Ramen has been on trend for as long as I can remember. Something about warm noodles sitting in a savory, brothy bath gets people salivating. Chefs have taken the basic pantry staple and elevated it to a new level.
However, both the packaged ramen and the fancy ramen served in restaurants contains very high sodium, fat, GMO's and MSG's. I've taken this trend and enhanced it even further to a healthy meal you and your family can enjoy. This elevated ramen contains few ingredients and loads of flavor.
Ingredients:
Broth:
1 Box Swanson veggie broth
2 Tbsp. Miso paste
1 Dried chili
1 Clove garlic, smashed
1 Bay leaf
Noodles:
1 Package Ramen Noodles
2c water reserved from boiled eggs
Chili Oil:
2c Sesame oil
1 Tsp. minced garlic
1 Tsp. minced ginger
1 Tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Toppings:
4 Green onions, sliced
1/2c Mushrooms, sliced
1 Red pepper, sliced
1 Jalapeno, sliced with seeds intact
1 Pkg. Firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 eggs
2c water (for eggs & ramen noodles)
Instructions:
Press tofu and set aside for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cut tofu into 1 inch cubes. Learn how to press tofu here. Pour veggie broth into a pot over medium-high heat and bring up to a simmer. Once broth reaches a simmer, add in miso paste, garlic, bay leaf and chili. Whisk broth until miso is incorporated. Keep on simmer for 10 minutes then shut heat off and cover pot to keep warm. In a separate pot, bring 2c of water to a boil. Once boiling, carefully add eggs to the pot and boil for 6 1/2 minutes. After 6 1/2 minutes, transfer eggs to an ice bath. Let eggs sit in ice bath for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cool spot. Reserve the hot water for later. Peel eggs once you are ready to serve your ramen. For chili oil, heat 2 Tbsp. sesame oil in a pan. Add in garlic and ginger. Right before the oil begins to burn, shut the heat off and add in the crushed red pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes and then strain oil into a container and save for later. Reheat reserved water and bring to a boil. take ramen out of package (throw away the flavor packet) and drop noodles into boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes. Add noodles, warmed broth, peeled eggs, sliced veggies, chili oil, and miso glazed eggplant to your bowl. Enjoy with a pair of chopsticks.
For the video on how to make this elevated ramen, click here!