A big, warm bowl of ramen sounds so simple and good. Who knew that the college staple in many dorm rooms (because it is so cheap) would become one of the huge food trends of the year. You can cook up the most creative, flavorful ramen bowls imaginable. Let the bowl be your canvas and experiment with veggies, eggs, and meat if you like for meals that are tasty and guilt free. In this ramen bowl I used a basic chicken broth, veggies, and a soft boiled egg.
Basic Veggie Ramen Bowl
- Salt, to season
- Freshly-ground black pepper, to season
- 2 tsp sesame or olive oil
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 tsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh local mushrooms, sliced
- 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 baby bok choy, quartered or halved
- 1 cup carrot, shredded
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
- 2 (3 oz) packs dried ramen noodles
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a few minutes until softened. Then add mushrooms and brown. Add the soy sauce. Cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth, cover, and bring to boil. Remove the lid, and let simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add baby bok choy and shredded carrot. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Make the soft-boiled eggs: Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs, and bring to a boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water, and let simmer for 6 minutes (for a slightly-runny yoke) or 8 minutes (for a soft, but set-up yoke). Fill a large bowl with ice water. Once finished, transfer the eggs to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Wait 3 minutes, or until cool enough to handle, then carefully peel away the shell. Set aside until ready to serve.
Chop the scallions. Add the ramen noodles to boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft but somewhat firm, then divide the noodles into two large bowls. Add the ramen broth with mushrooms, baby bok choy, and carrots. Top with the fresh scallions. Slice the soft boiled egg and place on top. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.