Quick and Easy Vegetarian Ramen

loading...

loading...

Put down that cup of instant noodles. Seriously. Why settle for mediocre when you have the real deal… from scratch? Fine, there is an extra 15-20 minutes (gasp) that will go to preparing the real deal, but in my books that is the definition of quick and easy. The extra (small) time investment is soo worth the result. Freshly made, quick and easy vegetarian ramen, get in my belly, now!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 teaspoons ginger, grated
• 4 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin or rice wine vinegar
• 4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• 1/2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 2 (3 oz) packs dried ramen noodles
• hot sauce, to taste (optional)
• 1/2 cup green onions/scallions, sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• sesame seeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple minutes until soft and fragrant. Stir in the soy sauce and mirin and cook for another minute. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms and simmer for another 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the eggs and cook for exactly 7 minutes for a slightly runny yoke or 8 minutes for a soft yolk. Remove eggs from the pot and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. After a few minutes, peel the shells off carefully and slice the eggs in half, lengthwise. Set aside.
4. Bring another pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for about a minute, until just wilted. Remove from pot and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
5. Add ramen noodles to stock mixture and cook 2-3 minutes or according to package instructions. Add some hot sauce, to taste (optional).
6. Divide the soup into 2 large bowls.
7. Top with an egg, spinach, carrots and green onions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and serve immediately.

loading...