I add some egg and fry my top ramen. Sometimes I add chopped carrots green onions and soy sauce.
Ramen Recipes to Write Home About
Photo: ♥ellie♥
The affordability of ramen is no secret. It's the product most people think of when they hear the words "cheap food." But if you don't have access to the good stuff (I sure do miss my favorite noodle house on Guam), finding good ramen recipes based on the bargain brands can be tough. Sure, there are plenty of them out there suitable for a college dorm room. But I'm talking about ramen recipes your average work-at-home professional and general Asian-food fan can get excited about. (See also: 10 Awesome Easy-to-Freeze Meals)
Here are my favorite ramen recipes to enjoy at home. Those following a plant-based diet may prefer recipes for vegan ramen specifically, although there are a few on this list that would convert easily enough.
Ramen Salads
A favorite one that we make quite often in the summer time is this cabbage ramen noodle salad. Aside from the cabbage, which keeps for quite some time in the refrigerator, all of the ingredients can be kept in the pantry. This makes it a perfect recipe for assembly cooking. Simply prep all of the dry ingredients and store them in canning jars or anything that's airtight and resealable. That way, all you need to do is cut the cabbage and mix up the liquid dressing when it comes time for dinner.
Ramen Soup
To mimic the more traditional uses for this popular pasta, think about the ingredients you'd have in your bowl of ramen soup if you were at a Japanese noodle house or elsewhere in East Asia. This Korean ramen soup from the folks at Eat Your Kimchi looks fun and affordable, particularly if you have access to an authentic Asian market. You could also get creative and try making your own ramen soup with spinach, mushrooms, affordable imitation crab meat, and a few fun garnishes like chopped scallions and crumbled nori sheets.
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Dishes That Go the Extra Mile for Flavor
This recipe for Asian noodles with shrimp is made with ramen and features coconut milk, snow peas, and loads of style. If you're a fan of street food, then this recipe for pad Thai made with ramen might be just what the budget doctor ordered. Of course, you could always just cook up the noodles and simply stir fry them with a few vegetables to make lo mein. But if you're looking to step outside of the ramen box a bit, consider a ramen carbonara or these spicy curried ramen noodles for a flavorful and affordable last-minute meal on a busy day.
Ramen Pizza
That's right. I said pizza. According to this ramen recipe resource from the Nissin company, you can turn ramen noodles into a pizza crust and slice as usual. Who knew? They top theirs with traditional ground beef and mushrooms, but I'm sure you get creative with your pizza sauce and other toppings to create a unique pizza suited to your personal taste.
Hotel Coffee-Maker Ramen
Hey, we've all been there. Stuck in a mid-class or lower hotel for business with the only dining options being the local grocery store and greasy drive-through for yet another night in a row. That's when you need some serious ramen recipes for the budget traveler. While many people think that eating ramen when you travel should be relegated to the camping and backpacking arenas, the truth is there are a fair number of meals you can create using your hotel coffee maker as a launch platform.
You can even steam some broccoli and shrimp separately in the filter compartment to combine with the noodles when they are finished. Mix in one of the extra peanut butter tubs from the establishment's breakfast buffet and you're in business with an impromptu peanut lo mein.
Clearly, ramen doesn't have to be delegated to dorm rooms alone. It's earned its place at the dinner table, at least from time to time. Do you have any exceptional ramen recipes that you feel are worth writing home about?
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This is a great topic. I have used beef flavored Ramen as the starch for steak and rice (substitute the rice). It's actually very yummy if you add a little steak sauce or teriyaki sauce while boiling the noodles.
Those all sound fun! To tell you the truth, I just got back from errands and a meeting so I didn't have a chance to get anything in the crock pot for tonight. Consequently, it just might be a ramen for dinner night. Think I'll toss in some steamed veggies.
cabbage ramen salad is delish! it's great for this hot weather.
i like to poach an egg or add a boiled egg to my ramen. sometimes i'll add chili bamboo shoots and spinach as well.
For the love of God, please don't steam vegetables and shrimp in the hotel coffeemaker. Also, don't use the pants-press to warm up a sub or the iron to make a grilled-cheese sandwich. I don't personally, but I know people who have shellfish allergies, and they probably don't expect to get some shrimp in their morning cup of joe.
I assumed this went without saying, but but the coffee pot gets washed afterward. I have friends with shellfish allergies and they have never had a problem eating off clean dishes when they come to visit, even though most of our plates have had shrimp on them at some point in time.
My Filipina grandma uses ramen noodles in pancit, a stir-fried noodle dish, instead of the traditional fried noodles. To make pancit, saute some smashed garlic in olive oil in a large saute pan or wok, then add shredded cabbage and carrots, and some sliced shiitake mushrooms (just reconstitute some dried ones, then slice). Once the cabbage and carrot have cooked down, add some chopped meat if you like (this is a great way to use up small bits of leftover meat, like chicken, pork or shrimp).
Then, add ramen noodles that have been soaked in water for 10 minutes or so (I just soak the ramen right before I start adding everything into the pan). You can season the pancit with the seasoning packet that came with the ramen and/or seasoned salt to taste. Once the noodles are warmed through, you can serve the pancit with garnishes on the side. Popular garnishes include chopped green onion, boiled egg and lemon juice. Easy, frugal and delicious!
Hi Lorena,
That's a GREAT idea! We love pancit, but the traditional noodles usually break all over the place so it doesn't end up being as "neat" a dinner to prepare as I might prefer sometimes. Making it with ramen sounds much easier. I'll have to give that a whirl.
Great ideas! I usually avoid ramen noodles because of the high levels of MSG in those flavor packets, but using them in all these different ways is a good solution to add flavor without using the powder. Thanks!
I actually love Ramen - it is a cheap comfort food that reminds me of my 'salad' days in college. If you want to make it 'healthy' - toss the flavor packet and add steamed veggies, maybe some leftover chicken and add just a little low-sodium soy sauce. Yum!
I love Ramen Roesti. I just soak 1 package of Ramen in some water for 10 min. adding the seasoning that come w/ the noodles. Drain to get rid of the excess of water.
Spread some oil in a non-stick skillet and press the half of the noodles shapping them like a big pancake. Let them get golden brown (more or less 5 min.)
Spread grated cheese on any filling that you like (ex. chopped ham, chopped tomatoes etc.) on the top and cover with the rest of the noodles pressing with the back of a spoon to form a roesti (fat pancake). Turn it (with the help of a plate) and let the other side brown.
It's lovely!
Ramen is a popular way to use up leftovers at my house. I stir-fry cabbage, green onions, shredded carrot, julienned broccoli stalks, green or red pepper, etc., in a little sesame oil; throw in some diced leftover chicken, beef, or pork; and add a little soy sauce to cooked ramen noodles. Voila! Dinner that's fast, economical, and liked by my family.
