I have good intentions to use what is in the fridge/freezer. Really I do. This Easy Weeknight Ramen recipe is perfect for people like me. Especially good on a cold midweek evening when you want a delicious, one pot meal, such as this filling soup.
I’m not above taking a shortcut or two. And this recipe uses several shortcuts to make weeknight cooking easier and less stressful. I’d put in the same class as my “No Secrets, No Shame” poppyseed cake. A winner, but one that uses shortcuts you have to be comfortable with.
Of course, if you want to go the totally homemade route, be my guest. But when the goal is to get dinner on the table, shortcuts work well. Did you notice that ramen noodles in this soup come from a packaged ramen soup minus the seasoning packet?
They may not be quite as good as homemade, but I’m fine with them.
Consider this easy weeknight ramen recipe a template. If you don’t have an ingredient or don’t want to use one, make a substitution. If you want to double or even triple the amounts indicated, that’s fine too. Just remember to adjust the size of the pot. when you make more. This recipe is vegetarian when you use vegetable broth or the Trader Joe’s miso ginger, and vegan if you leave out the eggs. But you can make it with chicken-based broth and/or add cooked chicken if you prefer. Beef is a possibility too, although many are limiting their red meat consumption these days.
The inspiration for this easy weeknight ramen comes from Kitchen Docs. The tagline for that site is “Easy Healthy Recipes with an Indian Flair.” The ramen recipe on that site is a bit more prescriptive, telling you exactly how to make the broth, and which vegetables to use. I prefer to talk in terms of types of vegetables and broth.
This recipe makes two large servings. If you have a big family or want to feed a crowd, feel free to double or triple the recipe.
Tips for Making Easy Weeknight Ramen
- The broth needs miso. Light or white miso is the key ingredient in the broth. I’ve found that Trader Joe’s Ginger Miso Broth works well and provides a shortcut. But if you prefer (or can’t find it), use vegetable, chicken or beef broth with miso. The added ingredients help to amp up the flavor of the broth, but they are optional.
- Tofu. Weight the firm or extra firm block of tofu down to eliminate any extra liquid. then cut it into bit-sized cubes, gently coat them in the chili/brown sugar mixture, and let them sit undisturbed in a preheated pan for a few minutes to get the outside brown and crusty.
- Use whatever vegetables you have on hand. This is a good way to clean out the vegetable bin, or find a use for that small bag of frozen peas or corn you’ve had forever.
- Vegan or vegetarian? If you’re making this vegan, just skip the eggs. I love soft eggs, so I make mine “jammy” – somewhere between soft and hardboiled. My beloved likes his a bit more cooked. If you make eggs, whichever way you prepare them, keep the cooked and shelled eggs separate until the last minute. In either event, make sure the broth is vegan or vegetarian.
- Dealing with leftovers. If you have leftovers, you will find that the vegetables and noodles soak up the liquid. So, think about the advice from my mushroom barley soup recipe. If you make it ahead, keep the soup and the other ingredients separate. If you’ve already added the noodles and vegetables to the soup when you find you have leftovers, separate out as much of the broth as you can before refrigerating the ramen. Then heat the ramen elements separately and add the non-liquid ingredients back in later. Also, I add the eggs and tofu in at the last minute. So keep them aside and refrigerate any extras.
Ingredients
This may look like a lot of ingredients, but several of them are optional or alternatives.
For example, you don’t need miso if you use miso broth. I find miso at my local Asian supermarket and keep it refrigerated for use on just such occasions.
If you don’t like chili or hoisin sauce, leave them out of the broth entirely. For the vegetables, as I said before, use what you have. Also, the brown sugar and chili sauce for the tofu don’t go directly into the ramen soup – they simply coat the tofu before it cooks.
Making Easy Weeknight Ramen
I’m not super organized (sigh), but if you are, you can probably make this entire recipe in 45 minutes once you have your mise en place ready. The trick is to wrap and “weight” the tofu down (to press out the liquid), then get the broth going. While the broth simmers, chop the vegetables and then get the tofu cooking.
Easy Weeknight Ramen
This recipe is a filling soup, perfect for a cold weeknight.
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1/2 block extra firm tofu (cubed after pressing – see directions) 6-7 oz
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic or chili sauce About 20g
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark) equal to 1 & 1/2 teaspoons or 7 g
Eggs
- 2-3 large eggs, boiled to jammy or hard boiled (see directions), peeled & cut in half
The Broth
- 4 cups miso broth (boxed is fine) or vegetable, chicken or beef broth with about 3-4 tablespoons of light or white miso paste dissolved in it. Among the alternatives to boxed miso, I prefer vegetable broth with miso.
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon rice or other white vinegar equal to 1 & 1/2 teaspoons
- 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce equal to 1 & 1/2 teaspoons
- 1/2 tablespoon chili oil equal to 1 & 1/2 teaspoons
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 1 med. clove garlic, minced or grated or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Vegetables & Noodles for the Ramen
- 1 cup leafy greens, chopped (bok choy or baby bok choy are good choices)
- 1 – 2 cup/cups "hard" vegetables, if large julienned or chopped into small pieces – e.g. carrots, green beans, broccoli, snow peas, edamame,
- 1 package/square Ramen noodles (without seasoning packet)
Toppings
- 1 handful chopped cilantro or basil or mixture optional
- 2-3 small scallions, sliced optional
Instructions
Tofu
-
Wrap the tofu in a clean towel and add a heavy weight on top to press out the moisture. Leave pressing for at least 8-10 minutes.
-
Mix the remaining ingredients in a small-medium bowl and set aside. After pressing, cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes and gently mix the tofu into the combined ingredients, coating all or most of the sides of the tofu.
-
Preheat a heavy pan (Preferably cast iron). After the broth simmers for about 8-10 minutes, add the tofu to the preheated pan and leave undisturbed for a few minutes. Cook the tofu for a total of about 10 minutes, gently moving it around every few minutes to brown all or most of the sides of the cubes. If they are done slightly before the broth, turn off the light and let them sit in the pan.
Eggs
-
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Add the eggs and bring the water back to a boil. Boil for 6 minutes for "jammy," i.e. soft yellow – 10 minutes for hard boiled.
-
Once the eggs are done, rinse them with cold water and leave in a bowl (or the pot, cooled down) filled with ice and a bit of cold water. When they are thoroughly cooled down, peel them and cut in half lengthwise. Set aside.
The Broth
-
Combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Putting the Ramen Together
-
While the soup is cooking (during the last few minutes), microwave, steam or boil the hard vegetables until cooked but still crisp. For microwaving, generally 2-3 minutes in a covered bowl on high will be sufficient.
-
After the broth is fully simmered, add the noodles and greens. Simmer for another 3-5 minujtes, breaking up the noodles as they get soft. Once the noodles are soft, add the hard vegetables and stir.
-
Ladle the ramen into bowls, top with tofu, egg halves, and the optional scallions and cilantro/basil if using.
Recipe Notes
For an easy way to peel ginger, try this.
Leave a Reply