- Butter and Milk. If you’re looking to elevate your instant noodle experience, all you’ll need is two ingredients: butter and milk. …
- Kimchi. …
- Fried Bacon and Egg. …
- Peanut Butter and Sriracha Sauce. …
- Sliced Cheese. …
- Sesame Oil and Soy Sauce. …
- Garlic and Soy Sauce. …
- Canned meat.
Confession time: sometimes I actually like instant ramen. I don’t consume them frequently, perhaps once a year, but when I’m in the mood, I’m totally not above grabbing a packet of instant noodles and chowing down. Over the years, I’ve discovered 6 simple ways to transform instant ramen so that it might actually be considered a meal AND utilize the leftovers in my kitchen at the same time. I will therefore share them with you today because doing so is a win-win situation.
Yes, the bowl in the picture above contains instant ramen. And those upgrades were pretty inexpensive.
Obviously, the best way to improve instant ramen is to simply purchase real ramen (from a restaurant or high-quality noodles from an Asian grocery store), but that isn’t the topic of today’s discussion.
We’re talking about the situation in which your only option or preferred option is the reasonably priced little ramen packets that are readily available in almost any American grocery or convenience store. In that case, here are some options for you to consider!
What Ingredients Go Well With Cup Noodles?
Japanese cup noodles have found their way into pantries worldwide. Cup noodle flavors come in a variety of varieties, and you can easily find them at convenience stores and supermarkets. The majority of consumers simply add hot water to the cup noodles and eat them as is, but quite a few Japanese consumers upgraded their cup noodles by adding other ingredients to make it even more delicious. We will introduce some of those ingredients to you in this article, along with the cup noodles they pair best with.
Although there are other varieties of cup noodles with soy sauce flavors available, this is likely the most popular in all of Japan.
The accompanying seasoning will give you a flavorful soup even without the bonito flakes. However, we advise adding the bonito flakes if you want your cup noodles to resemble a steaming bowl of ramen. After adding hot water, sprinkle bonito flakes over the dry noodles. You would be amazed at the results. You’ll probably even consume the last drop of the flavorful soup because it has more depth.
Although Umaibo may appear to be a straightforward corn snack, it is actually a very popular Japanese snack, and some tourists purchase them as mementos to return to their family and friends. We advise you to add some corn soup-flavored Umaibo to your hot cup noodles, though other flavored Umaibos are of course equally delicious. Your cup noodles will have more texture thanks to the crunchy umaibo pieces, and if you close your eyes, it might even taste like tempura.
Add hot water and half a teaspoon of lemon juice to the cup of noodles, and wait patiently until the noodles are ready. When they are, add some black pepper to it. The cup noodles would become a bowl of Southeast Asian noodles thanks to the lemon juice’s tartness and black pepper’s spicy flavor. Dont be afraid of the black pepper. How much it can improve the flavor of your cup noodles may astound you.
When your cup noodles are finished, stir in one tablespoon of peanut butter. No, we are not kidding. You can make a flavorful cup noodle version of Dandan noodles by mixing some peanut butter into your noodles.
Another well-liked brand of cup noodles available is one with salt flavor. We typically eat a lot of vegetables with our salt-flavored ramen in Japan. So finding dehydrated vegetables in our salt-flavored cup noodles would not be shocking. Let’s now discuss the additional ingredients you can add to salt-flavored ones to enhance their flavor.
Due to the intense heat and high humidity in Japan during the summer, many people frequently experience loss of appetite and other health issues. Since many Japanese people used umeboshis to help boost their appetite during the summer, the idea of putting umeboshi in cup noodles originated from them. Try it; it makes for a wonderful pick-me-up during the summer.
Salted konbu is frequently eaten with onigiris or with cucumbers and cabbage. But did you know that it also pairs well with cup noodles? For those who desire greater depth in their salt-flavored cup noodles, we advise you to incorporate some salted konbu into it, but use caution as the flavor will become overpowering if you add too much.
If you’ve ever eaten Japanese soba, you probably already know that we add wasabi to our dipping sauce when eating soba noodles in Japan. The simple salt-flavored soup will get just the right amount of heat from it, but be careful—adding too much could have unfavorable consequences!
Outside of Japan, miso-flavored cup noodles may be difficult to find, but if you do manage to find some at home, you might want to try the suggested toppings below. Although it works well with a variety of ingredients, you can get inventive and experiment with other regional ingredients as well.
Although it is believed that Japanese people cannot really tolerate spicy food, Korean food is popular in Japan, and an increasing number of Japanese are coming to appreciate the distinct spicy flavor that one gets from Korean food. Gochujang, a common ingredient in Korean cuisine, pairs superbly with cup noodles flavored with miso. You can put as much as you like into your cup of noodles to make a delicious cup of soup that is flavored in the Korean style.
Instead of hot water, use warm milk with the cup of noodles and a teaspoon of curry powder. You can also add some butter to it for a richer flavor and to replicate the famous Miso Curry Milk Ramen from Aomori!
The creamy seafood stock in these cup noodles appeals to female customers. With this one, you can probably be the most inventive because it pairs well with so many different ingredients!
In Japan, there are a lot of people who love mayonnaise. These people are known by the nickname [Mayola]. Given the number of mayonnaise fans in Japan, it would be expected to find a sizable number of people dipping their cup noodles in mayonnaise. We’ve tried it, and it complements seafood-flavored ones really well. You should also add cheese if you aren’t on a diet!
Add some warm tomato juice to your cup noodles along with the hot water. When your noodles are finished, give the soup a good swirl and take a sip while it’s still hot. Now doesn’t it taste like a delicious bowl of Italian soup? For a richer flavor, add some shredded cheese. It tastes just as good to add tomato juice to your cup noodles with curry flavor!
Instead of hot water, use warm soy milk this time. Your cup noodles with seafood flavor will taste better, and since soy milk is made from soy beans, it is also more nutritious and healthier.
Curry flavored cup noodles is good just by itself. It’s wonderful without having to add anything, but occasionally we need a little extra something to liven things up.
Get a pack of shredded cheese before you consume your next serving of cup noodles with a curry flavor. The ones you use as pizza toppings will also work So, after adding the hot water, top the mixture with the chopped cheese and let the noodles steep. Always remember to cover your noodles when they are steeping. When the noodles are finished, combine them with the curry-flavored soup and melt some cheese on top. For a richer flavor, you can also opt to use less hot water and more cheese. It’s also advised to mix shredded cheese into cup noodles with seafood flavor.
They claim that instant coffee powder is the secret to making a delicious curry. Just one teaspoon of it is all you need. To those who prefer more depth in their curry-flavored cup noodles, we highly recommend this because the coffee powder brings out a rich, deep flavor.
This is not recommended for the faint-hearted. Additionally, some Japanese people refuse to consider this to be food. Additionally, cream puffs can be added to soy sauce- and miso-flavored desserts. Although adding cream to cup noodles would technically turn your soup into a cream stew because the cream in a cream puff is a dairy product, we wouldn’t argue with anyone who believes that cream puffs should be consumed on their own as they are.
Use ramen noodles as the base for a yakisoba stir-fry.
Instant ramen noodles should be boiled, drained, and then fried with your choice of vegetables, protein, and sauce. The ramen flavor packet can also be used to season the fried noodle dish.
This is a yakisoba hack as well as an instant ramen hack because traditional yakisoba noodles are typically a little more expensive than instant ramen.
Get the full recipe here.
My Favorite Quick Fix Upgrade Combo
Although the bowl in these photos is sort of the ultimate example of how to improve instant ramen, on an average day I kind of vacillate between the plain and the ultimate version. Here is how I usually upgrade my instant ramen:
Then, based on the other items I have in my kitchen, I might add some other fun items, like what you see in the pictures. :).
FAQ
What tastes good with cup noodles?
- Bonito flakes. The accompanying seasoning will give you a flavorful soup even without the bonito flakes.
- Umaibo. …
- Lemon Juice and Black Pepper. …
- Peanut Butter. …
- Umeboshi (Japanese Pickled Plums) …
- Salted Konbu (Salted Kelp) …
- Wasabi. …
- Gochujang.
What seasoning goes good with cup noodles?
- Sriracha. Sriracha is an option for those seeking a different kind of kick in the form of heat.
- Peanut Butter. …
- Dried Seaweed. …
- Furikake. …
- Kimchi. …
- Miso Paste. …
- Soy Sauce. …
- Eggs.
What to add to noodles to make them tasty?
- Pesto. This traditional Italian sauce is made with basil, parmesan, and garlic cloves, which gives it its distinctive green color.
- Cheese slices. …
- Sesame seeds and flaxseeds. …
- Edamame beans. …
- Pumpkin. …
- Sriracha. …
- Mushrooms. …
- Chilli and lime.
