Ramen comes in many forms; you can spend good money for a fresh bowl of professionally made udon from your favorite local shop, or you can get it in a cup or a packet from the grocery store. Heck, you can even make your own noodles at home. The premade packets that come with a seasoning pouch are the fastest to add ingredients to while cooking them, making for fast recipes that taste great. Here are my favorite suggestions.
- Green Onions – Grow these in a pot on your deck or balcony, they are very easy to maintain. They grow quickly and provide a fresh garden taste to any bowl of ramen.
- Tuna – Need to add some protein to your bowl? Adding a can of tuna will do that quickly while giving the soup a nice seafood base. Sprinkle on some green onions and you are good to go.
- Egg – Hard boiled or however you like them done, toss then into your soup for an extra calorie boost – great for energy needed throughout the day.
- Bacon – I always have a container of pre-cooked bacon in my fridge for all sorts of uses, ramen being one of them. Dice a slice into large chunks you can eat with chopsticks and add them to your ramen.
- Carrots & Celery – For ramen with a fresh crunch, adding al dente veggies like carrots and celery to your ramen is a great way to boost the health benefits.
- Jalapenos – Cut the seeds and pulp out of the center, then slice into bite size pieces. Add to your bowl and enjoy a nice green heat to your recipe.
- Okra – Give your ramen a bit of a gumbo feel with some okra added in. The slimy addition makes for a pleasant broth that is unique and delicious.
- Grilled leftovers – have some leftover steak or chicken from last night’s BBQ? Slice it into bite size chunks and throw it in! The broth will reinvigorate the dried up meats and bring out their smokey flavor.
- Spices – Ramen is a bit bland without a little extra spices. My favorites are a dash of italian seasoning blend, some fresh ground szechuan peppercorn, and a dash of ghost pepper powder. However, chili powder, dill, crushed red pepper, and celery seed are also delicious options.
- Fresh Herbs – If you are like me and have a small herb garden, adding them to your ramen is a game changer. Freshly diced savory herbs like rosemary, time, and basil can take a boring bowl of ramen and turn it into the highlight of your day.
The American Centrist 