Ramen is a classic college food. Usually thought of as ultra salty broth with boring noodles flavored as either chicken or beef. But that is a far cry from the traditional ramen served in Japan. It is beautiful, complex, and aesthetically pleasing with just a select ingredients. While we won’t be pulling our noodles by hand, the most straightforward way to jazz up your ramen–and have it approach something like you’d find in Japan–is with add-ins. This is a wide-open strategy, and there is no wrong way to go about it. What tastes good is more important than being authentic or fancy. Some of my favorite add-ins are:
Add-Ins for Extra Umami and Depth of Flavor
- Thinly sliced cabbage
- A soft boiled egg cut in half
- Kimchi
- Hot sauce/Sriracha
- Tofu
- Thinly sliced red pepper
- Spinach
- Garlic
- Pulled pork
- Two roasted, non-breaded chicken wings
- Thinly sliced beef
- White fish
- Crab meat
- Seaweed Salad
The Broth – How to Upgrade From a Seasoning Packet
Another way to remedy boring ramen is to tweak the broth. This is a sure-fire way to take ramen to the next level of flavor. For a college student it can be the difference of getting sick of a meal to becoming excited for a meal. Using your own is ideal, but if you don’t have any stock I would recommend cutting back on the seasoning packet then adding other ingredients for more complex flavor. For example:
- Miso sauce
- MSG
- Roasted chicken wings (no breading) can be used as more than an add in–they add depth of flavor to the broth
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Peanut butter for imitation Pad Thai
Ramen is an excellent way for novice home cooks to ease into more complex dishes. It’s also extremely affordable and the add ins I mentioned are inexpensive. Consider looking at your takeout leftovers and seeing what might taste good in a bowl of hot broth with some noodles! Below I’ve included some links to YouTube channels and videos about ramen:
Tonkotsu Ramen | Basics with Babish
Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup | Food Busker
Andy Makes Ramen Two Ways | From the Test Kitchen | Bon Appétit
Check out our article next week on frozen burritos for a great guide to a cheap Mexican inspired staple!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Ramsey
Student Author - Fall 2020
