Ramen noodle soup is something I never tried but always thought looked so delicious. Since I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I was in my teens, I didn’t have the option to survive on instant ramen soup during frehman year of college like many of my peers. Especially my most important peer, aka my future husband.
I met Matt on my first day of college. Soon after becoming friends with him, I discovered his love for ramen noodles. His love for ramen ran deep. It wasn’t just that he liked the flavor. He loved that it took two minutes to cook (or zero minutes if you eat them straight from the package as he often did) and that it is VERY cheap. Something every freshman boy loves.
Fast forward a couple years, Matt and I were shopping at Costco and we discovered Lotus Millet and Brown Rice Ramen noodles. We were both excited. I was excited because I had never tried ramen before and Matt was excited because it was always one of his favorite meals.
These gluten-free ramen noodles are so tasty. I love the texture of them, too. The best part is that they only take 4 minutes to cook. Okay, so that’s slightly longer than the instant ramen soup version but they are also much better quality. The only downside (according to Matt) is that they don’t taste good raw. So, don’t try eating them straight from the package.
We often cook the noodles and then toss them in some sesame oil, green onions, garlic, and tamari. It’s a very simple, comforting meal. But for this recipe, I wanted to create a grown up version of the instant ramen noodle soup I missed out on (but did I really?) and the meal that gave Matt life for his whole first year of college. I chose to combine miso soup and ramen soup, because miso lends an amazing umami flavor. Also, an added benefit is that it’s a fermented food and contains beneficial enzymes and probiotics that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption. I personally try to limit my consumption of soy products since it’s hard to find non-GMO soy. So, I purchased Miso Master Organic Chickpea Miso from my local health food store. I love that there are so many options nowadays! Feel free to use a miso that you prefer but do note that miso paste can vary quite a bit in flavor depending on which type you choose.
- 1 Tbsp. oil
- 2 green onions, sliced
- ¼ white onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 inch piece of ginger, finely diced
- 1 sheet nori
- 6 cups bone broth, chicken broth or veggie broth
- ½ oz. dried shiitake mushrooms
- 3-4 Tbsp chickpea miso paste
- ¼ cup coconut aminos or tamari
- 4 blocks ramen noodles
- Toppings:
- Cilantro, Basil, Mint
- Green onions
- Mung bean sprouts
- Purple cabbage
- 4 Boiled eggs
- In a large stock pot, sauté onions, garlic, and ginger in oil. Cook until fragrant.
- Add broth, mushrooms and nori.
- Simmer for 20 mins then strain.
- Discard the nori. Slice mushrooms into bite size pieces and add back into the soup.
- Boil eggs, peel and set aside.
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, rinse and set aside.
- Add coco aminos and miso to broth, whisk until smooth.
- Prepare toppings: rinse the herbs and mung bean sprouts, chop the cabbage, and slice the green onions.
- To plate: place ¼ of the noodles in a large bowl. Then, ladle the soup over the top. Slice one egg in half and place it into the soup, add the cabbage, green onions and herbs and drizzle with sriracha. Enjoy!
We really enjoyed this meal and hope you will too! I was a little nervous that Matt wouldn’t like it as much as the instant kind he used to eat. Thankfully he loved it and so did I. We will definitely be making this soup a staple in our house.
It would be fun to make for a party. You can set all the toppings out and allow people to assemble their own bowl of soup.
XO, Sam