I met couple in Walmart cart with their cart half full of ramen noodles. They said they bought them because they cook quickly. I suspected they bought them because they were cheap.
A young family cannot live on ramen alone! Fortunately, it is easy to “add in” ingredients to make a bowl of ramen more nutritious.
I like to stay consistent with the Oriental nature of ramen with my add-ins.
Re-mix the seasoning packet. Use only half of it, and replace with a tablespoon of sesame seed butter (tahini), a dash of ginger, and a few minced pieces of garlic mashed in a dash of salt.
Add a protein. An egg will provide the most nutrition, and I suggest adding as “egg drop soup,” a standard Chinese dish. Whisk the egg and then let it the slurry drop off the whisk into the soup broth while it is simmering. The egg slurry will cook instantly. An alternative is to add tofu, but be sure to buy organic, non-GMO tofu. Soybeans have been intensively modified genetically, and you want to avoid that.
Garnish with green. Finally, garnish with something green, like mustard greens or bok choy. Be sure to add these toward the end, so they wilt without getting mushy. Top with chopped green onions, chives, or bean sprouts.
Ramen does not have to be a “soup.” The noodles can be drained and used as a stir fry as well.
These add-ins give your meal a much better balance of protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates while keeping the convenience of instant ramen.
