Instant ramen even tastier with these 14 hacks

A few frozen vegetables are an easy way to liven up your ramen soup.

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You can make instant ramen even better and tastier with a few small changes.

Celebrity chef Roy Choi says he adds grated cheese, butter and eggs to his instant ramen.

Soy sauce, kimchi or peanut butter can also enhance the taste.

Use your ramen noodles as the base for a yakisoba stir fry

Cook your ramen noodles. Once they are done, you can stir-fry them with vegetables, your favorite protein source and the special yakisoba sauce. You can also take the small packet of spices inside the ramen noodles to flavor the dish.

This trick doubles as a ramen hack and a yakisoba hack. The ramen noodles are a bit cheaper than the traditional yakisoba noodles.

Here you can find the whole recipe.

Just add sriracha for a sweet and tangy kick.

Sriracha's popular hot sauce. — Sriracha’s popular hot sauce.

Sriracha is a classic and inexpensive way to spice up your instant ramen. You can easily and cheaply flavor the noodles with the popular hot sauce made from red chili and garlic.

Eggs can be added to instant ramen in a number of ways to enhance flavor and texture.

You can either scramble the eggs into the noodles or poach them.

Eggs are a great way to add protein and flavor to instant ramen to make it a filling meal.

Some people prefer to whisk an egg into the ramen for a creamier texture. Others poach the egg by placing it directly in the bowl.

Add some peanut butter to give your dish a Thai twist.

You can use peanut butter to make a delicious sauce for your instant ramen.

For nutty, Thai-inspired instant ramen, cook the noodles according to package directions, but omit the flavor packets.

Instead, mix together sesame oil, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger and pour over the hot noodles. Add chopped green onions and sesame seeds for even more flavor.

You can find the full recipe here here.

Use Japanese spices such as Furikake or Togarashi to enhance the flavor.

Furikake consists of seaweed, sesame and fish flakes.

Try jazzing up the flavor of instant ramen with a pinch of furikake—a common Japanese seasoning that includes seaweed, sesame, and fish flakes.

You can also try adding Togarashi. It’s a savory condiment made primarily from dried red pepper flakes, plus a sprinkling of dried seaweed and sesame seeds.

Add some chashu pork belly for extra protein.

Chashu is traditional Japanese fried pork belly.

A proper tonkotsu ramen (a popular pork bone dish) includes chashu, a fried pork belly. Pork Belly Marinade only requires a handful of ingredients (most of which you already have on hand). So you can cook a portion of chashu in advance. Then you can cut off a few pieces every night and refine your ramen with them.

goodbye here a recipe for chashu pork.

A little bacon and a soft-boiled egg are easy to make and will enhance the flavor of your instant ramen.

Bacon is an easy alternative that doesn't require as much effort as pork. — Bacon is an easy alternative that doesn’t require as much effort as pork.

If you don’t feel like roasting the pork belly for so long, you can simply add some thickly sliced bacon and a soft-boiled egg to your basic ramen recipe for an instant boost.

You can also add a traditional ramen egg. It involves marinating a soft-boiled egg in soy sauce and mirin (a type of rice wine that is sweeter than sake but contains less alcohol).

At least here the complete recipe.

Add fresh or frozen vegetables

Both fresh and frozen vegetables work well in ramen.

Towards the end of the cooking process, add some leafy greens like spinach, bok choy or cabbage to the sauce. The vegetables should cook together with the ramen in the boiling water so you don’t have to use a second pot.

You can also thaw frozen vegetables (eg corn, peas or carrots) under running water and then add them to the pot when the noodles are almost ready.

Replace the spice packets with miso paste

Miso paste is made from fermented soybeans.

Swap out the seasonings in instant ramen for a spoonful of miso paste (which is made from fermented soybeans).

According to the health information provider Healthline Miso contains probiotics that aid in digestion and can improve gut health.

Chef Roy Choi likes to add butter, an egg and melted cheese to his instant broth.

Sliced cheese makes your ramen soup creamier.

Celebrity chef Roy Choi cooks the “perfect instant ramen” by adding butter, melted cheese and an egg.

You can find his full recipe in theNew York Times“.

Use dried seaweed as a topping

Dried seaweed will too — Dried seaweed is also called “nori”.

Ramen restaurants often serve a gourmet bowl of noodles topped with a sheet of dried seaweed. It is also called “nori”.

Try crumbling some seaweed leaves in your own bowl for an extra salty crunch.

Add some kimchi for a salty-spicy taste.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish, usually made with pickled and fermented vegetables. For a spicy and salty taste, simply add some kimchi to your bowl of ramen. You can usually find ready-made kimchi in the Asian market. However, a Korean supermarket will likely offer even more options.

Add spring onions and sesame seeds to your ramen for a crunchier bite.

These little additions make your ramen soup much tastier.

Prepare the instant ramen as usual, then add chopped spring onions and toasted sesame seeds as a topping. You will be surprised how much more delicious your sauce will be.

Soy sauce works wonders

Soy sauce is a great addition to the spice packets. — Soy sauce is a good addition to the spice packets.

Some people avoid the spice packets in instant ramen because they sometimes contain flavor enhancers. Still, they might want some of that salty flavor in their pasta. If this is the case for you, you can simply halve the spice packet and add a splash of soy sauce.

This article was translated by Alexis Haupt and Stefanie Michallek. You can find the original here.