Simple Add-Ins to Boost Your Ramen Experience
The simplest and fastest way to make an instant noodle bowl seem better is to use ingredients that don’t need to be cooked further. Im talking simple sauces and condiments like:
This is especially simple for me to do because I am a condiment hoarder (I have a whole double-layered shelf in my fridge, in addition to the entire door and a full pantry cabinet devoted to them). It’s important to avoid using too many competing flavors at once. This is a common error I make after spending a long night out: I think that the more hangover remedies there are, the better. Not the case. Keep it simple. Remember that part of the seasoning packet should be left out if you are using a salty sauce. You can also add:
- Try adding a cinnamon stick, star anise, and coriander seeds to the simmering broth (be sure to remove them before serving!) or adding spices like white pepper, sichuan pepper, or chile flakes to the finished dish!
- fats such as chile oil, toasted sesame oil, or animal fat (duck, chicken, or pork are all fantastic options)
- Citrus juices: Squeezing a little lemon or lime just before serving can greatly enhance the flavor.
But imagine this scenario: Youre in college, the power went out in your dorm room, and you obviously had no choice but to finish all the beer in the fridge rather than let it warm up. Youre hungry, but you cant use the water kettle. Keanu Reeves pops up in your brain and asks: What do you do? What do you do?
The solution is as follows: simply crumple the noodles in the bag, rip off a corner, add the seasoning packet, shake it up while holding the ripped corner, and then eat. Lick your fingers clean after this one. It tastes like Cheetos, but instead of orange cheese, you’re eating “Oriental flavor” fingers. “.
Step One: Hit the Notes
You only need to hit a note in each of the following four categories to make your noodle bowl better: spicy, sweet, sour (and/or acidic), and salty (and/or umami). You definitely have some of the options in your pantry! I’ve included a ton of options in each category below!
Adding Vegetables to Instant Ramen
Lets face it: Ramen aint health food. However, adding a small amount of roughage to your starch is quite easy.
- Just before serving, add some quick-cooking veggies to the soup, such as baby spinach, romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, thinly sliced cabbage, watercress, and scallions. They should wilt in a matter of seconds.
- As the noodles cook, you can add longer-cooking veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, snow peas, shredded carrots, and anything else you want. I have faith in you, young grasshopper, even though it might take some adjusting to get the timing exactly right.
- Vegetables from the freezer can be quite useful; in particular, frozen corn and peas freeze quite well, often tasting much better than when they were fresh! To defrost them, I prefer to run them under hot water directly from the faucet for about 30 seconds. Just before serving, they can be drained and immediately added to the hot soup.