chang’s Crispy Noodle Salad
This is a salad from that comes to you from the back of the Chang’s Crispy Noodle packet. It’s an Aussie summer BBQ favourite that hits the spot with everybody.
It’s all about the crispy noodles and the sesame dressing. The cabbage is just a vehicle to deliver those into our mouth!!
What you need for Chang’s Crispy Noodle Salad
Here’s what goes into the salad:
The Crispy Noodles
Any crispy fried noodles is fine, preferably thin like pictured though wider ones are great too. Though for the great Aussie classic version, nothing but Chang’s will do! In Australia, you’ll find it in the Asian or noodle section of supermarkets (costs about $1).
There’s other brands that make virtually the same noodles that you can find at Asian stores and copy-cats at Aldi. Here’s one I found in the US – La Choy Crispy Chow Mein noodles – Walmart & Amazon.
Excellent substitute – BAKED ramen or instant noodles!
If you can’t find it, use two packets of ramen or instant noodles (like Maggi!). Discard seasoning packet, break it up into pieces, spread on tray, spray with oil and bake at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes, tossing halfway. Works a treat (I also do this for Crispy Chow Mein Noodles).
Chinese Cabbage (aka Wombok / Napa Cabbage)
Also known as Wombok and Napa Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage is best for this salad because it’s softer than traditional cabbage like you use for Coleslaw which needs to be left to wilt so you don’t have pokey bits of cabbage flicking all around your mouth when you eat it.
The texture of Chinese cabbage is somewhere between traditional stiffer green cabbage, and soft leafy greens.
You will need half a giant one or a full one because because we (well, I) only use the top half with the leafy bits. The bottom 1/3 or so is a bit too crunchy so the texture doesn’t meld as well with the rest of the salad, so I leave it (toss into stir fries and noodles).
By the way, this is how I cut the cabbage: two slits then finely shred. Fast and neat!
The Dressing
As for the dressing, all you need is white vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and olive oil. Asian influence yes, but the soy sauce is more about the salt than giving this an Asian flavour.
Note: I can’t help but tamper with virtually every recipe and in this case, I made the following changes (none of which will surprise regular readers):
Reduced olive oil from 1/2 cup to 5 tablespoons
Reduced sugar from 1/4 cup to 2 tablespoons
It’s still balanced enough with less oil and sugar, and nobody has ever complained!
How to make this Crispy Noodle Salad
It’s as simple as:
Shake the dressing in a jar (really, shaking in a jar is so much more effective than stirring…); and
Toss it all together!
There’s just one rule….
There’s just one rule – don’t add the crunchy noodles until just before serving. Nobody wants a SOGGY Noodle Salad!
Serve with everything – Asian and non Asian. It might have Asian roots, but this is a salad we Aussies will serve on the side of everything, from Beef Kebabs on the BBQ to Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, to a simple grilled marinated chicken.
And yes, sometimes we even serve it alongside our favourite Asian foods too….!!! 😇 – Nagi x
PS No video today, for such a simple recipe. But if there’s a step in particular you’d like to see me demonstrate, just ask nicely and I’ll show you! 😉
What is the Holiday Salad Marathon?
This is my inaugural Christmas recipe countdown where I am sharing 30 salad recipes in a row until Christmas Eve – something completely different to people’s usual baking countdowns!
These salads are in addition to my regular 3 new recipes a week. Because aren’t you bored of the usual tomato-cucumber-lettuce garden salad routine??
Click here to see all the Holiday Salad Marathon recipes to date, or sign up for instant updates and you’ll receive a free email alert whenever I publish a new salad! 🙂
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Chang’s Crispy Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Chinese cabbage (wombok), or 1/2 a giant one (Note 1)
- 100g/ 3.5oz Chang's crispy noodles (store bought, the fine ones not chunky ones, Note 2)
- 5 green onions , finely sliced on the diagonal
- 100g/ 3.5oz slivered almonds
Dressing:
- 4 tbsp white vinegar (just ordinary vinegar, nothing fancy!)
- 2 tbsp white sugar (or brown)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce , all purpose or light, NOT dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil , toasted (brown, not yellow untoasted)
- 5 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Toast almonds: Lightly toast the slivered almonds in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly browned (no oil). Remove immediately and let cool.
- Dressing: Shake Dressing ingredients in a jar until sugar is dissolved. (This keeps for 3 weeks!)
- Shred cabbage: Cut cabbage (see photos in post, helpful): cut 1 slit down the middle lengthwise (or 2, if it's giant like the one I used). Then finely slice so it's shredded. Just use the top 1/2 – 2/3, mostly leafy part. Reserve the thick crunchy white part for another use (excellent in stir fries!).
- Toss everything except crispy noodles: Place cabbage in a big bowl with toasted almonds and green onions. Pour over Dressing, toss well.
- Add crispy noodles! Toss through noodles just before serving so they stay crisp!
Recipe Notes:
Life of Dozer
I knew I’d find another use for my $3 Melbourne Cup Fascinator!!! (And yes, he’s a he 😂)
I can’t wait to make this. First though, I’ve have to wait for delivery of my Chang’s noodles. I’ve had to get them from a UK store selling Australian foods. There was a special offer for Tim Tams! Having recently tried them (as they were new to Tesco stores here), I have to say I really like both the original and the caramel versions. Much better than the UK ‘Penguin’ which they are often pitted against in taste tests!
I also add coriander, julienned carrot and Vietnamese Mint! Great served with crispy salmon drizzled with Kewpie sesame dressing!!
Yummmm
And I revert to your dressing recipe, it’s so much better xx
Btw, I’ve been a follower for over 10 years Nagi. Not that I’m jealous but i am .
You’re a bloody legend xx
A friend told me years ago, to pan fry the dressed (soggy) wombok salad the next day with any left over dressing…in bacon fat, of course!
Genius, sounds like a great tip, I will definitely be giving that a try next time we have leftovers. Thanks for sharing
Australia WHAT A BRILLIANT IDEA!!!!!
What a hit! Served along with Hunan dumplings. We all loved it! Thanks, Nagi!
A great salad to have at our BBQ, guests went back for seconds, loved it!
This noodle salad was absolutely amazing. I make it every weekend.
This Salad is my favourite, we have it each week ❤️❤️❤️
Just love this salad-a family favourite, but I prefer Pinenuts over slivered almonds.
Great easy salad. A hit with all the teenaged grandchildren
I like this salad but I’m sure I would love it more if I could find Chang’s or La Choy noodles here in Winnipeg, Canada. I even went to a Chinese grocery store. Any other substitutes I could find here?
I my get flogged for this answer, but we use the dry noodles from the ichiban soup packages . Just chuck the spice package in the garbage !
One day I accidentally made the dressing off the crispy noodle pack, it was way to sugary and made it inedible.
This is is such a great recipe and one of my go to salads!
This is sooo good! We served it with steak on top was such a good meal.
This was amazing – you are right, did not miss the change the dressing ingredients distribution – completely reminiscent of BBQs gone past where it was the best side! Thank you!!!
Yum. Simply perfect.
Nagi,
You comment the dressing will keep for 3 weeks. Does the dressing need to be refrigerated?
I love your recipes. The best!!!
This looks good.
This is delicious! And so simple to make. I have made it several times and it is always a hit. I roast packet noodles and crush them. Once I used chopped up cashew nuts as I didn’t have almonds and it was still great.
I make the dressing with 2tbsp white vinegar and 2tbsp mirin and leave out the extra sugar.
Thank you!
I am happy that you enjoyed it XPL!! N x
Hi Nagi
Am excited to try this as to be honest I haven’t met a recipe of yours that I’ve not loved!! You are my go to chef for any recipe I want to try.
I am afraid I am not a fan of sesame seed oil – is there a sub I could use pls?
You can leave it out Paula, or sub with a bit of neutral oil but it won’t have the same flavour in the dressing – the sesame is a big part of the flavour in this one! N x
Been using this recipe for years. Going back, the pkt said to heat the dressing mix then cool. Don’t we need to do this anymore? scared not to do it. First thing my son wanted been a return soldier 🙂
You don’t need to heat the dressing in this Gillian! N x