There are few things better than late-night ramen. Instant ramen is easy to make, tasty, and hits the spot every time. But if you’re trying to eat ramen at a time other than 2 a.m., you might want to upgrade from just using the seasoning packet. Ramen can be a delicious and nutritious meal when you add protein, veggies, and other seasonings besides just the packet. There’s nothing wrong with good ol’ instant ramen, but if you’re looking to amp up your ramen, try out one of these:
Add aromatic vegetables and herbs
This means garlic, ginger, green onion, lemongrass, scallions… the list goes on. Adding aromatic veggies and herbs brings the flavor profile to a whole new level. It just makes the ramen taste more fresh and like it came from a restaurant.
Add protein
Protein is an integral part of every meal, so you should definitely add a protein source to your ramen if you’re looking to upgrade the classic recipe. You can add tofu or tempeh if you’re plant-based, or chicken or shrimp if you eat meat. But a traditional and favorite way to enjoy ramen is with a soft boiled egg on top. But if you’re making it at home, you can add as many different proteins as you want!
Use different broth
Sure, the seasoning packet and water is the classic broth for ramen, but if you want to upgrade your recipe, try using your own broth. Some other great broths to use are bone broth, miso paste mixed with water, or vegetable or chicken Better Than Bouillon.
Add veggies
Personally, I put as many vegetables as I can in my ramen because it makes it that much more filling and nutritious. You can basically throw any veggies you have leftover in your fridge- mushrooms, peppers, spinach, carrots, and the list. And if you don’t have any fresh vegetables, no worries, frozen will do just fine!
Get spicy
Your ramen is only as good as the spices you use. Spices always make food taste better, and some great spices to add to ramen are red pepper flakes, curry powder, cumin, chili powder, and even classic salt and pepper will do the trick.
Add a finishing touch
If you really want your ramen to be restaurant-worthy, you need an excellent finishing touch. That means sesame seeds, nori, Sriracha, scallions, cilantro, or lime. Or, if you’re like me, you can just add all of them. I like my ramen to be as flavorful as possible.
