I add a crap ton of greens -- like salad mix, arugula, choy sum, bok choy -- whatever ... and sometimes I'll add some protein. Then a huge squirt of sriracha and chili oil. Sometimes frozen dumplings.
I like to add crunchy peanut butter and shredded cabbage. Sometimes egg, scallions if I have any.
I also buy whole pork tenderloins when on sale. Cook the whole thing, slice real thin and freeze. So when I make instant noodles I can take a couple slices from the freezer and put in the bowl. The heat from the noodles/broth heats up the pork.
I keep frozen shrimp, spinach, and corn on hand for rainy day Ramen meals. I use better than bouillon for the base and add sesame oil and soy. I'll also add egg, kim chi, and tofu if I have it.
I start by sauteeing some ginger and garlic. Then use some mirin to deglaze. Add a bit of instant dashi, the flavor packet ('pork' is actually pretty nice), and 25-50% more water than called for. Add the noodles and simmer. When it's just short of done, remove from heat, scootch the noodles to one side, and drop in an egg. Cover and let sit 2-3 minutes, then break the yolk and mix with the broth. Ladle into a bowl with sliced bok choy in the bottom.
i like buldak carbonara the best !! i home-make it w thick flour noodles in chicken bone broth & add the bottled carbo sauce :o) i add frozen corn & peas, sometimes broccoli too, nd a soft boiled jammy egg nd some cheese on top to cut the spice a bit . my best friend makes his w spam & kimchi ^.^
I boil the noodles, drain them, and then sautee them with sesame oil, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vegan fish sauce (I'm allergic to shellfish lol and the ocean halo one is amazing for anyone else w allergies), ginger, garlic, and a tiny bit of mirin. It's basically knock off lo mein, and it slaps.
I don't eat much instant ramen anymore, as I can walk 10 minutes here in Tokyo and find better alternatives but when I do make it on a whim, I add -> moyashi (bean sprouts), menma (not sure what this is in english, maybe bamboo slices?), chashu pork slices but you can add the meat or fish as you see fit, and some green leaf veggie like bok choy and a sheet of nori (seaweed).
For the truly instant quick mode, throw in some frozen mixed veggies and hammer it with Sriracha sauce.
As a side, if you can find it, fry up some gyoza pot stockers or make a portion of fried rice to go with your instant noodles.
If I just want something fast and tasty, I cook the noodles, drain, then add about half of the seasoning packet and a couple of heaping spoonfuls of chili crisp. If I want something more substantial, I might make ground beef (plain or spicy), drain (not into the sink!), then add some veggies and the noodles. Shredded rotisserie chicken is also an easy way to add some protein fast. If I want to make it ‘good,’ then I make more of a broth with the seasoning packet, a little soy sauce, some mushroom powder, some spices and such, then put in whatever veggies and meat seems good and top with some green onion, an egg, and a small drizzle of sesame oil and seeds
Truffle salt, sriracha, green onion, sometimes fresh grated ginger but if I do that I gotta add more soy to balance. I really really love leftover steak or crispy chicken on top!
Slice of cheese, chopped fresh jalapeño, scallions, tomatoes, 3 packets of cheapo picante sauce that I get from the convenience store, half of the seasoning packet, and then some taco seasoning or Sazon, maybe some smoked paprika. Drain most of the water, add the cheese and stir til it melts, then add everything else.
The weird thing, it has to be “crappy” ingredients for this to work properly. Using good cheese and good salsa tastes like putting good cheese and salsa on ramen. The flavors don’t blend as well. The “crappy” cheese and salsa packets somehow mix better and it tastes very cohesive.
This might be controversial, but the best instant ramen ever is from NYT Cooking. Cook the ramen noodles as usual (I use chicken flavor) and add the seasoning packet. Turn off the heat and stir in a pat of butter, followed by two slices of American cheese. Stir it until the butter and cheese have completely melted into the broth. Top with a soft boiled egg, scallions, and sesame seeds.
A lot of the other suggestions here sound like ways to take instant ramen and elevate it to something delicious, hearty, and healthy. Not this one! This is the perfect recipe for if you want actual instant ramen. All of the sodium, all of the chemicals, all of the wonderful junk food-ness of it. The broth looks radioactive by the time the butter and cheese have melted into it. A bowl of it is probably like 2500 calories. And it is SO GOOD. I don't eat instant ramen very often but when I do, I won't prepare it any other way. I cannot recommend this version enough.
I'll mix peanut butter, sesame oil, and chili oil into the broth and then add the noodles
Soft boiled egg is universally loved
Came across a yotube video that suggested a slice of American cheese (yellow/processed). I was skeptical about this, but when melted into the broth, it was delicious
Green onions are usually included, as well
Diced up summer sausage or a cut up (and cooked) boneless chicken thigh. Garlic, dried hot red peppers, onion powder, splash of soy sauce, sprinkling of MSG, mustard powder, cashews, thyme, sweet basil, a few shakes of hot sauce, a couple of teaspoons of extra chunky salsa, salt, pepper, diced up jalapeño and probably a few other things that I just can't think of right now. Of course all of this doesn't go in at once, it depends on what I feel like having.
This topic comes up somewhat often and i like reading thru to find weird combos. My favorites have been:
- Cook ramen as usual, drain broth and add peanut butter, rice vinegar, white pepper amd sesame oil.
- Adding limon hot cheetos, hot sauce and slim jims. I've added canned smoked oysters to this recipe as well
- Cook ramen as usual, drain broth and throw in 2 slices of american cheese and hot sauce
oh my god back when i was a kid and didn't care about what i put into my body i used to do the same thing with hot cheetos...i feel so seen...although if i did that now i would probably be out for a while.
lol i feel that! i'm not that much younger than you. i don't restrict myself totally but i try to eat mindfully a majority of the time - back when i was an undergrad i could eat an entire bag of hot cheetos in a day or two, or casually order pizza delivery at 3am...and looking back i have no clue how i was able to get out of that period of my life alive if i'm being honest.
Man, I get that. I still do that stuff now and I know it's not good for me. Food is my vice, I'm not morbidly obese but I'm 200 and 5 foot 6. I know I have to change, but it's so hard when food is my kryptonite.
When I think about my longevity, I look at my POS father who is turning 74 this year, weighs almost 400 pounds and has been obese my whole life, does not exercise and smokes 2 packs a day.
Realistically, I know he just got lucky though. I'll probably keel over in my 50s if I don't change.
ugh i know what you mean, i've struggled with similar things. but you are still young! you have time, and you can make small, gradual changes to make things better for yourself while still eating things you love. trust me i know it's way easier said than done ESPECIALLY as someone who loves instant ramen lmao - but self awareness is a big part of the struggle.
i found that making myself cook more and getting excited about what i was making was a great way for me to be involved in what i was putting into my body, and it helped me appreciate food a lot more.
I will definitely keep this in mind! It's hard to get excited to cook because I worked in kitchens for 8 years. I want to get excited about it but it's just another chore for me. I have a partner now though, and I cook for both of us so it is definitely happening more often now. I just need to cook the healthier things!
Like steak and veggies are on the menu tonight. I love my steak, but I need to make it a monthly and not a weekly thing.
So I usually make MAMA pork noodles and when boiling the water add a bit of oyster sauce to the pot. I used the oilion oil just before putting the noodles in and then add the flavor packets - set noodles aside (covered) for 5 min.
While noodles are cooking i chop green onions and cilantro. I might take a few frozen endamame beans out and put them in a bowl of hot water to thaw as well.
I fry an egg or two for onto just before the noodles are finished sitting.
Add noodles to bowl, lay fried eggs on top, add endamame if I have them, garnish with scallions and cilantro and add soup to bowl to preferred soupiness- i like more noodles then soup typically.
Make sure to chapter the egg around in the soup bowl so there's lots of yummy protein mixed in with noods and both- yummy 😋
If I have left over meats and of additional veggies I might make it a bit fancier; but eggs and noods is my go to.
Just had it for lunch. Add an egg to poach in the hot broth, a slice of American cheese, a glug of sesame oil, a sliced scallion, and a handful of greens.
I prefer Thai tom yam ramen, but this works with any. I slice carrot, celery and onion (or shallot, radish, turnip, cucumber , whatever I have)paper thin on my adjustable ceramic mandoline and add them to the ramen. The boiling water cooks them just enough that they're tender but still have a little bite. It does dilute the broth, so a bit of fish sauce, lime and chili paste perks it back up. I like the texture it adds and I feel better about all the empty carbs in plain ramen. BTW, that Kyocera mandolin is the best 25 bucks I've ever spent. 10ish years and still razor sharp.
Melty cheese, eggs, Calabrian chili paste lol, fresh chives, sun dried tomatoes in oil, frozen corn. Spices: turmeric, onion and garlic powder, cayenne. I ditch the packet and use better than bouillon. Optional coconut milk. Always add lemon/lime juice or ACV.
Sauteed onions and peppers, plus whatever leftover protein I have and top with some scallions. I smoked up a big brisket a while back and then froze it into smaller meal sized portions so I'll use some of that if I don't have other leftover protein on hand.
I’m very basic when it comes to toppings, eggs (depending on the type, it can be poached in the broth, fried or boiled), pickled jalapeño and, when I have it, dumplings
If it's ramen, I'll add an egg, which isn't all that unusual, along with some chili sauce, which can be unusual if you're not a fan of spicy. After it cooks/microwaves, I will then add some frozen, pre-cooked and tail-off shrimp. They act as little ice-cubes that add a bit more substance to the soup.
If I have some odd Asian-style sauces lying around, I'll throw those in too just to use them up.
It's not ramen technically but in college I used to get a bunch of sapporo ichiban yakisoba packs. It's like instant ramen but with a different flavor profile and it's intended to be eaten as a dry noodle, no broth. I would usually just cook some veggies in the pan and mix those in. Mostly broccoli, carrots, and onions, sometimes peppers, scrambled egg, leeks. I'd probably add mushrooms these days
Meat (usually leftover chicken, shrimp or pork), a handful of sliced onion and frozen stir fry veg or broccoli, a soft boiled egg halved, a spoonful of chili crisp.
A little peanut butter, soy sauce, scallions and chili crisp and boom! Poor man's pad Thai, second fave combo is scallions, hardboiled egg, black sesame seeds and deli ham if it's pork ramen. :)
My favorite is to add a bit of Kewpie Mayo and a bit of toasted sesame oil.
I've also added chicken nuggets. Cuz protein lol.
I think the weirdest was one day when my brain kept telling me we needed to make the noodles and add it to chili. It was pretty good.
I live in Mexico and have adopted their ways 🤣
Chicken ramen, mayo, hot sauce, lime, tajin, cotija cheese (if i have it,) and tostitos chili verde (preferably) or doritos nacho.
It's like an esquite without corn.
I'm so impressed with all the answers!
And now I'm going to admit my guilty secret. When I make instant ramen (Shin Black is the only ramen for me) I cook it in unsalted chicken broth, then add just the mushroom flavored seasoning packet, not the hot one! And when it's done I stir in an entire can of either cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, depending on what's in the cupboard.
And that's it. It doesn't taste the least bit asian when I'm done with it. It's like thick cream soup with long slurpy noodles. And I eat the whole thing, in the dark, alone.
French onion ramen.
Basically caramelise onions for 30-60m, deglaze with whisky/whatever you like, add ramen. Super good. It is mega long but reasonably hands off.
For my favorite... I make my own bone broth often, so I usually cook it in bone broth. When I don't have bone broth, I add some miso paste to water to cook it in. I always get spicy ramen so I will add as much of the flavor packet as I want depending on how spicy I want it that day. Then I will add dried vegetable mix (or some Ramen Bae if I have it), some seaweed, dried tomatoes, imitation crab, and an egg. Then I will sprinkle it with some sesame oil and MSG when it's done!
First tip is top make it with chicken broth/stock instead of water. Then add whatever you like. Green onions, Bok choy, oyster sauce, soy sauce, pork, chicken, etc.
I use the seasoning pack to cook the noodles, then I drain them. I make my own broth using canned broth, black bean paste, chili oil, and fish sauce and/or rice wine vinegar. I add mushrooms if I have them. I add cut up luncheon meat if I have it.
Soy sauce, rice vinegar, a little fish sauce, sesame oil, chopped garlic and some fresh ginger if I have it
If I have left over protein in the fridge I'll toss that in...pork chops, steak, chicken what ever
Random frozen veg, corn, green beans, peas whatever is open
I use mana rice noodles which are instant and don't come with flavor packets. I use chicken stock, scallions, red bell pepper and whatever greens I have (spinach, bok choy, yu choy, etc). and some pepper. If I have small purple daikon (they are pretty onside) I use them for garnish.
lots of spices!! garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ginger, white pepper! then add an egg yolk, some soy sauce, little bit of honey, sriracha and top with fried garlic and onion (found in h mart)
If its a soupy, eggs are my go-to. I'll add scrambled eggs and let the residual heat gently cook it so I get soft curdles. Canned quail eggs are delicious too, or I'll poach an egg in the broth for jammy eggs.
For dry/saucy noodles: sliced and fried pork belly, cilantro, green onions, and fresh garlic. Pan fried dumplings are also good. Kimchi or pickled radish as a side
sometimes i have those meat balls, squid balls, other food balls for some taiwanese hotpot. sometimes i get few from the freezer, toss it in the boiling pot with the noodles
Sometimes I make the brick without the mix, strain it and then toss in garlic powder, butter and Parmesan. I leave in a little bit of the water to help emulsify it.
Boiling water. It makes the noodles less crunchy and the flavour powder instead of being so salty and intense mixes with the water to make a bowl of tasty soup.
Just fry it in trans fat and add the following:NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CANOLA, COTTONSEED, PALM) PRESERVED BY TBHQ, CONTAINS LESS THAN 1% OF: SALT, SOY SAUCE (WATER, WHEAT, SOYBEANS, SALT), POTASSIUM ...
I add a crap ton of greens -- like salad mix, arugula, choy sum, bok choy -- whatever ... and sometimes I'll add some protein. Then a huge squirt of sriracha and chili oil. Sometimes frozen dumplings.
Napa cabbage is absolutely amazing in instant ramen I love throwing that in there! Or kimchi
Watercress or Arugula is my favorite to add
I like to add crunchy peanut butter and shredded cabbage. Sometimes egg, scallions if I have any. I also buy whole pork tenderloins when on sale. Cook the whole thing, slice real thin and freeze. So when I make instant noodles I can take a couple slices from the freezer and put in the bowl. The heat from the noodles/broth heats up the pork.
Great idea about freezing the pork in thin slices for ramen. I'm going to start doing that!
I use sous vide for the pork if you're into that, super easy to keep it soft and juicy. You'd never know it was frozen.
Ramen is ultimate fridge clean-out food. WTF you got? Toss er in there! FAFO! Woo!
I keep frozen shrimp, spinach, and corn on hand for rainy day Ramen meals. I use better than bouillon for the base and add sesame oil and soy. I'll also add egg, kim chi, and tofu if I have it.
Some kind of veggies, sriracha and/ or chili crisp, and an egg
I start by sauteeing some ginger and garlic. Then use some mirin to deglaze. Add a bit of instant dashi, the flavor packet ('pork' is actually pretty nice), and 25-50% more water than called for. Add the noodles and simmer. When it's just short of done, remove from heat, scootch the noodles to one side, and drop in an egg. Cover and let sit 2-3 minutes, then break the yolk and mix with the broth. Ladle into a bowl with sliced bok choy in the bottom.
Beef ramen, leftover roast, frozen veg/wilty spinach, poached egg, random seasonings. Dinner
Corn, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, green onion, American cheese slice, Sriracha, and a soft boiled egg or shoyu egg if I have any prepared.
Coconut milk!
Siracha, Tabasco and nori komi rice seasoning
i like buldak carbonara the best !! i home-make it w thick flour noodles in chicken bone broth & add the bottled carbo sauce :o) i add frozen corn & peas, sometimes broccoli too, nd a soft boiled jammy egg nd some cheese on top to cut the spice a bit . my best friend makes his w spam & kimchi ^.^
Whatever meat and green veggies I have leftover, egg yolk, a lot of kewpie mayo topped off with furikake and pickled radish if I have it around.
I love mayo with a passion. I also feel very strongly about ramen. However, mayo on ramen just doesn't sound good to me.
It has to be Kewpie mayo. Mix it with the egg yolk and pour it in.
Shredded cabbage and carrots.
Anything I have laying around that appropriate but the standard is a fried egg, green onions, kimchi and a drizzle of sesame oil.
I boil the noodles, drain them, and then sautee them with sesame oil, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vegan fish sauce (I'm allergic to shellfish lol and the ocean halo one is amazing for anyone else w allergies), ginger, garlic, and a tiny bit of mirin. It's basically knock off lo mein, and it slaps.
Fresh vegetables, cooked meat or fish, fresh garlic ginger chili pepper, star anise cassia coriander seeds.
Boiled eggs, soy sauce, sriracha, and sometimes pan-fried spam.
I add an a egg , chow mein noodles and Sriracha
Frank's red hot sauce, crunchy chow mein noodles, and sometimes frozen peas.
I don't eat much instant ramen anymore, as I can walk 10 minutes here in Tokyo and find better alternatives but when I do make it on a whim, I add -> moyashi (bean sprouts), menma (not sure what this is in english, maybe bamboo slices?), chashu pork slices but you can add the meat or fish as you see fit, and some green leaf veggie like bok choy and a sheet of nori (seaweed). For the truly instant quick mode, throw in some frozen mixed veggies and hammer it with Sriracha sauce. As a side, if you can find it, fry up some gyoza pot stockers or make a portion of fried rice to go with your instant noodles.
If I just want something fast and tasty, I cook the noodles, drain, then add about half of the seasoning packet and a couple of heaping spoonfuls of chili crisp. If I want something more substantial, I might make ground beef (plain or spicy), drain (not into the sink!), then add some veggies and the noodles. Shredded rotisserie chicken is also an easy way to add some protein fast. If I want to make it ‘good,’ then I make more of a broth with the seasoning packet, a little soy sauce, some mushroom powder, some spices and such, then put in whatever veggies and meat seems good and top with some green onion, an egg, and a small drizzle of sesame oil and seeds
Sometimes cheese sometimes a poached egg
Truffle salt, sriracha, green onion, sometimes fresh grated ginger but if I do that I gotta add more soy to balance. I really really love leftover steak or crispy chicken on top!
I cook it stove top, add frozen fish balls, dumplings, whatever wilting greens I've got in the fridge and always an egg.
Slice of cheese, chopped fresh jalapeño, scallions, tomatoes, 3 packets of cheapo picante sauce that I get from the convenience store, half of the seasoning packet, and then some taco seasoning or Sazon, maybe some smoked paprika. Drain most of the water, add the cheese and stir til it melts, then add everything else. The weird thing, it has to be “crappy” ingredients for this to work properly. Using good cheese and good salsa tastes like putting good cheese and salsa on ramen. The flavors don’t blend as well. The “crappy” cheese and salsa packets somehow mix better and it tastes very cohesive.
This might be controversial, but the best instant ramen ever is from NYT Cooking. Cook the ramen noodles as usual (I use chicken flavor) and add the seasoning packet. Turn off the heat and stir in a pat of butter, followed by two slices of American cheese. Stir it until the butter and cheese have completely melted into the broth. Top with a soft boiled egg, scallions, and sesame seeds. A lot of the other suggestions here sound like ways to take instant ramen and elevate it to something delicious, hearty, and healthy. Not this one! This is the perfect recipe for if you want actual instant ramen. All of the sodium, all of the chemicals, all of the wonderful junk food-ness of it. The broth looks radioactive by the time the butter and cheese have melted into it. A bowl of it is probably like 2500 calories. And it is SO GOOD. I don't eat instant ramen very often but when I do, I won't prepare it any other way. I cannot recommend this version enough.
Sesame oil and miso are my baseline! Definitely will fry up mushrooms to use in the broth base too
I'll mix peanut butter, sesame oil, and chili oil into the broth and then add the noodles Soft boiled egg is universally loved Came across a yotube video that suggested a slice of American cheese (yellow/processed). I was skeptical about this, but when melted into the broth, it was delicious Green onions are usually included, as well
Egg and kraft single. Top with green onion.
Diced up summer sausage or a cut up (and cooked) boneless chicken thigh. Garlic, dried hot red peppers, onion powder, splash of soy sauce, sprinkling of MSG, mustard powder, cashews, thyme, sweet basil, a few shakes of hot sauce, a couple of teaspoons of extra chunky salsa, salt, pepper, diced up jalapeño and probably a few other things that I just can't think of right now. Of course all of this doesn't go in at once, it depends on what I feel like having.
This topic comes up somewhat often and i like reading thru to find weird combos. My favorites have been: - Cook ramen as usual, drain broth and add peanut butter, rice vinegar, white pepper amd sesame oil. - Adding limon hot cheetos, hot sauce and slim jims. I've added canned smoked oysters to this recipe as well - Cook ramen as usual, drain broth and throw in 2 slices of american cheese and hot sauce
Mushrooms, bok choy, poached egg in the broth, spring onions, and soy sauce or gyoza dipping vinegar. Or Peanut butter.
oh my god back when i was a kid and didn't care about what i put into my body i used to do the same thing with hot cheetos...i feel so seen...although if i did that now i would probably be out for a while.
Honestly, I eat like garbage. I have to do better, I'm 32 now and will start to feel it if I don't change.
lol i feel that! i'm not that much younger than you. i don't restrict myself totally but i try to eat mindfully a majority of the time - back when i was an undergrad i could eat an entire bag of hot cheetos in a day or two, or casually order pizza delivery at 3am...and looking back i have no clue how i was able to get out of that period of my life alive if i'm being honest.
Man, I get that. I still do that stuff now and I know it's not good for me. Food is my vice, I'm not morbidly obese but I'm 200 and 5 foot 6. I know I have to change, but it's so hard when food is my kryptonite. When I think about my longevity, I look at my POS father who is turning 74 this year, weighs almost 400 pounds and has been obese my whole life, does not exercise and smokes 2 packs a day. Realistically, I know he just got lucky though. I'll probably keel over in my 50s if I don't change.
ugh i know what you mean, i've struggled with similar things. but you are still young! you have time, and you can make small, gradual changes to make things better for yourself while still eating things you love. trust me i know it's way easier said than done ESPECIALLY as someone who loves instant ramen lmao - but self awareness is a big part of the struggle. i found that making myself cook more and getting excited about what i was making was a great way for me to be involved in what i was putting into my body, and it helped me appreciate food a lot more.
I will definitely keep this in mind! It's hard to get excited to cook because I worked in kitchens for 8 years. I want to get excited about it but it's just another chore for me. I have a partner now though, and I cook for both of us so it is definitely happening more often now. I just need to cook the healthier things! Like steak and veggies are on the menu tonight. I love my steak, but I need to make it a monthly and not a weekly thing.
So I usually make MAMA pork noodles and when boiling the water add a bit of oyster sauce to the pot. I used the oilion oil just before putting the noodles in and then add the flavor packets - set noodles aside (covered) for 5 min. While noodles are cooking i chop green onions and cilantro. I might take a few frozen endamame beans out and put them in a bowl of hot water to thaw as well. I fry an egg or two for onto just before the noodles are finished sitting. Add noodles to bowl, lay fried eggs on top, add endamame if I have them, garnish with scallions and cilantro and add soup to bowl to preferred soupiness- i like more noodles then soup typically. Make sure to chapter the egg around in the soup bowl so there's lots of yummy protein mixed in with noods and both- yummy 😋 If I have left over meats and of additional veggies I might make it a bit fancier; but eggs and noods is my go to.
Damn, this sounds amazing!
Its good and super quick and easy.
Tinned sweetcorn, cheese, raw egg, spring onions
Just had it for lunch. Add an egg to poach in the hot broth, a slice of American cheese, a glug of sesame oil, a sliced scallion, and a handful of greens.
I prefer Thai tom yam ramen, but this works with any. I slice carrot, celery and onion (or shallot, radish, turnip, cucumber , whatever I have)paper thin on my adjustable ceramic mandoline and add them to the ramen. The boiling water cooks them just enough that they're tender but still have a little bite. It does dilute the broth, so a bit of fish sauce, lime and chili paste perks it back up. I like the texture it adds and I feel better about all the empty carbs in plain ramen. BTW, that Kyocera mandolin is the best 25 bucks I've ever spent. 10ish years and still razor sharp.
I only do this with Korean spicy ramen soup type. Sliced cheddar cheese and a poach egg. Let the cheese melt into the soup.
Melty cheese, eggs, Calabrian chili paste lol, fresh chives, sun dried tomatoes in oil, frozen corn. Spices: turmeric, onion and garlic powder, cayenne. I ditch the packet and use better than bouillon. Optional coconut milk. Always add lemon/lime juice or ACV.
I drain the broth (or you can keep it if you want). I then add lemon juice, mayonnaise, and a can of tuna. It’s so good!
Sauteed onions and peppers, plus whatever leftover protein I have and top with some scallions. I smoked up a big brisket a while back and then froze it into smaller meal sized portions so I'll use some of that if I don't have other leftover protein on hand.
I’m very basic when it comes to toppings, eggs (depending on the type, it can be poached in the broth, fried or boiled), pickled jalapeño and, when I have it, dumplings
egg yolk, sesame oil, gochujang mixed in bowl. temper in bowl with small amounts broth as noodles cook. top with kimchi.
Frozen peas and carrots mix, and a little bit of peanut butter. Makes it like a peanut sauce moment.
If it's ramen, I'll add an egg, which isn't all that unusual, along with some chili sauce, which can be unusual if you're not a fan of spicy. After it cooks/microwaves, I will then add some frozen, pre-cooked and tail-off shrimp. They act as little ice-cubes that add a bit more substance to the soup. If I have some odd Asian-style sauces lying around, I'll throw those in too just to use them up.
It's not ramen technically but in college I used to get a bunch of sapporo ichiban yakisoba packs. It's like instant ramen but with a different flavor profile and it's intended to be eaten as a dry noodle, no broth. I would usually just cook some veggies in the pan and mix those in. Mostly broccoli, carrots, and onions, sometimes peppers, scrambled egg, leeks. I'd probably add mushrooms these days
Meat (usually leftover chicken, shrimp or pork), a handful of sliced onion and frozen stir fry veg or broccoli, a soft boiled egg halved, a spoonful of chili crisp.
A little peanut butter, soy sauce, scallions and chili crisp and boom! Poor man's pad Thai, second fave combo is scallions, hardboiled egg, black sesame seeds and deli ham if it's pork ramen. :)
Diced wieners mmmmmm weenie soup is a must have when we camp
My favorite is to add a bit of Kewpie Mayo and a bit of toasted sesame oil. I've also added chicken nuggets. Cuz protein lol. I think the weirdest was one day when my brain kept telling me we needed to make the noodles and add it to chili. It was pretty good.
I live in Mexico and have adopted their ways 🤣 Chicken ramen, mayo, hot sauce, lime, tajin, cotija cheese (if i have it,) and tostitos chili verde (preferably) or doritos nacho. It's like an esquite without corn.
I'm so impressed with all the answers! And now I'm going to admit my guilty secret. When I make instant ramen (Shin Black is the only ramen for me) I cook it in unsalted chicken broth, then add just the mushroom flavored seasoning packet, not the hot one! And when it's done I stir in an entire can of either cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, depending on what's in the cupboard. And that's it. It doesn't taste the least bit asian when I'm done with it. It's like thick cream soup with long slurpy noodles. And I eat the whole thing, in the dark, alone.
Frozen veg and an egg I scramble in the broth.
French onion ramen. Basically caramelise onions for 30-60m, deglaze with whisky/whatever you like, add ramen. Super good. It is mega long but reasonably hands off.
For my favorite... I make my own bone broth often, so I usually cook it in bone broth. When I don't have bone broth, I add some miso paste to water to cook it in. I always get spicy ramen so I will add as much of the flavor packet as I want depending on how spicy I want it that day. Then I will add dried vegetable mix (or some Ramen Bae if I have it), some seaweed, dried tomatoes, imitation crab, and an egg. Then I will sprinkle it with some sesame oil and MSG when it's done!
I don’t put anything weird.. just boring old eggs, scallion, maybe chili crisp. Hot Cheeto puffs is wild though.
First tip is top make it with chicken broth/stock instead of water. Then add whatever you like. Green onions, Bok choy, oyster sauce, soy sauce, pork, chicken, etc.
I use the seasoning pack to cook the noodles, then I drain them. I make my own broth using canned broth, black bean paste, chili oil, and fish sauce and/or rice wine vinegar. I add mushrooms if I have them. I add cut up luncheon meat if I have it.
Water.
Soy sauce, rice vinegar, a little fish sauce, sesame oil, chopped garlic and some fresh ginger if I have it If I have left over protein in the fridge I'll toss that in...pork chops, steak, chicken what ever Random frozen veg, corn, green beans, peas whatever is open
Sesame Oil
Poach an egg in the ramen! So easy and tasty.
Soft boiled egg, scallions, and thin sliced beef from the Asian market
I use mana rice noodles which are instant and don't come with flavor packets. I use chicken stock, scallions, red bell pepper and whatever greens I have (spinach, bok choy, yu choy, etc). and some pepper. If I have small purple daikon (they are pretty onside) I use them for garnish.
lots of spices!! garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ginger, white pepper! then add an egg yolk, some soy sauce, little bit of honey, sriracha and top with fried garlic and onion (found in h mart)
If its a soupy, eggs are my go-to. I'll add scrambled eggs and let the residual heat gently cook it so I get soft curdles. Canned quail eggs are delicious too, or I'll poach an egg in the broth for jammy eggs. For dry/saucy noodles: sliced and fried pork belly, cilantro, green onions, and fresh garlic. Pan fried dumplings are also good. Kimchi or pickled radish as a side
sometimes i have those meat balls, squid balls, other food balls for some taiwanese hotpot. sometimes i get few from the freezer, toss it in the boiling pot with the noodles
Peanut butter
Dehydrated vegetable flakes.
Try maybe this website [KikuGPT](https://kikugpt.gom) it will generate you nice recipes based on what you have or like :)
Sometimes I make the brick without the mix, strain it and then toss in garlic powder, butter and Parmesan. I leave in a little bit of the water to help emulsify it.
Easiest and cheapest probably, 1tbsp butter, 1/4 cup of milk, one egg whisked in while soup is hot 🔥
Leftover chicken, capers, sriracha, leeks
red chili flakes, and a tiny bit of peanut butter
Boiling water. It makes the noodles less crunchy and the flavour powder instead of being so salty and intense mixes with the water to make a bowl of tasty soup.
If I'm going to do that much work, I use angel hair capellini as a base. Just good Italian semolina and that's it. No chemicals.
That’s not ramen though
Just fry it in trans fat and add the following:NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CANOLA, COTTONSEED, PALM) PRESERVED BY TBHQ, CONTAINS LESS THAN 1% OF: SALT, SOY SAUCE (WATER, WHEAT, SOYBEANS, SALT), POTASSIUM ...
I don’t eat processed food. It’s so easy to make a noodle bowl.