All I want, all winter long, is a big bowl of body-warming, soul-soothing soup. And usually I want it instantly, with next-to-zero work on my part. Ramen is the magical concoction that satisfies both of these desires.
I make it a little differently every time, depending on what veggies and toppings we have in the house. It is delicious in its simplest form – broth and noodles – but I love it even more when we have greens, mushrooms, sprouts, soft-boiled eggs and other fixins to add for flavor and texture.
Feeling a little chilly and also a little lazy? Go fix yourself a steaming bowl of broth, noodles and veggies. You deserve it.
Veggie Ramen
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece of ginger, minced
- 3 T. white miso paste
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- Soy sauce to taste
- Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste
- 1 T. mirin, white wine or vermouth (optional)
- 1 tsp. 5-star spice (optional)
- About 8 oz / 227 g dried ramen noodles
- Dried shitake mushrooms
- 1 bunch Swiss chard or spinach
- Bean sprouts
- Green onions, diced
- Cilantro, chopped
- Sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
- 4 soft-boiled eggs
Soup
Veggies
Toppings (optional)
Instructions
- Soak mushrooms in warm water until they soften (20-30 minutes); rinse and drain. Slice mushrooms.
- Heat sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook garlic and ginger for 2 minutes, then add miso and cook for another minute. Add broth, a splash of soy sauce and Sriracha, 5-star spice (optional) and mirin (optional).
- Stir in mushrooms. Bring the broth to a simmer and season to taste.
- While broth is heating, boil water in a separate pot and cook noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse with warm water; set aside.
- Add greens to the broth and cook for a few minutes until wilted.
- Put a serving of noodles in each bowl, ladle soup over the top, and garnish with toppings.
