Ramp Up Your Ramen!
Top Ramen always gets a bad rap- but you know what? Sometimes it just really hits the spot! Growing up, top ramen was a cheap, easy meal, and as an adult- it’s still a cheap, easy meal haha. Especially being pregnant with number 7, I’m not always feeling up to making dinner, or spending the money on take-out.
But while top ramen is tasty and not nutritious by itself, you can actually do quite a bit to ramp up your ramen and make it a little more gourmet! Maybe you’re bored of regular ramen, or maybe you’re wanting to add a little protein or veggies to this carb-filled dish, but here are some ideas to take your top ramen to the next level!
- Change up the broth. Do you have a favorite bouillon brand, or Asian/Italian sauce you want to use? Toss out the flavoring packet and use your own sauce! Or keep the flavoring packet and instead of water, use canned broth and add some choice seasonings like ginger, fish paste, or garlic powder.
- Add milk. If you like the flavor of the seasoning packet but want some added creaminess, try adding a little coconut milk (or even cream!) in place of some of the water to make it a richer and more filling dish!
- Add a protein. This is super easy to do, and definitely a great way to make this meal more filling! Canned or rotisserie chicken is super easy, but you could also add shrimp, steak, tofu, or egg. The egg could either be soft or hard boiled, or even scrambled. You could even add a little bit of peanut butter to give it more of a Thai flavor!
- Add vegetables. I have used up so many celery or carrots that were starting to wilt by tossing them into ramen! It’s a great way to use up any veggie you might have in your fridge that needs to be used up and is maybe just a little too wilty to be eaten fresh (like spinach!). It’s also a great way to actually give your ramen some nutrition!
- Add a garnish! Cilantro, sesame seeds, green onions, parsley- it will give it some added flavor/texture, and give the dish a much prettier presentation.
- Cook up the noodles and cook with scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon for a super tasty breakfast!
- Make a stir fry! Forget the broth and cook up the noodles just using boiled water. Coat them with soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, etc and serve with your favorite stir-fry veggies and protein.
- Beef up any canned soup! Add ramen noodles to canned chicken noodle soup or veggie soup to make it thicker and tasty!
- Break up the uncooked noodles and use them as a crouton in salad or soup! I’ve had salad before with broken uncooked ramen noodles as a crouton and it was actually really good! I imagine it would work really well on top of soup as well!
- Here are some additional add-in ideas: lime juice, parmesan cheese, sriracha sauce, cream of chicken soup, crumbled bacon, miso paste, sesame oil, cream cheese- seriously, the sky’s the limit!
If you’re not feeling creative and want a little guidance, here are a couple recipes to try that look super delicious!
Cheese Ramen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Ingredients:
Cook time:
1 package (3 oz) instant ramen noodles (flavor packet removed)
2 cups water
1/3 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
scallions or green onions optional for garnishing
Directions:
Heat water in a pan or pot and bring the water to boiling hot.
Add ramen noodles and cook until al dente (tender).
Pour out water and add butter, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and grated cheese. Allow the cheese to melt slightly, then stir everything together until creamy.
Serve cheesy ramen hot garnishing with chopped scallions if adding.
Source: spoonsofflavor.com
Add ramen noodles and cook until al dente (tender).
Pour out water and add butter, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and grated cheese. Allow the cheese to melt slightly, then stir everything together until creamy.
Serve cheesy ramen hot garnishing with chopped scallions if adding.
Source: spoonsofflavor.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Upgraded Instant Ramen
Cook time:
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon cooking oils
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 handful sliced mushrooms
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 package instant ramen noodles (seasoning discarded)
1 handful fresh spinach
1 large egg
1 green onion, sliced
sriracha to taste
Directions:
Add the oil, garlic, and ginger to a small sauce pot and sauté over medium for about one minute.
Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about a minute more.
Add the broth and water, and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add the uncooked ramen noodles. Boil for about 3 minutes, or just until they are tender. Do not overcook the noodles.
Stir in the spinach until wilted. Turn the heat down to low, crack the egg into the broth, and let sit for about six minutes, or until the egg whites are cooked and the yolk is still runny.
Transfer the soup to one or two bowls, then top with sriracha and sliced green onion.
Source: budgetbytes.com
Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about a minute more.
Add the broth and water, and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add the uncooked ramen noodles. Boil for about 3 minutes, or just until they are tender. Do not overcook the noodles.
Stir in the spinach until wilted. Turn the heat down to low, crack the egg into the broth, and let sit for about six minutes, or until the egg whites are cooked and the yolk is still runny.
Transfer the soup to one or two bowls, then top with sriracha and sliced green onion.
Source: budgetbytes.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Tiktok Ramen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield: ["1"]
Cook time:
Yield: ["1"]
Ingredients:
1 package instant ramen noodles (Korean brand preferred)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 egg lightly beaten
1 teaspoon everything bagel spice or to taste
Directions:
Cook the ramen according to the package directions and drain well.
In a pan, heat up the butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. When the garlic is soft, stir in the brown sugar and soy sauce.
Add the drained noodles to the sauce and toss to coat. Push the noodles to one side of the pan.
Turn the heat up and add the lightly beaten egg to the pan. Scramble until set.
Enjoy hot topped with everything bagel spice.
Source: iamafoodblog.com
In a pan, heat up the butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. When the garlic is soft, stir in the brown sugar and soy sauce.
Add the drained noodles to the sauce and toss to coat. Push the noodles to one side of the pan.
Turn the heat up and add the lightly beaten egg to the pan. Scramble until set.
Enjoy hot topped with everything bagel spice.
Source: iamafoodblog.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
What’s your favorite way to eat ramen? Do you have any tricks you use to make it special? Share with us in the comments below!
Camille Hoffmann
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! camille@dvo.com
Sources:
- https://spoonsofflavor.com/cheese-ramen/
- https://www.budgetbytes.com/6-ways-to-upgrade-instant-ramen/?utm_content=bufferf96a4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=budgetbytesbuffer
- https://www.buzzfeed.com/farrahpenn/genius-ramen-hacks-that-people-swear-by
- https://iamafoodblog.com/tiktok-ramen/
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/djwtwo/24339533112
