Confession time: sometimes I actually like instant ramen. You know, those cheap little packets of salty noodles that only cost 30¢? I don’t eat them often, maybe once per year, but when I get the craving I love grabbing a packet of instant noodles and going to town with all sorts of add-ins and toppings. Over the years I’ve found 6 easy ways to upgrade my instant ramen, to the point where it feels like fancy ramen and can qualify as a legit meal. Plus, I get to use up the leftovers in my kitchen at the same time! So I’m going to share what I add to instant ramen to make it better because it’s a total win-win.
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Can you believe that’s instant ramen in that bowl in that photo?? And those upgrades were pretty inexpensive.
Now it’s obvious that the best way to make instant ramen better is to just get real ramen noodles from a restaurant or from an Asian grocery store, but that’s not what we’re talking about today.
We’re talking about what you can add to those inexpensive little ramen packets to make them better. Ingredients that you can find in your fridge or just about any grocery or convenience store. So, when cheap ramen packets are what you’ve got, here’s how you can spice up your instant ramen and turn it into a bowl of fancy ramen!
What to Add to Ramen
Instant ramen is a blank slate for all sorts of flavors and ingredients, so you can really have fun when customizing your bowl! Here is a summary of some of the ingredients that I like to add to a bowl of instant ramen to really spice it up:
- Broth: experiment with using your own broth and different flavors of broth (vegetable, coconut, curry, shrimp base, etc.)
- Aromatics: Adding a few fresh aromatics, like garlic, ginger, or scallions, can really add a lot of depth to the flavor of your broth.
- Sauces: scour your fridge for sauces that you can stir into the bowl, like sriracha, chili crisp, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, or even peanut butter.
- Vegetables: Instant ramen is a great way to use up leftover vegetables in your fridge. They add color, flavor, and texture to every bite!
- Protein: Make your bowl a little heartier by adding in some rotisserie chicken, cooked shrimp, a soft-boiled egg, or some tofu.
- Toppers: I like to add a little flair at the end, whether it be something for texture like sesame seeds or furikake, or something fresh like cilantro. It’s just another layer of delicious that takes the ramen over the top!
how to Make Ramen Better – Step by Step
1. Use Your Own Broth
Skip the flavoring packet and use your own broth, whatever kind you prefer. I like to use either vegetable or chicken-flavored Better Than Bouillon (I do half broth, half water to keep the salt down), but you could also use a homemade bone broth, dashi, or even just some miso mixed with water. Not only does this give you more control over the salt and other ingredients, but it offers you a lot of flavor options!
2. Add Aromatics
Upgrading instant ramen is all about the add-ins, and that begins with adding fresh aromatics to your broth to really give the flavor some oomph. I like to add fresh garlic, ginger, and green onion. I usually have all three of these on hand (I keep my ginger in the freezer), so it’s a no-brainer. Plus, fresh ginger gives the soup a pleasant medicinal quality that is great when you’re under the weather.
TIP: Mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Sauté both in a little oil for a minute or so before adding your broth to the pot. The green onion can either be sprinkled over top at the end, sautéed with the ginger and garlic, or both!
3. Sauce it Up
If you’re like me, you have no less than 20 half-used bottles of sauces in your fridge. Well, Instant ramen is a great way to use up some of those sauces. You can stir sambal, chili garlic sauce, sriracha, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, gochujang, soy sauce, or any number of other sauces into your broth for more flavor. Or add them to the finished bowl as a sort of table seasoning.
TIP: Adding sauces usually comes with added salt, so keep this in mind when choosing your broth. That is one reason I like to do half broth and half water—it gives me more wiggle room to add sauces later.
4. Add Vegetables
I looooove my bowl of ramen packed full of vegetables. This is where spicing up instant ramen gets really fun and useful. Browse your fridge for any vegetable that might need to be used up, like carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, and more. You can also toss in frozen vegetables, like broccoli florets, peas, or corn.
TIP: If you don’t have any vegetables in your fridge, stop by the salad bar at your local grocery and grab a small handful or two of your favorite vegetables. That way you don’t have to buy a whole package of each one. You can also score proteins like tofu (see photo above) or rotisserie chicken to toss in there.
5. Add a Protein
My favorite protein to add to my ramen is an egg because it’s just so easy and I always have them (soft boiled egg or hard boiled egg). But there are so many more options! Tofu cubes, sliced tempeh, rotisserie chicken, ground pork (browned), shelled edamame, pulled pork, shrimp, you name it!
TIP: You can crack a raw egg straight into your simmering broth and let it cook for about 6 minutes. Make sure the broth is not vigorously boiling or the egg will break apart into a million pieces and just make the broth cloudy. For the egg in the photo above, I cooked it separately, using my easy 6-minute Soft Boiled Egg method, and then added it to the finished bowl.
6. Top it Off
Time to go wild! Top off your ramen with lots of fun goodies to give your bowl flavor, color, and texture. Here are some things to add to ramen:
- Sriracha
- Kimchi
- Sesame seeds
- Crumbled bacon
- Nori (dried seaweed)
- Fresh herbs (cilantro, Thai basil, chives)
- Sesame oil
- Crushed chiles
- Furikake
- Fresh lime
And that’s it! That’s all it takes to turn a sad little packet of instant noodles into a truly epic bowl of fancy ramen that I’m sure I’d probably pay at least $8 for in a restaurant.
My Favorite Instant Ramen Recipe:
The bowl of instant ramen shown in the photos here is the ultimate representation of how to make ramen better, but on a regular run-of-the-mill day, I kind of go halfway between plain and the ultimate version. Here is my favorite upgraded ramen recipe:
Upgraded Instant Ramen
Servings 1 to 2Ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 handful sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 package instant ramen (seasoning discarded)
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- 1 large egg
- 1 green onion, sliced
- sriracha to taste
Instructions
- 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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Garlic Press
- White Cutting Boards
- Grater
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!And then depending on whatever else I have in my kitchen, I might add some other fun stuff in, like in the photos. :) Want to meal prep it? Check out our Meal Prep Noodle Soup Jars!
Try These Other Instant Ramen Recipes:
What About You?
Share your favorite ways to spice up instant ramen in the comments below! I love reading all the unique and creative ingredient combinations people come up with for their ramen!
I tried the noted Ramen recipe at the bottom and followed it exactly. It was very bland which was disappointing considering the reviews. It should be noted there is a lot of good pointers on how to make ramen better in the article, my review is specifically for the recipe at the bottom. Very bland
Audio started playing anytime I opened this webpage, so irritating!
I agree. I usually listen to podcasts while cooking dinner and the video ads on this site always interrupt them. The solution I found is to copy the recipe text into Microsoft word and follow it from there.
You can also hit “print” and it opens a simple ad-free version with no ads in another window! :)
Fondly enough I’ve been doing this same doctored ramen trick for months! I keep vegetables in season in my freezer to add and my meals have never been better!
Lol bags out 30c noodles as once a year thing on a budget food website, meanwhile people like me rely on them to be able to afford to eat. Classy writing.
One interesting thing to do with plain ramen is – after boiling it, dump the water/broth, then fry it in olive oil at medium heat (you need to play with settings on your stove) You come up with a delightful crunchy/crispy snack you can nibble on all night.
This showed up in a perfect time! I just visited my local Asian food store and came home with a 12 pack of ramen noodles – just the woven noodles – no flavor pouches to throw away. This gives me a great head start on taking them from bland to grand!
This is good, but I confess that your Ramen with mixed vegetables, coconut milk, and curry powder remains my all time favorite Ramen recipe. I love that I can use the broth packet that comes with the ramen, and the additions can easily be packed to take to work and cooked in the microwave. Sometimes I go all out and add chicken or tofu as well.
I am always interested in finding new recipes and new ways to cook with simple on hand ingredients. Anything you have throw my way. There are just two of us to feed. Sue
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and really love it! I’d been looking for ways to make instant ramen feel more like a proper meal, and this one is easier for me than a lot of other ones I found (cooking has always been stressful for me). I hadn’t considered hitting up a salad bar to avoid wasting produce and for things I don’t keep on hand!
I make a soft-boiled egg beforehand and let it chill in the ice bath while I make the ramen. I used 2 cups of water instead of broth, since I didn’t have any, then added some frozen corn and a couple dashes of sesame oil. I toss in about half of the seasoning packet with the noodles, then top with the egg and the recommended toppings. Definitely going to experiment more going forward!
Wow, you did a great job with that, Connor! I was reading your review and it struck me, I’ve had the problem in the past regarding not having broth on hand and having to use water. Water lacks the flavor that broth offers. SO, I want to share with you that I bought veggie cubes at Whole Foods and keep them handy. Just boil some water and drop a block or two in and voila! You ALWAYS have broth on hand!
Now I can’t think of eating my Ramen any other way! It made it and it is SO good!!
Yummy.
I made your Meal Prep Noodle Soup Jars and lands sakes these are so great! I had 2 in one day they are so good. The broth is so delicious and the mushrooms give such great texture. The ramen noodles are great along with the spinach. I used toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. I am going to try a variation with a wild rice blend to see if they would work for my gluten free sister. As always, your recipes are always great to try as you explain why you use the ingredients and technics that you do! Keep up the great work.
What if the packet you buy has hella bussin flavouring? I genuinely eat so much of it that my intestines are made of ramen
I make a sheet pan “stir fry” with veggies and tofu in some sort of sauce. The leftovers are wonderful additions to ramen. I either add them to the cooked noodles and have a veggie noodle soup OR drain the noodles and create a lo mein-like noodle bowl.
PS Your spicy peanut ramen is the BOMB! It’s what’s for dinner tonight.
nice
Oh, sorry, I don’t have a recipe for you. I wish I did! I would be making them already haha. I was just leaving a comment to thank you for your ideas and recipes. Love them. I hope to see many, many more!
These are all great Ideas, but if you are going to go that far, why not just add a healthy noodle too? ;) I like whole grain spaghettini, or a store bought ramen noodle.
My favourite way to start my ramen is with a little garlicolio and at least a half cup of coleslaw mix… most of your veg is already chopped that way!
My favourite extra is one tteok bokki in the bottom of the bowl. Also an egg soft fried in gochuyang.
Thanks for the ideas… ramen really is one of the things that makes me look forward to winter!
Why wouldn’t you put the egg and the ramen into the boiling water at the same time to avoid overcooking the noodles? Nothing is worse than overcooked noodles.
You should def crack the egg into the broth first, as the noodles take just a few minutes to cook.
Nice!! Good Ideas I’m trying this tonight!!
Tell me more about keeping ginger in the freezer!!!! Can you do this with garlic too?
While you can freeze garlic, I go through it so fast that I generally don’t. :) To freeze the ginger, I just wash it well and then pop it into a freezer bag. Grating it while frozen is so much easier than when fresh!
Thanks for the inspiration. Bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic and spinach, fish sauce, soy and some chili garlic paste with pork and one poached egg. I won’t ever eat this plain Jane again. Thanks!
I love this!! I didn’t have onion, mushroom or spinach, but it was really good! I added some butter and soy sauce over the bowl, some salt and pepper, and it made it delicious!!
Hi! I want to make this with my students in a cooking class but one has a coconut allergy. What is the best alternative….seeing everything from soy milk to greek yogurt online. Thank you!
For this I’d use something like heavy cream to give a similar effect. :)
Made a delicious ramen using these tips and what I had on hand. I used shrimp mushrooms bell pepper cilantro soy sauce sesame oil siracha egg and oyster sauce. It was delicious!
Definitely helps instant ramen better. I added some salt otherwise wonderful.
Was good but not a lot of flavor. I recommend adding half of the flavor packet, a full packet might be too much. But adding a half packet and the recipe is perfect.
wrong
Made this tonight for dinner and was a success with cooking the egg at the end. I was afraid that the yolk would be runny when I cracked the egg and it did not. I flipped the egg at the end so the egg whites formed on top of the egg. Husband loved it would add more spinach next time.
I put in leftover meatballs, micro greens, sesame seeds, chili crisp, and a drizzle of sesame oil. SO GOOD.
What spices do you add if you don’t add the spice packet from the ramen? I am trying to make my ramen fresh since my son loves it but I’m afraid of all the sodium he eats. He eats ramen 4-5 times a week!
Instead of the packet included with the noodles, I added fresh garlic and ginger and used my preferred broth (Better Than Bouillon). You can see what I used in the recipe card at the bottom of the page. :)
Herb-Ox makes sodium-free boullion. It’s wallet-friendly and is a great base. Just add salt or salted ingredients to taste.
But the photo looks different from the recipe you’ve put. I see tofu and a soft boiled egg. Added a different from photo from a different recipe maybe??
Yes, the recipe card is my “basic” version and if you read the steps outlined in the blog post with all the photos I talk about all the variations, including what I used the day that I took the photos. It’s all explained in the blog post. :)
I agree. I don’t want to be forced to read such a lengthy blog post just to find out the picture I clicked on is entirely different from the recipe given. Click bait? In actuality it makes you lose stars. The recipe may be great! So let it stand on its own merits. The deception was unnecessary.
Dude, it’s a blog post about a modular recipe. It’s not a step-by-step thing. It’s a mix-and-match, choose-your-own-adventure type thing. The recipe card at the bottom is just an example to get you started.
Though I guess you’d have to read the first paragraph, all six sentences of it!
Calling this post “click-bait” just because you don’t want to expend the tiny effort required is ridiculously insulting.
Yeah, that guy is being ridiculous. What you’re doing here is exactly what I had in mind. I searched for an article like this to get extra ideas for what I might be missing. Good job on this.
After further review, this recipe seems more like a 3 star recipe. I am curious how the bot will respond.
There is no bot. First-time commenters are held in moderation until I can personally read the comment and make sure it’s not spam.
This seems like a decent recipe. I’m going to list as 4 stars to see if it goes through what I expect is automated moderation.
Why are you like this
Back in college my best friend and I were on very tight budgets. Her way of preparing ramen quickly became our go-to spent-grocery-money-on-books meal. Boil up the ramen, drain (reserve broth to drink), stir in toasted sesame oil, chili paste with garlic, and grated parmesan to taste (it will cut the burn if you put in too much chili paste).
Now she can’t have wheat any more and she was missing this, until she found 100% buckwheat ramen. Now she can have it again!
I agree; this is my go-to “clean out the fridge” or “guess I should eat some extra veggies today” meal. I’ve been really into collard greens lately, and I have found that ramen is a great place to use the chopped stems! I basically use them in place of celery, so lately I have been doing a sliced onion, sliced carrot, handful of collard stems, ginger, garlic, some collard leaves, and a few sliced mushrooms if I have them. I love a soft boiled egg in it, but often I forget and just have to fry one at the end. I recently tried it with the last of my bag of frozen meatballs, which I heated in a sauté pan with hoisin sauce and cider vinegar to give them a sort of glaze. That was pretty legit, too.
Wow, I wish I’d known about this in college! It’s a great sweep-the-fridge kind of meal – I used up some chard and green onions I had lying around. That, plus a soft-boiled egg and your delicious broth made the perfect easy dinner on a cold, rainy, tired-and-don’t-wanna-cook night! Tomorrow I’m thinking I’ll use up some leftover tofu, broccoli, and peanut sauce from your soy-marinated tofu bowls recipe. And then maybe your creamy mushroom ramen after that – the possibilities are endless!
Why discard the seasoning packet? Because of the siracha?
Yes, because I add all my own custom seasonings and broth. You can certainly do the packet if you prefer, but if you do both, it will probably be overkill. :)
I made meatballs with rice/gravy/veggies but my niece wanted ramen :( and I just can’t see myself eating plain ramen with the flavor packet! So glad I found these recommendations! I added what I had on hand (carrot, garlic, green onion) and WOW! It adds a mellow, yet noticeable flavor change! I then topped it with chili garlic sauce and now this is going to be my go to rainy day meal :) going to try with mushrooms next time! Thanks for sharing!
I love to add corn and sometimes beans. Also I saw online about mixing in egg to make creamy along with butter (kind of like carbonara).
I just have a few questions, 1) when in the cooking process do you add things like the red pepper strips & tofu, and 2) should I pan-fry the tofu first before I add it? I am really looking forward to making this dish for my family as we experienced something similar in a Japanese market in Hawaii and everyone loved it.
Thanks.
Megan
I just add those things in toward the end. :) Instant ramen noodles cook very quickly, so I add the extras when the noodles are almost done. You can pan fry the tofu first if you’d like, it’s totally up to your personal preferences. The tofu I used was smoked, so it was already very flavorful without me having to do anything extra to it.
It was super easy to make and super yummy in the end.
I usually will make my ramen how it says to on the instructions with my stove, however afterwards I’ll usually put my own little spin on t a little bit different every time. However usually after I make the noodles I’ll make two scrambled eggs, cut up a green onion, cut up a slice of an onion, cut of a small chunck of a broccoli head (depending on my mood), add two strips of diced bacon, some cilantro leaves, black pepper, and occasionally some thyme leaves. It’s probably my favorite way to make it.
Dang …thats sounds hell of good im going to try that today. Lol
Miso and Easy (instant miso soup mix in a condiment bottle) has been a game changer for me. Spinach, roasted corn, shredded carrot, and poached egg are probably my favorite add ins that I usually have on hand, krab if I’ve got it.
For my noodles I cook them for five minutes in a microwave and then I add Thai chili sauce and whatever seasoning. Sometimes I’ll even add a bit of soy sauce or an egg. For me this is always the perfect meal to eat when I get home from school.
Ultimate ramen:
In saucepan:
2tbsp cooking oil
1 minced garlic clove
Sauté for about a minute.
Add some chopped veggies (I used a few tbsps of the Kroger chopped Cajun mix) and half to all of a 5 oz can of drained chikn breast chunks.
Let that sauté with a few stirs until it smells awesome. Couple minutes.
Then add one cup of chikn broth and one cup of water.
Bring to a boil.
Add one smashed brick of ramen noodles (throw out the nasty flavor pack)
Once the noodles are done, reduce to low heat, and crack a large egg into the broth.
Let that simmer until the white is cooked and the yolk is still runny, then stir it into the broth
Decant into a bowl, and pig out.
Also put shredded cheddar and louisiana brand hot sauce on top.
I am an outdoors guy and when I was a kid me and my nephew would fix ramen noodles on the stove and put it in a thermos and go for a half mile walk and sit under a cedar tree and eat like we were on some grand adventure. . To this day I still take ramen to the woods .. I will do this with my son when he gets older
ALL OF THE ABOVE IDEAS ARE SOUNDING GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I AM EVEN GONNA TRY SOME…. IN ADDITION, I SOMETIMES MAKE RAMENETTI, RAMEN NOODLE WITH SAUCE AND MEATBALLS,(SMALL OR LARGE), MAKE WHAT I NEED FROM A POUND OF GROUND, THEN FREEZE THE REST FOR ANOTHER TIME. I ALSO KINDA LIKE RAMEN AND CHEESE, (MY ALTERNATE TO MAC AND CHEESE), THE CHEESE MELTS REAL NICE IN THE HOT NOODLES, AND, IF YOU LIKE, ADD A LITTLE BUTTER/OR MILK, THEN, IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER, ADD SOME FROZEN VEGGIES FOR ANTOTHER MEAL ON ANOTHER DAY………….. COUNTLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH THE RAMEN NOODLE, AND STILL AFFORDABLE FOR JUST ABOUT ANYBODY.
Crush noodles and microwave in one cup of plain water for three minutes. Mix the spice powder with one cup of mayonnaise. Drain the noodles and mix well with the mayonnaise mixture. Add a can of chicken and fresh or frozen broccoli and microwave until desired heat and tenderness.
So.. I dont have anything in my fridge because of corona so I ended up making normal ramen with carrots and hot dogs.
I tried it, absolutely delicious. Gave me a reason to use all the potatoes and onions I had left over, fried them together in a pan and added them to the ramen recipe. It was the greatest.
I keep a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the freezer and cans of mushroom stems and pieces in the pantry. I microwave a chicken thigh and add the resultant broth to the ramen pot along with low-sodium bullion and water. I always add an egg to the last 30 seconds of cooking time. This is just enough time for the egg to cook. I leave the egg hole for a creamy effect or scramble it for egg drop soup effect. Top with sliced scallions. For a hot and sour soup version, add white pepper and rice vinegar to taste at the end.
Looks delicious!
Buying veggies off a store salad bar is just about the most expensive way to buy vegs. If you need convenience and you’re already in a grocery store, buy a bag of frozen mixed vegs and just take out a little handful and freeze the rest. That’s budget-friendly.
Another reason to avoid ANY salad bar ANYWHERE is the fact that people touch the food with their hands, which probably aren’t clean. They’ll also sneeze, cough, etc., on the food. The glass over the salad bar can only do so much to keep the food from getting contaminated.
I would make Ramen Noodles by scrambling some Ground Beef by using the Beef flavored Ramen along with some green onions. Everybody’s suggestions on this page all sound delicious!!! The next time I make Ramen Noodles, I will make my own broth and add more water to cut down on the sodium content.
Andrew Zimmern’s Ramen https://people.com/celebrity/andrew-zimmerns-ramen-noodles-recipe-in-people-magazine/ and Quick Ramen Noodle Stir Fry from Damn Delicious https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/24/quick-ramen-noodle-stir-fry/
My family has always loved them as a stir fry–a version of lo mein. I always toss the broth packet. One version is a way to use up a bit of ground beef–I brown and drain it while the noodles are softening, and then add minced or grated garlic and ginger, sliced onions, grated carrot, and whatever raw or cooked veggies are hanging out in the fridge. I season with hoisin sauce, a bit of lite soy, and some Chinese chili garlic sauce, although any hot sauce will work. Add the noodles to the meat and veggies and toss until well combined. Another fave way is similar but strips of scrambled egg (I pour a beaten egg into a hot oiled skillet and cook it without stirring into curds, then slide out the whole thing and slice into strips) take the place of the meat and I skip the hoisin–I’ve been known to add 1 or 2 slices of bacon diced, to start this version and cook the sliced onion, aromatics, in the bacon fat. Make it Thai with a dab of curry paste–careful, because it can be pretty spicy–and add either egg or any sort of leftover protein along with lots of veggies. Any of my versions make 2 generous portions–or feed one hungry teen, which is how long ago these variations started..
I don’t always want all that salty broth so I came up with this WAY back in college (1997!!) Add 1 cup of water to a SKILLET (not sauce pot). Throw in the broth and broken up noodles and boil until the point that almost all the water is gone. Start adding in sliced onions, shredded carrots and shredded cabbage and “stir fry” all of that until you get to the noodle consistency you want. I could make 2 meals for under $1!
I don’t eat Ramen Noodles as much as I used to due to the sodium content, but when I do eat Ramen Noodles, I will scramble up some Ground Beef and add green onions in the end.
Miss Beth, I will use your suggestion if you don’t mind and add the Better than Bouillon base instead of using the flavor packet to decrease the sodium content and add more water.
Everybody’s suggestions sounds delicious, and I am getting some ideas the next time I eat Ramen Noodles 😋😋
I like to add a couple hand fulls of frozen stir fry veggies when I’m heating the water and a lot of garlic powder and pepper by the time the water is boiling the veggies are perfectly cooked. I’ve never tried a soft boiled egg but I have added a hard boiled egg. Also, sesame oil, man do I love sesame oil!
Throw in an avocado and some Kimchi!
Thanks for all the ideas. I add curry, turmeric, ginger, lime, green onions, and cilantro. So glad they make a vegetarian version of this inexpensive meal! So delicious!
Cayenne! I love adding cayenne to the packet mix whether or not I add an egg (I normally poach one because I’m too lazy to boil one).
If I’m not using the packet I’ll try and make this dry ramen I got once at a restaurant: garlic, butter, fish sauce, and a poached eggs.
I eat a lot of these lately — ironically, way more now than when I was the proverbial “broke college student.” Dressing up the ramen makes me feel better about it.
My go-to add in combo is diced yellow onion, garlic, fresh cilantro, a tiny splash of lime juice, two or three eggs poached right in beside the noodles (cook noodles first, then turn down heat and add eggs), green onions, hoisin sauce and sriracha. (Since my other go-to poverty meal is tacos, I usually have onions pre-chopped with cilantro and lime).
Once in a while, I’ll do onions, garlic, poached eggs and American cheese (which I loathe in almost every other recipe, but apparently love in Ramen, who knew).
Emphatically do not recommend mixing American cheese with sriracha under any circumstances. Truly awful combination.
I use 1/2 the seasoning packet, and pour out all but 1/2 cup of the broth, then add in a real good quality butter like a kerrygold, shredded parm, sriracha, garlic powder, grated ginger and toasted sesame oil. SOOOO good!
I didn’t start getting into ramen until after graduating from college. First just the noodles thanks to your dragon noodle with shrimp recipe, then the full blown thing very recently. When making bowls with just the noodles I like to do a variety of sauces and add plenty of fresh veggies. When doing ramen with the broth I like to try and make my own broths to keep sodium counts down and of course top with an egg and sesame seeds.
thanks so much for suggesting the toasted seseme oil drizzle. after all these years, i didn’t think of it myself. thanks beth.
I will poach an egg in the water while the noodles are cooking and also add a handful of broccoli (cut small) and dehydrated shiitake mushrooms. To the bowl I add nori, scallions, and a slice of cheddar cheese.
I’ll only pour a small amount of the broth into the bowl (to melt the cheese).
Next time I’ll try some shrimp and spinach.
I don’t use the seasoning packet because of the high salt content. The stuff I put in it already has enough salt. I have different ways I eat them but my favorite is no broth, hot chili oil, garlic powder, amish butter. Simple but delicious!!
coconut milk (like the thicker kind you get in a can) + chili oil (or whatever hot sauce you have on hand) + ginger paste makes regular degular ramen taste just like a lazy singaporean curry laksa <3
I use more water and add one protein (chicken, ham, spam, steak, shrimp, one sliced hard-boiled egg (add after noodles are cooked), or drizzle in one beaten egg). Then add diced onion, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Add at least one veg (peas, pea pods, water chestnuts, mushrooms, or any leftover vegetable). Top with my choice of soy sauce, sesame oil, or my newest discovery, oyster sauce, and some sliced green onion. Never the same twice, and makes enough for at least two servings.
I like ramen soup, so I use 4c water per package. My favorite upgrades:
1. Spinach and corn with a good shake of soy sauce. (Frozen, fresh, whatever you have )
2. Chopped tomatoes- red and green if you have them- corn, and sazon Goya for Mexican style. Squeeze a wedge of lime on top.
Love this idea to “upgrade” the ramen. Do you still use the spice packet that comes with the ramen or negate it?
These are designed to be used with the seasoning, but you could always use your own broth in place of the seasoning packet. If you do that, I’d definitely suggest adding some ginger and garlic as well. :)
well I take the hard boiled egg and mix with my noodles it’a so good that way but being on a diet had to cut back n that now I did wonder how chicken would taste with the noodles so glong to try it and see will post how they taste later
Great tips! I am your #1 Dragon Noodle fan but love cheap ramen as well.
I usually add cut scallions and Tabasco (if I need my sinuses cleared). Sometimes those cheap, frozen, pre-made dumplings.
Can’t wait to try your additions! Have you used nori?
Keep up the great work!
Cheers!
BJ (@BeerZ0mbie)
Cook celery, crimini mushrooms, and cubed ham for a bit to soften them up and create create a tasty base. Add lots of sriracha plus half the seasoning (otherwise the ham makes it too salty). Reduce heat to a rolling boil. Drop one egg and swirl for a thicker texture, drop a second egg to poach whole, followed by the noodles last.
I prefer Ichiban noodles (ie $1 a packet). They cost more but have a better texture/flavor than cheapo instant ramen brands.
Reducing heat to a slow rolling boil before adding the second egg keeps it from breaking up. The result is much like a soft boiled egg without the extra effort.
4 minutes after reducing heat should cook both the egg and noodles to perfection.
Garnish with a sheet of Nori if you’re feeling fancy.
Cant forget egg drop girl! Cracking, and swirlying the egg into the boiling broth!! yummm
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I love to put any savory left overs such as beef sliced thin, seafood( including Krab), canned fish(kippers are great!) And top it with cut up nori.
Drain, add butter ,cayenne pepper, honey, and one pack of seasoning per 2 packs of Ramen
Not sure if anyone suggested it yet, but I like to add some low-sodium soy sauce and some sweet chili sauce.
Poor man Chinese food….lol… I make a stir Fri with what ever veggies I have on hand, such as cabbage, onions, zucchini, shredded carrots ect. Add a little cooked chicken. Add top Ramen that is not cooked all the way, cook it all together and toss some teriyaki sauce on it. Omg so yummy!
Another thing I do, and it is so tasty, is cook top Ramen acording to package. Drain liquid and add butter. It is so bad yet so good.
Yes! I love when you post and I have no idea what I’m doing for dinner and then BAM! There it is. Fancy ramen for us tonight. :-)
Cream cheese and crushed red pepper!
I have a dirty confession…I (not so) secretly love ramen, especially if I’ve had a glass of wine too many the night before. I’ve tried some of your (and other) recipes that call for just the noodles and tell you to discard the seasoning packet. I actually save those for times that I need broth or bouillon for a recipe. It might not be EXACTLY the same flavor, but I hate throwing food away and if the recipe already has a lot going on, the taste difference is negligible. Thanks for all the great ideas, Beth!
Love all the ideas for ramen.
I have a question about your reference to sambel oelek – isn’t it chili paste without garlic? You called it rustic chili garlic paste. Maybe it is just different in Canada.
No, I think you’re right. I keep getting it confused with the chili garlic paste that I have that looks the same. Fixing the post now. Thanks! :)
I love adding nori (dried seaweed), cheese, vegetable, and some chili to my instant ramen. I never thought about ginger, maybe I’ll give it a try, thank you! Greetings from Asia ^^
Girl, this saved my butt tonight. Husband’s out of town, don’t feel like cooking, but want real food in my belly and BAM you saved my day. Had never made soft boiled eggs before either, and your instructions were spot on! Thanks, girl!
I throw away the crappy spice packet and make my own with poultry seasoning or whatever else, or I’ll use miso concentrate to make miso ramen. I also like to throw in shrimp, thinly-sliced chicken (not as thin as lunchmeat, though), edamame, narutomaki (fish cake), etc.
My husband adds butter or ranch orrrr about anything else that makes me want to vomit. I’m sending him the link to this hahaha. I usually add soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, garlic, and sriracha. Either to ramen or regular cooked spaghetti. So good!
Not sure if my ways have been mentioned. It’s early and I found myself zoning out while skimming comments. :p
About once a year I will make soup out of them. I brown ground beef with onions, drain the grease then add cooked mixed mixed veggies, a large bottle of V8 , a packet of onion soup mix, some pepper and other seasonings and heat up until hot then add the cooked and drained noodles. It’s pretty good actually.
Another way I eat them on occasion may sound really weird but it tastes good to me is just to add a can of tuna, black pepper and red pepper flakes to the cooked and drained ramen.
You hit most of the things I do to turn ramen into ‘real food.’ However, I often use dried shiitake mushroom caps – if I am in the mood for serious umami, I soak the caps in a glass of water for awhile and use that water as part of the broth! Definitely need to slice the caps though, they can be tough otherwise, but they have a super strong mushroom flavor. For the egg, I usually crack an egg right into the boiling water just as the noodles finish and stir it around gently to get egg bits throughout.
Ramen can also make an interesting snack. In high school I discovered that you can break the noodles up inside the bag, pour in the seasoning packet (or half maybe if you haven’t read the newer research on salt showing its not bad for you), and shake – then just eat em dry! It’s like a really crunchy snack mix, like Chex Mix or such.
P.S. I hate your site. Every time I visit, I end up with SO MANY TABS open. As of right now, I have 13 open just on Budget Bytes. You make far too many recipes that are aimed directly at my tastebuds. Never stop.
This happens to me too…. so many tabs!!!
The only way to eat packaged ramen is to upgrade it. When I was a young kid I’d watch my dad upgrade ramen, he always put the vinegary hot sauce in and I’d be so intrigued. Now as an adult I do the same with the Crystal sauce. I always add some form of veggies, whatever I have on hand (if nothing else I always have sliced mushrooms and frozen corn), throw in some left over meat, if any. But the key is to have an egg. When the noodles are boiling in the seasoned water (I use about 3/4 of the packet), I crack an egg into it. Then I take if off the burner, give it a gentle stir and pour it all into a bowl. Then I break open the yolk and stir that around to make the broth creamy like tonkatsu or miso soup! Add hot sauce. Mmmmmm!
Late to the party, but I just had an inspiration for an add-in — the meatballs from your teriyaki and/or sriracha glazed meatball bowls! We’d just made a double batch left unglazed (to leave our flavor options open) for quick freezer dinners. Wanted ramen today, wanted some protein without the hassle of an egg, remembered the meatballs – voila! The flavors blend perfectly with the original/pork/beef flavor ramen. Yum!
Yum!! Great idea!
My mum used to make us souped up (hah) Ramen from time to time as kids so it always has a nostalgic kick to it (Ichiban, for preference, though it’s not available where I live now.) Frozen peas are a must in my book, and miso paste is pretty good as well. That plus whatever vegetables are on hand (red pepper is nice) and, as mentioned above, an egg stirred through the broth (too lazy to boil separately) makes for a pretty quick and delicious meal. Thanks for sharing these suggestions – ramen might be the perfect meal between Christmas and New Years…
Delicious! I added most of the above, and cooked it in broth instead of the salty pack they include. My lunch was delicious today!
i always put parm cheese in mine and chilli flakes
Oh, yum! Thank you! It is below zero today and I am just not feeling the Christmas vibes this Christmas Eve. Hot upgraded ramen was just what I needed for lunch. I attempted soft boiled eggs for the first time(not too shabby!), used 3 cups of water instead of the usual two for the broth, used chicken better than bouillon paste instead of the seasoning packet, added chopped frozen kale, chopped frozen onion and a carrot thin sliced into half moons when the water boiled and the noodles when it returned to a boil. Powdered garlic, powdered ginger, sriracha and black pepper were great additions. I’m adding sesame seeds & sesame oil to my second bowl (I forgot the first bowl). Nom!
I love upgrading my ramen! Learned this trick in college and would often toss in a handfull of spinach for some greens. I also love adding chopped scallion (I almost always have scallion on hand, it instantly upgrades so many dishes) or sometimes I’ll swirl in a beaten egg for egg-drop soup.
My next ramen attempt will probably be to mimic hot and sour soup with a good dash of rice wine vinegar and red chili paste.
I used to teach in Korea, and they habitually upgrade their ramen. Some of the popular toppings:
chopped scallions
spam or hot dog
mandu (potstickers). Seriously, toss a few frozen potstickers in, it’s awesome
a slice of american cheese
sliced rice cakes
egg (practically mandatory)
I’ve asked my students for others and have gotten some interesting additions. One that I haven’t tried is chocolate. The student may have been just messing with me, since the rest of the class thought it odd, but it might be worth a try if anyone is daring.
Oh, almost forgot: Korean-style, the egg is generally not soft boiled. They crack a raw egg into the boiling ramen and give it a quick stir just before they take it off the heat. That way, you get these little strands of egg throughout the soup.
Wow! This post has turned into a Ramen cookbook! I use them for a leftover meal–I stir fry in 1-2 T of oil 1 egg, scrambled, sliced onion or scallion, a mushroom or 2, a bit of finely minced ginger, a minced clove of garlic, whatever leftover veggies are in the fridge, plus a bit of meat or shrimp if I have it, but it’s totally fine to just do veggies and egg. I toss the “flavor packet” in the trash and add the soaked noodles to the wok or skillet, with a sauce of 1 T hoisin, 1 tsp chili paste with garlic, 1 T low sodium soy and toss together until everything is distributed–a fast, cheap meal for 2 at our house, and one of DH’s faves. If I don’t have leftover veggies, a couple of handfuls of shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and/or carrot are perfect additions.A little dab of ground meat is often our protein of choice, and I have been known to chop up and fry a couple of slices of bacon, using that fat to stir fry everything and the crispy bacon as garnish–and cilantro always perks things up a little more
I don’t eat ramen, but I really love soup with all of these toppings. Just vegetables and soft boiled eggs are lovely.
I use A cozy kitchen’s recipe and make a broth with soy sauce, ketchup and rice vinegar. Then I add green onions, cilantro, lime, siracha, and chili paste.
My basic ramen recipe uses the “creamy chicken” pack. Cook noodles normally. Drain them (I don’t like it soupy), then add about a tablespoon of the drained liquid and just a dash of soy sauce back in. Add the flavor packet, a scrambled egg, and a little bit of shredded mild cheddar cheese…just enough that you can tell it’s there.
We love Ramen with tofu and Kimchee. I throw about half a jar of kimchee in some water and then when the water boils, take the Kimchee out and divide it between bowls, then cook the noodles in the spicy broth. I don’t use the flavor packets because the sodium is too high. We usually throw a raw egg in, too; the hot liquid poaches it.
Peanut butter ramen noodles from thekitchn.com are good as are Jaden Hair’s Garlic Scallion Noodles (aka Garlic Butter Noodle) from steamykitchen.com made with ramen instead of egg noodles or spaghetti. In her cookbook she uses Maggi sauce or soy sauce instead of the fish sauce. I’ve added shiitake mushrooms and spinach and chicken, pork or shrimp and those versions are also very good and still a quick meal.
Love these delicious quick meals. I have a version as well. At one and a half minutes into cooking the noodles simply add the seasoning packet, stir to mix, then crack an egg directly into the cooking noodles/liquid, and continue cooking for one and one half minutes. The egg is poached perfectly at this point. I then pour the entire contents directly into a bowl containing a few thinly sliced mushrooms, torn bits of spinach and a few shavings of carrot. The hot broth will soften these veggies by the time I reach the table. Will try adding either/or sesame oil and ginger!
Oh yeah, another thing is using leftover coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) in ramen. I like to sauté mine before adding, but you could just throw it in with the noodles when cooking.
Oooh, some of my favorites include: mixing in a little ranch dressing, adding a couple slices of American cheese (it melts better than other cheeses), topping with a fried egg, adding kimchi, and adding any left over meats I have on hand.
I thought I was so weird for adding ranch to mine!
I have no shame! I have actually been able to turn Ramen into a full-fledged meal for my family and I don’t feel at all guilty about it…. Here’s what I do:
Put some shredded carrots in the bottom of the bowl, put in the ramen noodles, flavor packet (I like the beef) and boiling water and let sit. Once noodles are soft and can be fluffed with a fork, I top it with cilantro, lime juice and siracha. If I have bean sprouts I will throw those on there, too. I love how it resembles and tastes like Pho! If we are splurging that week, I will make a flank steak marinated in an asian marinade and slice it very thinly to put on top. Yummy, yummy in my tummy, tummy! Cannot.get.enough.
Love these ideas!
On the soft boiled egg front — no need to pre-prep a soft-boiled egg. I usually cook mine for two minutes, then add some frozen peas. After it reaches a simmer again, I carefully crack an egg into one side. The white will spread, but does not mix well, and cooking in the ramen for the last minute or so (or until it’s as done as you want) will cook the white and give the same runny yolk as using a soft-boiled egg. One technique tip: after the white has begun to set well, pull the noodles away from the edge of the white. This will sink the yolk some (for better immersion and cooking) without breaking the white.
When I was in college we used to make breakfast ramen by cooking the noodles in milk and adding sugar and cinnamon. Good times.
Have you tried peanut butter? Super easy peanut noodles. Yum!
I tried making a creamy ramen once. Like a carbonara but without the bacon. It didnt come out so great. Maybe you could give it a try, i am sure yours would be so much better.
My favorite way is a ton of rooster sauce and lime juice and of course an egg
My daughter loves it when I add leftover cooked chicken and some shredded carrot.
I grew up eating Ramen as a kid. It will always have a soft spot in my heart, I don’t care how bad it is for you. Occasionally I like to toss the seasoning packet and simmer the noodles in homemade chicken broth and soy.
My go-to is frozen peas and/or broccoli + I mix a raw egg in right at the end and stir to make ribbons. I also usually use 1/2-2/3 of the noodles and add extra water + cub of bullion to make it brothier.
Great post. Thanks for sharing. My husband and I eat a lot of Asian noodles. I cannot wait to cook up a pot. I’ll add both garlic and ginger LOL. Hope you don’t mind that I share your blog on my fb page?
Love the pictures!
Thanks to this, I had ramen today for lunch. With some sliced mushrooms and an egg sort of poached on the top of the liquid/noodlesmushrooms. I should be good on sodium for the next 6 months.
These are some great suggestions :) love to cook up a frozen salmon patty from Costco to go with my noodles, topped with some fresh lime juice and cilantro.
I like to do a fake bebimbop with mine. Finely chopped brussel sprouts sauted in sesame oil to your desired consistency. (day old cabbage in sesame oil is better but in a pinch sprouts will do.) Boil noodles, dump water, add a little bit of seasoning (or not if you’re watching salt). Fry an egg to medium. You want a runny yolk. Noodles in a bowl, chop pickles and add, add sauteed sprouts, sesame seeds, and egg. Cover in soy sauce. It sounds weird, but it’s the best late night snack I ever learned to make.
I add a teaspoon of white miso to the boiling water, and some dried seaweed. Egg is whisked in when the noodles are halfway finished.
Before digging in, I top the bowl with sliced thin raw cabbage and whatever else vegetable I have in the fridge. Kimchi on the side.
Leftover pork chop, cold from the fridge, sliced up paper thin is also a delicious ramen topping. The hot broth finishes cooking the slightly-pink-in-the-middle pork chop.
Whenever I have a leftover pork chop for lunch, I take it to work with an instant Shin Ramen Cup. After the noodles are cooked in the hot water, I top the cup with thin slices of pork chop. Fresh squeezed lime and Tapatio (for instant noodle cups only for me).
Totally tried out the soft-boiled egg idea in a bowl of beef ramen noodles today. DELICIOUS. You rock, Beth. What would I eat without you??
I would have never thought to use the salad bar to get quick pizza (or ramen) toppings!
I love all the other “add in’s” but am concerned about the sodium in the flavor packet. Do you have any suggestions for dry spices to use to flavor the soup with (sort of a sodium free flavor pack)???
Thank you.
Chinese 5 Spice would be awesome. I would definitely try to get a low sodium broth to use in place of the packet, though, because spices alone won’t have enough depth. Better Than Bouillon makes a low sodium concentrate and you can use it to make any amount of broth you need. :)
I am so happy for all the comments here! I thought I was the only one who liked ramen noodles. You can add almost any veg or meat to bolster the flavor and nutrition. Thank you for the information!
Our favorite way of eating ramen is to drain off the water and make dragon noodles, haha
Nice! ;)
PEANUT BUTTER :-)
Add peanut butter to change the soup base! Cheap source of more protein & fat. My favorite add-ons are veggies, egg, peanut butter and Sriracha.
I like to pour most of the juice out and add pepper jack cheese and a little fresh pico de gallo or salsa 😊
My favorite add in’s are:
First – I saute Garlic, Ginger, Onion in chili-sesame oil
Second – I add carrots, sage, togarashi, and pepper and cook that a little bit
Third – I add the water, the seasoning and a little soy with the noodles
Then I top everything with green onion and sesame.
If I have any left over shredded chicken or pork then I saute it in Soy and Mirin until it’s crispy and put that on the top.
We make this ramen for dinner regularly; Poach turkey meatballs in chicken broth (gr turkey, bread crumbs, egg, fresh ginger, garlic). Then add in assorted veggies, usually snow peas and carrots. Add ramen at the end. My whole family loves it.
I add frozen mixed veggies and frozen diced onions directly from their respective freezer bags, and an egg. Delicious and quick.
Ramen noodles are one of my default meals when I’m hungry but don’t feel like cooking. This appeared in People magazine a few years ago.
Andrew Zimmern’s Ramen Noodles
Makes 1 to 2 servings
1 3-ounce package ramen noodles
2 cups chicken broth (I use Better than Bouillon)
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/2 cup matchstick carrots (or 1/4 cup each matchstick carrots and red bell pepper)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
¼ cup chopped green onions
1. Cook noodles in 2 cups of boiling water for 2 minutes; drain well. Rinse in cold water; drain and set aside.
2. Return saucepan to stove-top. Bring broth to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in soy sauce and next 4 ingredients. Add carrots; cook 1 minute.
3. Slowly whisk egg into broth. Add noodles to broth; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice and onions. Serve immediately.
I’ve really grown to enjoy your blog and will try these suggestions at lunch today over some Ramen noodles. I ordered the three pack of spicy sweet sauces (Honey, Maple, Sriracha) you mentioned as gifts and my friends LOVE them! Thank you.
Upgraded ramen is my go to meal when I am busy. A simple upgrade is to add kimchi. Another option is to add chopped peanuts, chunks of pineapple, and chopped greens.
OOoh, that peanut/pineapple/greens combo is interesting!
We love eggs in our instant ramen, and scallions if we have them. We usually chop some scallions and add while soup and noodles are cooking. After noodles have cooked for 3 minutes, slowly stir in a lightly-beaten egg and boil just until done. Comes out like egg drop soup style, and adds flavor and protein. Yum!
If feeling decadent, serve with shredded cheese (usually cheddar or swiss) on top too.
What a lovely idea for Christmas. But, unfortunately I’m on sugar-free diet. I have found this website http://gowithoutsugar.com/
They have some great sugar free lunch ideas…I’ve tried that green bean salad and my kids loved it!
My family always keeps a few packets of Shin Ramyun in the pantry for lazy days…it’s a bit more expensive than Mr Noodles or the store brand, but the flavour difference is totally worth it to me. Plus I can usually get 2 servings out of one package. I usually add spinach, some sesame seeds and oil, and a scrambled egg (a la egg drop soup). My dad usually also adds rice and some dried seaweed. When I was living abroad (I’m from Canada but lived in Scotland for a semester), I was so happy to find Shin in the grocery stores there – it tasted like home!
Great tip, just found out that my usual grocery store carries ‘Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black’.
Great suggestions! I also like to add a couple of tablespoons of lime juice (or packets of trulime) to the water.
I’ve been on a ramen kick all week so this post was perfectly timed :)
How I cook mine:
Cook all the ramen noodles first (without the soup base) then drain the water and rinse with cold water. This gets all the unhealthy fried oilyness of the noodles out. Set aside.
Boil some water and add the soup packet. Here’s where you throw in all the other veggies etc. I like to add frozen dumplings into mine. Frozen peas and corn is good too. I can’t have my noodles without a poached egg.
Put your cooked noodles back into the soup, stir, add some chopped green onions and bon appetit :)
All of these additions sound fantastic! I also like it with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime if I have them. If not, I usually opt for frozen peas & an egg that I poach right in the broth at a minimum. If I’m feeling really fancy, I’ll throw in ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sliced mushrooms, greens (pretty much any kind), sesame oil, and scallion too.
I’ll often throw in frozen peas to cook with the noodles. If I have more than three minutes, I’ll take out the peas and noodles, then poach an egg in the broth and pour it all over the noodles when it’s done. And definitely needs the sriracha!
I love Alton Brown’s ramen noodles with peanut sauce recipe:
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon black Chinese vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili oil
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
4 packages ramen noodles, minus seasoning packets
Step 1 In medium saucepan, bring to a boil 2 quarts salted water.
Step 2 In the meantime, in a food processor or blender, blend first 7 ingredients, then add peanut butter, blend in and while mixing, slowly drizzle in the chicken broth till smooth
Step 3 Boil noodles according to directions. Drain well.
Step 4 Toss in a serving bowl with the sauce and garnish with scallions and peanuts.
I love garlic, coconut milk, kurkuma, finely chopped nori, chili or some milk in my ramen. And of course ingwer.
My partner makes his ramen with an egg cracked in for protein, and a scoop of frozen mixed veggies (corn kernels, green beans, and carrots). It doesn’t add extra time or effort, but it seriously bulks the ramen up into something a bit more substantial. I’ll have to see about some of these new suggestions, though, just for variety.
Hi Beth,
I think you missed #4.
:)
Oh man, I’m a mess! The first time I hit publish, I actually had two #5’s, so that means it went 1,2,3,5,5. Wow. Ha! Thanks for catching that. :P
I make a poached egg in the same ramen water instead of a soft-boiled egg. I’ll also add nori, broccoli, scallions, sriracha, and a slice of cheddar cheese. Only a little of the ramen water is poured in the bowl, just enough to melt the cheese.
Before I really tried cooking, I liked making fancy Ramen. I even made Egg Drop(ish) Ramen. Now I will sometimes make it to use up tiny bits of things I have left over from other meals. Turnip goes oddly well with Ramen.
I drain most of the water from the ramen and use cheese slices or shredded cheese to make cheesy ramen. I sometimes use part of the flavor packet if I want more than just the cheese flavor! It’s like instant Mac and cheese!
I know it’s not an original ramen upgrade but I always use your dragon noodles recipe with ramen noodles. I make it like once a week for lunch. Mmmm.
I do too!
That’s a GREAT IDEA! Thanks for sharing!
I always add some lime in it =)
I love this post! My favorite is the egg. When I lived in SE Asia I learned the trick of adding an egg or two to the water as I boiled it for the noodles. The timing works out to be perfect for a soft boiled egg and it only takes one pot! I’m not quite sure about the health implications of consuming the water from boiling eggs, but I always rinsed the eggs before I added them and never had any negative effects.
soy sauce in the broth along with sriracha and oyster sauce (all stirred into broth)…stir in an egg to poach…top with sesame seeds, green onion, and Bangkok Blend by Penzy’s Spices if you have it (I got it free with another purchase…so that counts as budget, right?)
another great one is make the chicken ramen, drain all but a tiny bit of broth…add peanut butter, soy sauce, and sriracha to make “pad thai.” I think that hack is from Martha Stewart and you can look it up for the correct proportions.
also, leftover chicken nuggets make a surprisingly great addition to ramen.
My husband likes to add some kimchi and lunchmeat or tofu, and I like ginger, green onion, sliced mushrooms, and a beaten egg pored into the hot broth right before the noodles are done. My girls like it plain with tofu cubes. It’s a nice quick meal when the weather’s cold and we want a warm, filling bowl of soup.
Shin Ramyun add an egg dropped in at the end and also diced green onion.
Miso, sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, fresh greens, a dash of fish sauce, sambal oelek, runny poached egg, soy sauce, sriracha. Nom.
I almost always toss the ‘flavouring’ away. I little No Salt Added broth reduced by half or a little leftover homemade gravy.
I am with you on adding a few bits of vegetables about half way thru (if raw). I like to pick 2 or 3 vegetables – my usual mix include water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, snow peas, broccoli, broccolini, spinach, and finely grated carrot.
Top with a couple pieces of leftover roast. I haven’t gotten into the tofu, but a co-worker made this dish with beef & tofu that was just lovely. Likely may try as he shared how to prep it.
Love it with the addition of a little hoisin and a little Vietnamese garlic chili sauce. Perfect for a cold wet day.
Funny enough, eating shin ramyun right now. I threw frozen broccoli rabe, an egg, and a broken up burger in it. The Korean ramen is spicy and comes with a spice packet and dried veggie packet. Makes for a fast, filling meal.
Tossing in leftovers is a great way to jazz up this noodle soup, too.
Ramen Omelette with peas – pouring the egg over the noodles in a skillet
Instead of a soft-boiled egg, I poach an egg in the same water as I cook the noodles. I also add small broccoli florets to the water. I add torn dried nori to the bowl before adding the ramen. The noodles/egg/broccoli are placed in the bowl by using tongs and a slotted spoon, a slice of cheddar cheese (American works great too) is placed on top, then a small amount of ramen water is spooned on the cheese to melt it. Break the egg’s yolk, stir together all the gooeyness, top with scallions and sriracha, and enjoy.
These are great ideas! I’m a vegetarian and most of the ramen flavor packets have some sort of chicken fat included, so for the most part I’ve skipped out on the ramen phenomenon. But now I’m excited about possibilities! I never thought to substitute the broth! You’ve made instant noodles look SUPER TASTY!
The Oriental flavor packet — can’t remember if it’s Maruchan or Top Ramen — is vegan! One of the brands is not vegan though so check the label! :)
Oriental flavor is fine for vegetarians to eat!
Top Ramen’s “Oriental” flavor, although unfortunately named, is vegetarian!
Oooh yum, I love your take on spicing up instant ramen! I use most of these methods as well and they really do take your ramen up to the next level. I really like adding lemongrass into my instant ramen, goes super well with some coriander and tomatoes! And also, gochujang makes instant ramen taste magical * A *
Oh black bean paste is also an interesting addition! Okay last one, cheese! Makes it oh so creamy and delicious :D
I do a couple of the above tips, but otherwise I cook a handful of frozen stir-fry veggies in, or toss a spoon or so of TVP in to cook with the broth.
I used to cook the noodles and drain off most of the liquid. Add season pack (or part of it) and stir in a whisked egg. Cook until the egg is done. Stir in some parmesan or other cheese and garnish with chopped green onions.
Oh man, if you add bacon to that, you’ve got ramen carbonara. You may just be a genius!