How do you dress up a bowl of Top Ramen?

I heat some coconut milk with a little chicken stock,add about half of the flavor packet & some sriracha hot chili sauce sauce. Cook the noodles in that & I'm good.

Toppings:

Poached egg, or fried egg over-medium.
Wakame seaweed (sprinkle while cooking, no need to re-hydrate separately).
Frozen peas or sugar snap peas.
Diced ham.
Minced fresh scallion (green onion).
Pinch of chopped cilantro.
Slice of fresh ginger (into the broth).

Shelled edamame beans & little pieces of crumbled bacon.

My signature ramen - cube some tofu into 1/2", chop some broccoli into small pieces, start your ramen and add both. When cooked add some full fat yogurt to which you have added curry powder and a little soy sauce.
Also - it's good with sour cream.

Add a can of chicken and right before it's done cooking stir in an egg or two (like egg drop soup).

I cook the noodles, drain off all the water, blanch some sliced bell pepper, thaw some shrimp and mix the noodles, bell pepper, shrimp and a full seasoning packet...I prefer beef. Quick, healthy and yummy!

I only use half of the flavor packet because of all the sodium in it. So I wouldn't call it exactly healthy to use the whole thing.

I add a slice of fresh ginger to the simmering water (which I remove after it is cooked), then add hot chile/garlic paste, green onion, and a hefty squeeze of lime juice at the end. Gives a sort of hot and sour boost.

I like putting in my cooked homemade Asian style turkey meatballs(soy sauce, scallions,sesame oil, garlic, pepper,steak seasonings)and Napa cabbage (I use a lot since it shrinks down). Once the ramen is done and the heat is off, I stir in 1 beaten egg and slowly swirl it around until the egg is done.

I have a soft spot for ramen, with no expectations of it being "healthy," but additions help me psychologically...and to clean out my fridge sometimes.

I also skimp on the package b/c of sodium & msg, and add:

an egg (stir or it will be a big cooked egg, which isn't bad) mushrooms (any kind, but i prefer shitake)
any kind of green (i've done asparagus or any leafy green)
meat or tofu
green onions at the very end

For the meat, if you can get to a chinatown that has a store or restaurant that sells bbq pork or duck, this is the best addition (look for hanging ducks). You can buy it by the 1/2 lb or full lb (or more...), and have them cut it up for you. Then you can throw it in a ziploc and have it in your freezer for months. Or use other leftovers of meat/stock.

this is too simple: chopped green onions and a raw egg over the ramen noodles/broth - break the yolk with your chopsticks and lift noodles to mouth; the yolk coats the noodles as you eat and the hot broth cooks the egg whites... add a splash of hot chili sesame oil if you like.

Discard the flavor packet! Here's my recipe that I created. It only takes about 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes to cook (the ramen cooks so fast). You can also substitute shrimp for the chicken. It can be very spicy, so beware, and it's easier than it looks:

Spicy Oriental Chicken and Noodles, version 1.0

Courtesy of Kevin Lacassin
www.NolaFoodie.com

Serves 2

1⁄2 lb. Chicken Thighs, boneless, sliced into bite sized pieces
2 packages Ramen noodles
1⁄2 bunch Green Onions, chopped
2 Shallots, minced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Sambal Chili Paste (can use Siracha)
2 tbsp. Butter
Rice Wine Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
Olive Oil
Oyster Sauce
Black Pepper
Kosher Salt

Coat a large (12”) non-stick skillet with a bit of olive oil and sweat the shallots and garlic for five to ten minutes, until soft. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat until done. Make sure not to burn the garlic! Add dashes of sesame oil, soy sauce and oyster sauce to pan and make sure chicken is coated evenly. Pour contents of the pan into a bowl or on a cutting board and reserve for later.

To make the chili sauce, add two tablespoons of butter and the green onions to the skillet. Cook for a minute or two until all of the butter is melted. Add two tablespoons of Sambal chili sauce and about a teaspoon of rice wine vinegar. Continue to cook the sauce on low heat for several minutes (until noodles are done).

While the sauce is cooking, open two packages of Ramen noodles and discard the seasoning packet. Put the noodles into boiling water (have the water boiling throughout the cooking process) and cook according to instructions on the package (generally 3 minutes).

When the noodles are finished cooking, drain and add to the skillet along with the chicken. Toss all ingredients together and serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Garnish with green onion.

Notes: You will have to eyeball each of the liquid ingredients. The Sambal chili sauce is spicy! If the end result is too spicy, you can cut the heat with extra butter.

Cook the noodles in about a half cup of water. You have to stir and get the noodles to evenly cook. Add any of the additions suggested above. The result has flavor, texture, and mouth feel of fried--without being fried.

What I don't understand is, if you are going to all this fantastic trouble to add all these lovely things, why not just go 0.0001 step further and buy some "real" noodles and a can of chicken stock, which work out to be cheaper per ounce and don't really take any longer to cook - instant ramen is kind of a scam because rice noodles, egg noodles, udon and soba all take the same couple minutes of boiling to cook, but don't have all those hydrogenated oils in them.

i stirfry/saute frozen corn and fresh bean sprouts in sesame oil and dump them on top.

I agree with Frenetica - open packets, throw away the flavor packets, then throw away the noodles.

Who needs dried noodles that have been fried in oil? Making a quick and easy ramen is every bit as easy as using the packets - it's not anywhere as good as a real, cook-all-day-broth ramen, but at least you can get the noodles right by buying something better.

Buy real ramen noodles - preferably fresh - at your local asian store. Look for chuka style noodles or others that have kansui in them - usually some potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate as well as a small amount of phosphoric acid. Some ramen noodles have egg instead, but they're not as good - and plain wheat (or buckwheat or any ther grain) flour noodles should never be used for ramen. Check the calorie content - if it's close to 200, with the fat calories at 70 or so, it's fried.

Some of the best noodles I've found come in the fresh yakisoba packs (three servings to a package). Throw away the flavor packs and use the noodles. The fresh ramen packs also have decent noodles, but the yakisoba brand that I can get locally are better.

Whatever you decide to add, remember that it's the broth and the noodles that make or break the dish - if you can't take the time to get the broth right, at least get the noodles closer to right. Asking about ways to make Top Ramen better is like asking how to improve a McD's cheeseburger - most answers fall into the category of creating a Big Mac. Why not start with a better burger? Then maybe you don't have to add all that junk!

Real ramen noodles are easy if you can get them, low salt chicken stock instead of water and the flavor packet if you can't.

Add some white miso to the broth, much richer mouth feel and better nutrition to boot.

Green onions, reconstituted shitake mushrooms, tree ear mushrooms, leftover chicken, a few slices of char siu and some hot mustard, frozen corn, edamame, a spoonful of curry powder, some cannelini beans, Thai red or green curry paste, lime or lemo juice, cilantro, parsley, red onion, What's in your fridge?

The easiest finish of all is a few drops of good toasted sesame oil around the bowl just before serving.

Old College trick...

Shredded Cabbage...

--Dommy!

Throw away packet.

Sauce:
1 tb Peanut Butter
Splash of Soy Sauce
Squirt of Sriracha
Chopped (or paste or powder) Garlic
Ginger (paste or powder)
No-calorie sweetener (you're already doing badly enough) to taste
Chopped Scallions

kimchi and an egg.

All of these ramens sound so good!

I love ramen for camping- when you cant have a lot of fresh produce, but have all the condements you can handle!

My buddy from college used to make his ramen in the coffe maker, then jazz it up with a simple drizzle of sesame and chili oils- toss in ane egg-drop style egg and some scallions and it actually seems like a real soup.

Not really, but good for a dorm room!

my college favorite was to boil the noodles minus the flavor packet. once done sprinkle about 1/4 to 1/2 of the packet, a big pat of butter, and a generous sprinkle of S&B curry powder. add more butter if needed and mix. yum!!

Cook ramen in water, add flavor packet, then drain off all the liquid. Add chili oil and chopped scallion.

But this only tastes right if cooked in a hot pot plugged in next to your bed.

I only eat Korean spicy kimchi flavored ramen.

cook it according to package directions and add the following:

kimchi (cabbage or even radish)
dttok (horrible spelling) - preferably oval shapes
sliced kamaboko - pink with white middle
baby bok choy
sliced raw green onion - for garnish
and last but not least: garnish with a raw egg yolk

omg, this is the ultimate ramen.

when I was little, my mom used to make me chicken flavoured top ramen with sliced up hot dogs and kimchi mixed it (the kimchi was rinsed off under water because it was too spicy for me) - uber ghetto

add half the seasoning packet...

then stir in beaten egg
and top with:
scallions
strips of crispy, pan fried spam
or quartered vienna sausages
shot of sriracha
shot of sesame oil

ahhhh...brings back memories of afterschool afternoons.

Wow everyone's ideas are so sophisticated!

I used to make the noodles, drain off most of the water, mix in the sauce packet (it will be very salty) then add parmesan cheese. I think it's quite good that way!

simple just add some bean sprouts!

I cook as directed and then add: Ham, bacon or pork, a hard boiled egg, green onions, oyster sauce and a little soy sauce.

I like gyoza(freshly made is best, but the frozen in a pinch is fine) in my instant ramen. I also like kamaboko-fish cake, seasoned age, egg and any pickled vegetables that I have on hand.

Add to water (along with flavor packet):
Thinly sliced celery
Minced green onion
Minced chile serrano
Whole egg beaten with a dribble of sesame oil and stirred into soup as for egg drop soup

Simmer until vegetables and egg are done. Add:
Shredded chicken breast
Ramen
Coarsely chopped cilantro

Mmmmm...for a quicky supper a few times a year, delicious.

i'm assuming you don't want that much prep! some coconut milk and some thai red or green curry paste, and can of bamboo shoots or baby corn. Chopped veggies great too. makes a yummy noodle curry. don't use the packet though, the curry paste has tons of salt and flavor (and no msg).

I have eaten Top Ramen faithfully since I was very little, and my favorite toppings are polish sausage and broccoli (for beef flavor). Or pieces of a rotisserie chicken with broccoli (for chicken flavor).

this may sound gross, but it actually tastes good. cook ramen as directed, drain off soup and grate some parmesan cheese on top. stir until the cheese is melted.

more traditionally, i add an egg, some bok choy and some leftover meat. kimchee is also a good addition.

whatever veggies are sitting around in the fridge: carrot slices, any kind of cabbage/bok choi/leafy vegetables, broccoli or cauliflower. napa cabbage and green peas (in the pod) are my favorite add.

my boyfriend always cringes when i throw in some expensive but delicious dried mushrooms. fresh works too of course. a few drops of sesame oil...

and a fried egg on top.

for the record, if you get your ramen at an asian grocery, there is more selection. pay a little extra (oooh, $2 ramen) to try out some of the "fancy" ones.

I make it hot and sour by adding a bit of apple cider vinegar and sucanat (dried cane juice) you could use sugar....

And of course, a bunch of garlic and a hit of sriacha and chopped green onions...mmmm

poach an egg (lightly so its runny) in it; garnish with chopped scallions and sesame oil. If you have bean sprouts around, nice to further freshen it up.

I make a cabbage salad where I brown the ramen noodles in butter w/sesame seeds and slivered almonds. You mix the flavor packet with sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, vegetable oil, and a few other things. Let ramen noodles cool completely, then mix the ramen 1 bag cole slaw cabbage and toss with dressing. Yum - great for a bbq!

Other than that, I never buy ramen noodles. Much prefer "real."

Here's a recipe I came up with. It's based loosely on one in the BH&G New Dieter's Cookbook, but when I wanted to make that I didn't have a pretty substantial number of the ingredients it called for, so I improvised, and it turned out pretty good.

Thai-inspired Chicken & Noodle Soup

1 t. sesame oil
2 t. chile oil
11⁄2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1⁄2 onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, sliced lengthwise
1 rib celery, sliced thin
2 pkg. ramen noodle soup mix, chicken flavor
1 c. sliced bell peppers (green, red, yellow, or preferably a combination)
1 t. dried or 1 T. minced fresh basil
1 T. fresh cilantro, minced
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. lime juice

Heat oils in soup pot; add onion, garlic & celery and sauté for 2 minutes. Add chicken; sauté briefly, until white all around. Add just enough water to cover chicken, along with the seasoning packets from the ramen noodles (and basil, if dried). Bring to boil; reduce heat & simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

Add soy sauce and 1 cup or so additional water. Return to boil. Break up noodles and add to pot with peppers; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add lime juice and fresh herbs.

I always use the "Oriental" flavor (since It's the only vegetarian one), and add toasted sesame seeds and a couple drops of sesame oil.

You can dress it up all you want but you still can't take it anywhere...

from my grad school days.....
Ramen Corn Chowder (http://busycooks.about.com/od/hotsoup...)

Ramen fried "Rice"--one of our favorites, even now!
1 (3 ounce) package pork-flavored ramen noodles (or smoked ham flavor or oriental flavor)
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 pinch white pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2-1 cup diced roast pork (optional) or cooked chicken (optional) or shrimp (I use tofu if I include this at all, optional) (optional) or tofu (I use tofu if I include this at all) (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Break the noodles into about 6 pieces into a bowl, sprinkle with the contents of the seasoning packet and pour boiling water over to cover.
Stir a bit and let soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Rinse peas with hot water in a colander to defrost.
Mix together the eggs, sesame oil, and pepper and set aside.
Heat a wok or large skillet and add the oil.
Add the garlic and green onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add optional meat and peas and stir fry until hot, about 1 minutes.
Drain the noodles well, add to the skillet and stir fry for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in the soy sauce until well distributed.
Pour the eggs into the skillet and continue to cook and stir, until the bits of egg are cooked.
Serve at once.

Go to the icebox, grab some cold fried chicken, chop it up, and put it in some oriental flavored ramen noodles. Quick and good.

Something about veggies and ramen just doesn't seem right (the healthy-ness of the veggies and the bad from the ramen). When we were chidren, my mother would add fried spam, some sort of greens, and my father would top with tortilla chips.

It kills me how all these people on CH who don't like a particular food (ramen, packaged ramen, the flavor packet, w/e) jump onto these threads, where someone is asking for help, and just disparage the heck out of the food in question. Quit it! I don't think anyone on this thread is figuring to live off instant ramen exclusively. So stop acting like they are.

Give your suggestions .. but not "OMG, don't eat that!!" .. or move on, and don't read the thread.

I mean, I hate liver, but I don't jump on the pate threads and tell them not to eat it!!!

Cook noodles, drain water, add flavor packet (shrimp being the best!), add pat of butter, parm. cheese from the can, and a heaping tablespoon of cottage cheese. Mix vigorously over med. flame to desired creamy goodness. Toast 2 pcs. of Wonder bread to extra crispy. Spread creamy noodle concoction over toast... I liked mine open face.

Give it a try, you'll like it, I promise.

My ramen of choice is the the Thai Kitchen " Thai Curry" and I add green onion, cilantro, red curry paste, chicken or thinly slice ham, and then tiny cubed fresh tomatoes right before eating, but not before I add a good swish of sesame seed oil to the top,

Saturday lunch when I was growing up was instant ramen (bought by the crate from Chinatown) with hot dogs and iceburg lettuce thrown in. If there is an Asian equivalent to trailer park food, this was it! Some times my mom made a beautiful pot of beef stewed in soy sauce, star anise, and dried peppers, and this was the best addition to instant ramen. (discarding the flavor packet.)

i have a finicky 9 yr old that LOVES ramen (chicken flavor) and i was trying to think of a way to at least make it a tad more healthy (alas, he would flip if i added veggies or fresh herbs) -- tried it without the packet and used penzey's chicken soup base (generous tsp.) and dash of penzey's foxpoint seasoning (gotta get the one without salt for this in the future) and held my breath when the picky eater went at it......

"hey, this tastes different." but he ate it all, and i've been making it this way ever since.

Another old college trick - cook ramen, drain water & add a can of cream of mushroom soup Bake if you wish - mushroom tetrazzini!

Does anyone know where I can buy FRESH RAMEN NOODLES, in the Brampton, Mississauga or Toronto area? I live in Brampton but visit Japan quite frequently. I now have this relentless craving for Ramen (Japanese Noodle House Style) and really want to buy it fresh, NOT instant!!!!! Can anyone provide a name and address of where I can acquire this item...PLEASE ??????

This is a great thread. I have always wanted to compile a cookbook of recipes using Ramen (though I'm sure someone already has...).

My dad suggested I call it: "Everybody Loves Ramen." :)

this is my recipie for Top Ramen:
1.first, you follow the directions by boiling the water, then sticking the noodles in.
2.then, while the noodles are cooking, sprinkle about two or three teaspoons of brown sugar in. Mix it in with the noodles.
3.Then, when the noodles are done to your preference, soft noodles or hard, put in the flaver packet.
4.Then, take out a bowl, and drain the broth, using a strainer, into the bowl. then put the noodles back in the pot.
5.Now, take some butter out, and put about 1 or two teaspoons of butter onto the noodles and sir the butter into the noodles.
6.Lastly, the final ingredient. Take some garlic salt, and sprinkle a little bit onto the noodles.
7.After that, pour the broth back into the pot with the noodles, then pour the whole thing into a bowl, then enjoy.

I craved this when I was pregnant. I made the noodles, drained the water (don't use the packet), added sour cream and salsa.

cooked ramen (i loved the chili ramen which is so hard to find now), half the seasoning packet, egg, frozen veggies, greens if available, dash of sesame oil, huge squirt of sriracha, sometimes a little lime, so good!

I like it with marinated tofu, broccoli, chili paste, and soy sauce. (I marinate the tofu in chili paste and soy sauce too.)
Eggs are always good.
Can't really go wrong with shredded pork, beef, or chicken.
Scallions, nori, fish cake.

If you can add just one thing to ramen to significantly enhance its flavor it would be scallions. Everything else seems to be secondary, but here's my list of things I like to add:

Eggs
Kimchi
Mushrooms
Fresh or cured Pork
Thinly sliced raw beef, added at the end of cooking
Curry Powder
Sesame oil
Rice cakes/balls
Fish cake/balls
Any type of cabbage/choy/winter green veggie
Cheese
Corn or Peas
Butter
Miso
Gochujang
Hot peppers (fresh or dried)

I keep it real quick and simple:

i add lots of frozen mixed vegetables when i put the noodles in, then plate it, squeeze in some lime, plenty of salsa Tapatio, maybe even some cilantro.

I add chopped cabbage,sliced carrots, some onion or green onion, soy sauce and plenty of Louisiana Hot Sauce. When my kids were little, I served them with cooked carrots and boiled eggs because that was the illustration on the package. Ramen noodles, mac and cheese, and American Beauty Dumplets Dinners made up a lot of my kids' lunches, with veggies, meat or eggs added.
I read the posts about buying real noodles in an Asian market. Never seen one of those, made me wonder where the closest might be. We've got the hillbilly and Mexican foods aplenty here.

Shredded black fungus, and wakame (a type of seaweed). Sometimes shrimp, thin-sliced carrot and/or fresh mushroom are good too, often VERY thinly sliced cabbage added at the end, and i just got a package of frozen squid pieces that're crossshatched on one side for a really pretty look and I plan to try some of that next. Don't know if I'll saute the outward side first, but maybe. Sometimes the juice of a lime and/or some fish sauce. I don't use soy sauce.
Peas are good, too, a handful thrown in at the end (sorry if it's already been suggested a million times)

If I have a green salad or some lettuce in the fridge that is on its last legs, I stir that into my ramen at the very end (chop the lettuce into bits or slice it thinly)
Or, I add some frozen spinach while it is cooking and then top it off with some tinned tuna or bacon bits.

LMAO, for whatever reason I did a google search for top ramen ideas, and this thread was within the first three hits. WHY I didn't just initially look here I don't know, because almost every food-related google search I do brings up a chowhound thread within the first five hits.

That said, these are the various ways I do instant ramen...... :)

Chicken or beef ramen packet, crush up the dry noodles a bit, sprinkle and shake with the seasoning packet, and consume dry (the shrimp Maruchan cup noodles is great this way too)

When I was little I would make the pork one by cooking the noodles, draining off most of the water, add packet, add handful of cheddar cheese and some cayenne, and stir until it makes a nice sauce (works great if everything is at the right temperature). Surprisingly good.

Pork or oriental-flavoured ramen, cooked and mostly drained, add seasoning packet (half or all depending on how much of a salt tooth I have at the moment), add cayenne, soy sauce, garlic, honey, a hit of worchestershire sauce, and pulled pork.

Cooked ramen noodles, STRONG beef broth, sliced (mmmm, raw) beef, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, honey, and sautee'd spinach

Ramen Chicken Salad

Toppings:

2 Medium Poached Eggs
Chile-Garlic Paste
Fish Sauce
Soy Sauce

My husband loves the spicy shrimp ramen. I send a baggie of shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, frozen baby shrimp, and a lime wedge to work with him. He heats up the ramen and dumps everything in once it's hot. The water is enough to cook the veggies just enough and it makes it feel more like soup. The shrimp adds a kick of protein. It's ingredients we typically have on hand all the time and it's great for when we don't really have lunch ready to go. We only get about a 25 minute lunch break so there's not time to go out.

I made my chicken top ramen with sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, and garlic salt. It was absolutely amazing!!

I cook mine in the microwave because I'm not all picky about it lol
Drained most of the water so there's just enough to mix the seasoning in with, added about a teaspoon or two of sesame oil, about two tablespoons of the soy sauce, a dash of garlic powder and a squirt or two of honey.
I figured it was going to be a little too salty because of the garlic salt and seasoning packet but the honey evened it out perfectly!

Shin Ramyun noodle soup - gourmet spicy

Best ramen there is !!

Got a package several months ago at Wal Mart & just now got around to trying it. Hope they have a lot more, don't know if there are different flavors, but this one is super spicy & has all kinds of things in it.

Seems to me it was not where the other ramen soups were, but on the Asian isle.

Couple mushrooms
diced tomato
few shrimp
a sprig of green (cilantro, parsley, scallion)
splash vinegar
pinch of sugar
lime juice
chile sauce or flakes

==

Tom Yum Ramen
:)

(P.S. You can shortcut for some of those things with half a can of Lime and Cilantro Ro-Tel tomatoes!)

Easy Spaghetti
-Boil noodles
-drain
-add spaghetti sauce
-top with grated parmesan

Peas, cilantro, chiffonaded raw spinach, a couple of key limes, fish sauce, maybe some shredded homegrown kale, and some shrimp if you like or any letover meat you might have lying around, like the meat out of half a leftover burger. Ramen is awesome for absorbing that which is already in the refrigerator.

Ironically any noodle dish is not healthy as of all the carbs and how they are slow, and bad for a diabetic, also that packet you get is all sodium which is bad for blood pressure, all in all a cheap meal but the cheap the meal the cheaper you are being on your body, no matter what you add to it.. it's terrible. There's about 600 mg of sodium in a 1/4 packet.. and the noodles are made of the worst part of the wheat. It's a noodle then boiled then frozen into a brick and then you cook it. ?!?

Hi Annie, I love top ramen. I eat them all the time, not out of necessity, but because I can dress it up and make it really gourmet. I usually have it with a poached egg, blanched boychoy, some canned corns, green onions/cilantro and leftover meat such as chicken, ham, and pork. I sometimes make it into seafood ramen with a couple of nice shrimps on top. It's delicious!

I like using sliced up dried, flavored seaweed sheets. Annie Chun's makes a roasted sesame version that works.

Love this discussion! Never eaten much ramen, but bought some recently and wanted to get some ideas for a good quick meal. After reading all the comments, ended up cooking up some of the oriental flavor with spice packet and added some cubed ham, steamed carrots, tamari, red chili paste & fried eggs on top. It was wonderful!

Mayo to make ramen creamy
Dehydrated refried beans or dehydrated chili flakes to make it more fIllinois and add more protein, way good in the cheese cup o noodle