Spicy Veggie Ramen. <3 Need I say more?
Hello lovelies, and Happy Monday! Trying to stay positive today since the weather is GORGEOUS. If you haven't been outside yet (and you live in NY), get out there. like NOW.
So even though one would assume hot soup on a hotter day is a weird idea, I happen to think Ramen is a good idea any day/any week/ any time. Is that weird? Like -I have yet to meet someone that doesn't enjoy a big bowl O' noodles.
My Ramen obsession began when I was a kid (who didn't grow up eating Maruchan Ramen packets?), and then continued in my broke college days (this time with a poached egg and some hot sauce- I know, so fancy). But I found that once I actually became an adult, with an adult job, in an adult apartment, Ramen for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner just wasn’t going to cut it. Not only are they LOADED with salt, but is there even any nutritional value? Well after further research (aka just reading the back of the package after the good 12 years straight I’ve been eating them) I found out it’s actually horrible for you and spoiler alert: it’s NOT authentic.
NOW, my life *really* changed when I had “real” Ramen, which is TOTALLY different and nothing at all like the packets. Which also made me wonder- how are they even called the same thing? Night and day- amirite?
Ryan took me to this late night ramen joint in Midtown, that is open until 4am! YES 4. A. M.! WHAT IS BETTER THAN THAT?! I swear this bowl of ramen was the most scrumptious noodle soup EVER and packed with veggies, soaked in a spicy fish broth. And now I HAD to find a recipe close enough.
So I stumbled upon Homemade Spicy Ramen recipe on Pinch Of Yum (one of my favorite food blogs EVER), and I died. Like Oh my goodness, YUM. I made some slight modifications & and voila- here it is!
Now toss out those instant packages, and make this ASAP. You will die of hunger happiness!
ENJOY! xx S.
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 1 Small onion
- 1/2 cup of Red Miso
- 1/2 cup of White Miso
- 3 Tbs Sambal Oelek, or Chili paste
- 5-6 cloves of Garlic
- 2 inch piece of Ginger, minced
- 3 Tbs Vegetable oil, divided
- 3 Tbs sweet cooking white wine
- 1 Tbs Sesame oil
- 2 Eggs
- 5 oz of Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
- 4 Cups of Veggie broth
- Soy sauce to taste
- 2 Cups of unsweetened Soy Milk
- LASTLY- 6 oz. package of Ramen noodles
- Green onions (optional)
- Sesame seeds (optional)
TO BEGIN: Create the paste by pulsing in a food processor the following- onion, miso (both), Sambal Oelek (super hot! YUM.), Garlic, Ginger, 2 tablespoons of oil, cooking wine & sesame oil. Combine well until smooth and set aside. *Side note: You will only be using a little less than half of this. So you will now have an excuse to make this spicy tasty ramen again. :)
START COOKIN: In a large pot over medium heat, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until liquid releases- only about 3 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the miso mixture you've just created, and mix well until all mushrooms are coated in this heavenly paste. Cook until slightly golden. Next, add stock & soy milk, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to simmer. Next, in a fine sieve, add about 1/2 cup of Miso mixture and place into simmering soup. DO NOT let it spill out- push lightly onto the sieve/miso with a spoon and move around the mixture until it dissolves completely into the soup (dump the remains and chunks left in the sieve in the garbage). Let the soup cook for another 5-10 minutes, and add salt & soy sauce to your preference. Set aside until ready to serve.
FINISH!: Last- soft boil the eggs and RAMEN! So to soft boil an egg can be a littttttle tricky. I followed the instructions from the original recipe and it came out good, but as you can see in the photo, I still kind of destroyed the egg.. :/ whoops. ANYWHO still good! Once boiling, add the eggs and let cook for exactly 7 minutes. Remove from heat, run under cool water, and let set until cooled down. Peel and cut open, and note the gooey delicious runny egg. Then, cook the noodles last according to package, and you're all set!
Once all cooked, add Noodles, broth/mushrooms, and sliced egg. I like to top with a splash of sesame oil, green onions, soy sauce & sesame seeds. Bon Appetit! :)