3 Upgraded Ramen Bowls

January 9, 2017December 24, 2016 by Cameron E. Cook In recipes 1 Comment

Up until really, really recently, ramen was only for broke college students with two-burner stovetops. In the past few years, though, a whole industry of “real ramen” has hit the US; this stuff isn’t overly salty or fake tasting. It’s a huge bowl with noodles and broth and different add-ins, like tofu, nori and eggs.

Sometimes though, it’s hard to get that “real ramen” especially in the Midwest. So today I have three upgraded ways to eat your ramen. None of them use the flavor packet, and all the ingredients are available in Iowa grocery stores, if that tells you anything.

The first bowl is what I call Comfort Ramen. It’s the noodles, a little bit of the water they were cooked in and some steamed veggies, topped off with a little bit of soy sauce for more flavor. It sort of reminds me of a more European noodle soup with an Asian twist.

The second option is a thick, Thai inspired peanut ramen, coated with a thick sauce and topped with a few thin slices of bell pepper for crunch and freshness. This one is for people just getting into ramen, because it’s not very much like ramen at all.

The last dish is a Breakfast Ramen, topped with a squeeze of lime, some nori, an egg and a good helping of sriracha for a spicy kick. This is definitely the most involved but, in my opinion, the tastiest of the three.

These ramen bowls might not be “real ramen” but they’re lots healthier and tastier than your average college dorm fare. Comment which one you would try first, and enjoy!

Comfort Ramen

Ingredients

• 1 package ramen noodles
• 1 medium sized carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds
• ½ cup frozen green peas
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup soy sauce

Instructions

Set a small pot of water to boil. When it starts to simmer, add in your salt and ramen noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the ramen is soft, then scoop it out with a little bit of the water into a bowl.

Into the reserve water, put your peas and carrots. Let them cook for around 5 minutes on medium heat until the peas are completely thawed and the carrots are soft.

Add some vegetables to your bowl and drizzle with soy sauce.

Thai Peanut Ramen

Ingredients

• 1 package ramen noodles
• ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• bell pepper for garnish

Instructions

Set a small pot of water to boil. When it starts to simmer, add in your salt and ramen noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the ramen is soft, and then drain.

In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha and rice vinegar. Add your hot noodles and mix until everything is coated in sauce, then garnish with bell pepper slices and serve.

Breakfast Ramen

Ingredients

• 1 package ramen noodles
• juice of ½ lime
• 1 egg
• 1 small sheet nori, cut into shapes
• sriracha
• sesame seeds

Instructions

Set a small pot of water to boil. When it starts to simmer, add in your salt and ramen noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the ramen is soft, then scoop it out with a little bit of the water into a bowl and squeeze with some lime juice, to taste.

Fry your egg sunny side up or over easy, then place it on top of your ramen. Tuck the nori into the bowl and top with sriracha and sesame seeds.