Hello Y’all!

I’m coming back with another quick and easy nutritious meal. Today I am giving my spin on Ramen. So as a child who grew up in Japan, I love a good bowl of Ramen. However, I could do without the high caloric intake and the spike in carbs to enjoy it. I make a quick and dirty version that is, easily adaptable for all nutrient diets and tastes WAY better than the packaged stuff you buy for 10¢ at the grocery store.

I used what I had handy for this recipe. To increase the nutritious value, I’d recommend packing on the vegetables. I’d replace the kale with bok choy or spinach, they’re softer and easier to chew with the noodles. Also, peppers, other types of mushrooms, fresh onion (scallion), and garlic are also good additives for better depth of flavor. If including these, I would stir fry the vegetables together, adding the longer cooking vegetables first and the others last, or adding the easier cooking vegetables in raw to the ramen broth.

For other options for toppings, I recommend a soft boiled egg and other protein sources (see below). The protein will really make or break the ramen, so choose wisely and season heavy. Remember that the protein is going into a broth. While the broth is seasoned, your noodles are not. Keep that in mind. I chose to use chicken thighs that were already marinated and cooked. They were marinated in a Mexican style seasoning with lime, chilis, and cilantro. This was a great hint of interest to the dish. You can marinate your protein choice in any spices you desire. I prefer honey sriracha glaze and/or smokey soy seasoning pallets for the best fit, but you can experiment with what works best for you. There are many protein choices you can use for the dish: shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, tempeh, tofu, etc. Regardless of which you choose, ensure that it has a firmer texture to offer some contrast to the noodles. For my chicken thighs, I cooked them a little harder than usual (partially because it was rewarmed) so it would hold up in the broth.

For a vegan option, I’d recommend marinating, pan frying, and/or deep frying the tofu to give it a meatier texture. I’d also like to note that the noodles from the recipe are certified vegan ramen. Also, the noodles are a bit lower in caloric intake than Top Ramen or Maruchan, so take that into consideration as well. While this company makes some vegan options for ramen broth, all of the ones I’ve seen are either a bit watery or they have ingredients I can’t consume. This is why I chose to make my own. For a keto or low carb, you can use konjac noodles and lower carb vegetables.

For the broth, you can go as big, bold, and flavorful as you would like. If you are starting with raw protein, cook your protein first, then your vegetables, and lastly build your broth around the seasoned pan. Also, cooking with the fresh vegetables will build a bolder and bigger broth flavor to require less seasoning. Adding fresh chilis and hot sauce will add a healthy kick on the back end as well.

For seasoning, I used onion powder, minced dried onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Adding a bit of toasted sesame oil, nori, miso paste, and chili oil are additions that will add rounder flavors to the pallet.

WIth all of the suggestions, the Ramen procedure I use is the same. First, I prepped my produce. I cut my carrots into sticks. You can use shredded carrots. I washed and cleaned my kale. I included the stems for more fiber, but, again, a softer green is a preferred option. I also bought pre-cut shiitake mushrooms, but, again, a good mushroom blend would be a perfect balance or at least adding thinly sliced mutton mushrooms to the end will SET IT OFF!.

To cook the vegetables, I sautéed my carrots in a bit of oil. I used olive oil, but a lighter less flavorful oil is preferred (vegetable oil). I did not season my carrots, but a little salt does hurt. Also, I cook them so they are still firm. Cook to your desired preference. I removed my carrots, then sautéed my mushrooms.

I cook my shiitake mushrooms in a specific way that brings out a meatier texture and bolder flavor within them. This will add roundness to the broth later. If you don’t cook your mushrooms as long, you will have to build more of those umami flavors when building the broth. I put my washed shiitakes in a HOT pan with the heat on medium-hot. I ensure that there’s a little oil left from the carrots. I generously salt the mushrooms and leave them, stirring so they don’t burn, until they are golden brown. Once brown, I flip and repeat until shriveled. At this point I removed the mushrooms, but you can add a little soy sauce to the pan if you’d like. This will leave more to work with for the broth later.

Then, I add my cut kale and about 2 tbsp of water and steam with out a lid. I stir frequently. Depending on the size of your kale pieces, the kale will steam in about 2 minutes. Once bright green, I season with seasoning salt, garlic powder, and minced dried onion flakes. I then sauté the kale for a few minutes until the edges of the leaves are slightly brown. This builds more of those full mouth flavors and makes the kale easier to digest. If you are using bok choy or spinach, do not cook before hand. Add these to your broth with your ramen. At this point, remove the kale and allow to rest.

Once all of your toppings are prepped, you can build your broth. I started with two cups of water to deglaze the pan. I used a hard plastic spoon in a nonstick skillet for this, but the flavors are better built in a metal bottom pan with a whisk in my opinion. Once I’ve gotten as many of the little bits off the bottom of the pan, I add the dry seasonings except salt. You’ll notice everything sits on the surface. Just stir it in as you can. Also, I would skimp on the black pepper. Leave the spice to the chili elements in the dish. (Thank me later.) After a few seconds, allowing the seasonings to melt with the broth flavors, I add the soy sauce and sriracha. This may seem like a lot of soy sauce, but we have not salted our broth yet, and remember that the noodles are not salted. I then taste the broth and add salt to my desired flavoring. Once well seasoned, bring to a boil.

At this point, just assemble your bowl. Add you ramen to the bottom. Then add your broth. Cover and allow to sit for 3 minutes, or until the noodles are tender, per the package instructions. Add your toppings, stir and enjoy. It seems like a lot, but it’s just that simple. With 10 easy steps, you’ll throw away your seasoning packets every time!