How to Upgrade Your Instant Ramen: Level Up the Flavor!

Liza is a homemaker who loves baking and cooking. She also enjoys collecting postcards from friends all over the world.

Customized Instant Ramen

Instant ramen is great because it's quick, easy, inexpensive, and satisfying. In just a few minutes you can have a soul-warming meal in a bowl!

Though many types of ramen are similar, I've learned that it doesn't have to be boring. You can easily upgrade your ramen to make it taste extra special. Adding protein (chicken, shrimp, or eggs) and vegetable will transform your ramen into something that a restaurant might serve! If you are extra adventurous, you can even experiment with ditching the seasoning packet and replacing it with vegetable or chicken broth.

You can find instant ramen in almost any grocery store. I like to buy ramen from my local Asian market, which carries a variety of brands from Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Ingredients

• 2 packets ramen of your choice
• 3 1/2 cups water (or follow the package instructions; I added more water as I like extra broth)
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (or any vegetables you have)
• 4 medium-sized shrimp
• 1/3 cup mushroom, sliced
• 2 serrano peppers, sliced

Optional Toppings

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• Soy sauce
• Sesame seeds
• Cilantro
• Aleppo pepper

Vegetarian Variation: You can easily make this dish vegetarian by omitting the shrimp and eggs.

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Add the ramen to the pot and let it cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the seasoning to the pot and stir to combine.
4. Add the shrimp (or chicken or eggs).
5. Add the frozen mixed vegetables, mushroom, and serrano peppers. Stir continuously until they are well combined.
6. Let the ramen simmer for 1-2 minutes before turning off the heat.
7. Use a ladle to transfer the ramen to a serving bowl.
8. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs, sesame seeds, cilantro, Aleppo pepper, and soy sauce.
9. Serve immediately.

Photo Tutorial

© 2021 Liza

Comments

Liza (author) from USA on March 07, 2021:

Hi Sp, you should try to make one like this. I like instant ramen when the weather is cold outside. It tastes so much better! I think the extra ingredients I added and the warm broth just comforting.

Liza (author) from USA on March 07, 2021:

Hi Flourish, yes! Other than the ingredients I've mentioned above, sometimes, I would put more. You could never go wrong with being creative when cooking instant ramen :)

Liza (author) from USA on March 07, 2021:

Korean ramen is one of my favorites Linda. However, I have tried different types of instant ramen from different countries. Some are quite plain if you just cook directly from the package. So, by adding the vegetable and protein, it makes the flavor so much better!

Liza (author) from USA on March 07, 2021:

I always like ramen with extra ingredients, Peggy. The flavor is so much better! I have done the same with a different type of instant ramen, and the result just amazing.

Sp Greaney from Ireland on March 05, 2021:

This is so easy to prepare. I never though of making it myself. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

FlourishAnyway from USA on March 04, 2021:

I like your suggestions for dressing up ramen.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on March 03, 2021:

This sounds like another very tasty dish. The meal looks delicious in your photos.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on March 03, 2021:

I like your idea of ramping up the ingredients, and therefore the favors of ramen soups. Your ideas are excellent!