My Favourite Ramen - Comfort Food in a Bowl
If you asked me to choose one meal that I could happily eat again and again, ramen would be very high on the list. It’s warming, comforting, packed with flavour and, despite its reputation as fast food, can actually be a brilliant way of getting plenty of vegetables and nourishing ingredients into one bowl.
What actually is ramen?
Ramen originated in Japan and, at its simplest, consists of noodles served in a deeply flavoured broth with various toppings. There are countless versions, with broths traditionally based around ingredients such as miso, soy, meat, fish or vegetables.
And that’s the beauty of ramen, there really aren’t many rules when you’re making it at home. You can use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and adjust the toppings depending on whether you fancy something light or a more substantial meal.
This is my go-to version. It’s rich, slightly spicy, full of ginger and garlic and takes nowhere near as long as the finished bowl suggests.
My Favourite Easy Ramen
Serves 2 generously
You’ll need
For the broth
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp tamari or good-quality soy sauce
750ml vegetable stock
150-200ml unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp chilli oil or chilli crisp, plus extra to serve
Juice of ½ lime
For the bowls
2 portions ramen noodles
150g mushrooms, sliced
1 pak choi, halved or roughly chopped
A handful of edamame beans
1 carrot, cut into thin ribbons
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Fresh coriander
Sesame seeds
Lime wedges
Optional extras: a soft-boiled egg, crispy tofu, leftover chicken, prawns, kimchi or whatever needs using up in the fridge.
How I make it
Start with the broth. Warm the sesame oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the garlic and ginger for about a minute. Keep the heat fairly low, burnt garlic will completely change the flavour.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften and colour.
Pour in the vegetable stock, then stir through the miso, tamari and chilli oil. Let everything gently simmer for around 8-10 minutes before adding the coconut milk.
While the broth is bubbling away, cook your noodles separately according to the packet instructions. I prefer doing this rather than cooking them directly in the broth, as it stops the broth from becoming too starchy.
Add the pak choi and edamame to the broth for the final few minutes. You want the vegetables cooked but still bright and with a little bite.
Turn off the heat and squeeze in the lime.
Divide the noodles between two deep bowls and ladle over plenty of broth, mushrooms and vegetables.
Now for my favourite part: the toppings.
Add the carrot ribbons, spring onion, coriander and sesame seeds, followed by whichever protein you fancy. Finish with another squeeze of lime and, if you like a bit of heat, a spoonful of chilli crisp.
There is something particularly satisfying about a big bowl of ramen. It feels indulgent and comforting, yet you've also managed to pack in vegetables, herbs, protein and plenty of different plant foods.
And perhaps most importantly - it tastes absolutely delicious.
Kasia Wheeler
BodyKode
