It’s hard to beat the guilty pleasure of instant ramen. It’s inexpensive and endlessly versatile, but as sold it’s just empty carbs and a ton of sodium. Fortunately, making smarter choices about what you eat doesn’t mean you have to give up ramen entirely. You just have to know what kind of ramen to choose. So how to make ramen healthier? This article explores various ways to elevate your ramen game, focusing on nutritious ingredients and flavorful broths, so you can turn basic ramen into a nourishing, delicious meal.
Ditching the Packet: Creating a Healthier Broth
The first step to make ramen healthier? Throw out the flavor packet, which is little more than an artificially flavored salt lick. Start with a flavorful base. Instead of relying on the sodium-laden seasoning packet, opt for homemade or low-sodium broth. Simmering some garlic, ginger, and dried mushrooms with your chicken broth makes for a great quickie “stock” for your soup base. A good while in the pot will get some nice flavors going that will soon be soaked up by those noodles.
Here are some alternatives for creating a delicious and healthy broth:
- Miso: Use miso to flavor the broth. You can find a tub of white miso in many supermarkets these days, either in the international food aisle or near tofu in the fresh aisles of a produce section. It’s the least expensive at Asian food-focused stores if there’s one nearby, or you can buy on Amazon. Once you have miso on hand, try adding it to soups, spaghetti sauce and salad dressings for an extra kick of umami. South River brand makes high quality miso pastes, plus they are packaged in glass jars. I’m grateful they make a few soy-free and gluten-free miso paste options. I use chickpea miso paste for this recipe because I enjoy the mild flavor and how it creates a golden colored broth.
- Broth Options: If miso isn’t your thing or you can’t get your hands on some, you can also use vegetable broth, chicken or beef stock.
- DIY Broth: Add some chicken broth and dried shiitake mushrooms for some umami punch. For a quickie stock, simmering some garlic, ginger, and dried mushrooms with your chicken broth.
Choosing the Right Noodles
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with those super cheap packets of noodles. But, I prefer to buy Hime Ramen Noodles on their own as the flavor is better. I like using the brown rice ramen from Costco, but the regular kind works too. You can get 16 bundles of noodles for about $12 from Amazon and for even less at an Asian market if there’s one near you.
Adding Protein Power
Pork is the go-to protein for ramen in Japan. I’ve made this recipe for Japanese-style pork butt for years. However, after having chicken ramen at Wagamama in London, tofu ramen at a Japanese restaurant in Seattle and shrimp ramen in Tokyo, I can assure you that pretty much any kind of protein will work. If you start with a protein, cook it first. For chicken breast, I recommend leaving it whole and toss with the lime or lemon juice, salt and pepper and quickly sear in canola oil for about three minutes per side until cooked through. Slice, and place on top of finished ramen soup. Or, just crack and egg into it and let the heat cook it through.
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Here are some protein options to consider:
- Chicken: There’s no need for chemical-filled seasoning packets with this simple, homemade chicken ramen recipe. Instead, you’ll use chicken stock, soy sauce, and lots of seasonings and fresh veggies (including shiitake mushrooms) to create a full-flavored noodle soup. All you need is 20 minutes and eight ingredients to get this teriyaki chicken ramen dish on the table. In a wok (or large fry pan), sauté chicken thighs in sesame oil for a few minutes before tossing in the teriyaki sauce and a dash of chili. Meanwhile, boil your ramen noodles before combining everything with snow peas, julienned carrots, and cilantro.
- Pork: Nothing says comfort food like a piping hot bowl of ramen, and this pork ginger scallion recipe will make you feel right at home. Aside from the pork belly, you’ll need some ingredients that you can use for many Asian dishes - ginger, garlic, scallions, onions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and just a bit of sake. This BLT ramen dish is a creative, low-carb spin on the classic sandwich. Instead of just throwing ingredients between two slices of bread, you’ll create a delicious bowl of ramen topped with sizzling bacon, crisp lettuce, and roasted tomatoes.
- Beef: While chicken noodle soup might be your favorite nostalgic comfort food, ours is this Taiwanese beef noodle bowl. Filling, fragrant, and loaded with flavors, this dish lets the ingredients simmer with a DIY spice sachet - think star anise, Chinese cinnamon, fennel, cumin, five-spice powder, and more. This marinated beef and broccoli noodle recipe has a fairly simple ingredient list that includes thinly sliced beef sirloin, noodles, vegetable oil, broccoli florets, and black pepper. The key to getting it right is to marinate the beef ahead of time in a sweet and savory Asian-inspired sauce. For a 30-minute meal that’s better than takeout, try these beef drunken noodles. This stir-fry is packed with flavor thanks to the combo of thinly sliced beef, garlic, fish sauce, black pepper, Thai basil, and chili.
- Seafood: For a gourmet upgrade on ramen, consider this spicy seafood ramen soup, which is a Korean-Chinese take on Italian cioppino. A creative update on the popular Indonesian fried noodle dish, this spicy mi goreng ramen recipe is loaded with protein thanks to the shrimp, chicken, eggs, and tofu. Simply prep your ingredients, stir-fry them in a wok or large pan, then top the dish with green onions, fresh bean sprouts, red chili, and a squeeze of lime.
- Plant-Based Proteins: For a tasty twist on traditional ramen, give this vegetarian ramen bowl a try. The original recipe calls for eggs to make the crispy avocado breading, but you can easily veganize this step by using aquafaba (chickpea liquid) instead. Prepare the tofu: Tear tofu into bite-sized chunks and gently pat dry. Toss with soy sauce until coated, then sprinkle with garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and cornstarch. Mix well. Air-fry at 400°F for 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
Loading Up on Vegetables
To make ramen healthier is to add to it. Like so many soup recipes, this is just a starting point. I like to include a bit of chopped leafy greens, green onions leftover veggies and siracha. If have it, add slices of ginger or onion. I might add a bit of wasabi powder into this mix. Leftover steamed bok choy, cooked cabbage, roasted carrots, sliced raw onions, thawed frozen spinach, dried seaweed, all are great additions and part of what makes ramen such a great vehicle for leftovers.
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s a (very very) blank canvas. Add Veg: Thinly sliced kale, shredded carrots, whatever you’d like! The kale and carrots are great here for texture and color, but I also love to use spinach, bok choy, and fresh mushrooms as well. Whether you pair it with chicken, pork, seafood, beef, or veggies, ramen goes with just about anything.
Seasoning Mix
Make the seasoning mix: Combine all dry seasoning ingredients in a jar. This will replace the ramen packets.
Quick and Easy Homemade Ramen Recipe
This recipe leans more in the direction of I-have-a-package-of-ramen-and-some-vegetables-can-we-make-lunch practical.
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Ingredients:
- Packaged ramen noodles - Seasoning packet discarded for a healthier option.
- Chicken Stock or Vegetable stock - Make your own chicken stock or use your favorite store-bought stock as the base for a flavorful soup.
- Shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin - For that earthy flavor and extra nutrition!
- Soy sauce - Adds depth and saltiness.
- Mirin - A touch of sweetness to balance the flavors.
- Optional ingredients: cooked chicken, shrimp, or tofu and throw in some fresh veggies like spinach or seaweed to make this dish your own.
Instructions:
- In a large saucepan, add the chicken or vegetable stock, water, mirin and miso. Bring everything to a boil.
- Add the ramen noodles, mushrooms, and any optional ingredients like cooked chicken, tofu, or additional veggies.
Step-by-Step Healthy Ramen Noodle Bowl Recipe
This healthy ramen noodle bowl recipe is made with healthy broth ingredients - no MSG!
Ingredients:
- Broth (coconut aminos (sweet), soy-free miso (salty), Sriracha (spicy), and lime juice (sour))
- Shiitake
- Sweet peas
- Carrot
- Daikon radish
- Ginger root
- Uncooked ramen noodles
- Zucchini
- Arugula or spinach
Instructions:
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- Put the broth into a pot over high heat and cover. When it begins to boil, add the shiitake, sweet peas, carrot, daikon radish, and ginger root. Reduce the heat and simmer, mostly covered, for 3 minutes.
- Add the uncooked ramen noodles and zucchini to the pot. After about a minute the noodles will begin to unfold; gently separate them with a fork. Cook for a few more minutes or until the noodles are just tender.
- In the meantime, ladle 1 cup of the broth into a small bowl. Add the miso paste, Sriracha, and coconut aminos. Whisk until smooth, then return to the pot; stir.
- Stir in the lime juice.
- Place a handful of arugula or spinach in each serving bowl.
Toppings and Garnishes
Take the usual ramen up a notch with this quick homemade ramen.
- Egg: How do I make the soft-boiled egg to go on top? Good news - this is super easy! Boil water on the stove in a pot. Add your egg straight from the fridge and put the lid on the pot. Boil the egg for 6 minutes. Remove the egg and plunge it into an ice water bath. Peel the shell off, cut the egg in half, and place your beautiful jammy egg on top of your ramen.
- Crunchy Panko: How do I make the crunchy panko topping? To make crunchy golden panko crumbs, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the panko, stir for one minute or less, or until golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. You can also toss the panko with a little oil and toast them in the oven to get them golden and crispy.