How To Get The Most Flavor Out Of Your Microwaveable Ramen
When you think about delicious dishes, does microwavable ramen make the top of your list? These noodles represent an easy way to whip up a salty, slurpable, and affordable meal, but the instant version is a far cry from the centuries-old noodle soup that has become a staple of the global culinary scene. Fortunately, you don't need to sidle up to the ramen bar to get your flavorful fix.
There are plenty of ingredients that can seriously upgrade your instant ramen. However, to maximize flavor, you'll want to think beyond seasonings, sauces, and toppings, and instead focus on the broth filling your bowl (or cup). You should add the included spice packet to your water before microwaving the noodles, which will allow your ramen to better absorb the seasoning. Cooking your noodles in the seasoned broth bath will give you a far more flavorful meal than using plain water would.
Why you should pre-season your ramen water
Adding the seasoning packet to the water before cooking your ramen noodles is a surefire way to maximize flavor. This is because the seasoning will distribute itself into the broth without needing any manual stirring; the boiling bubbles will carry it to all corners of your noodle cup. The seasoned water also coats the noodles themselves, which can help prevent them from sticking. Additionally, incorporating the spices earlier in the process can reduce the number of dishes you use, cutting down on both cooking and cleaning time.
The benefits of pre-seasoning extend beyond convenience. Allowing ramen to stew in a seasoned broth imparts more taste into the noodles from the start, similar to salting your pasta water. Thus, you won't have to wait for your noodles to get soggy; you can enjoy them right away at maximum flavor. Additionally, pre-seasoning adds depth to the broth itself.
More flavor tips for your ramen
Once you've applied this pre-seasoning technique to instant ramen, there is no shortage of further steps you can take to ramp up the flavor of your noodles. At virtually any point during the cooking process, you can add an egg to your ramen. Changing the time at which you drop in your egg, or deciding whether or not to whisk the eggs before adding them, will result in different egg styles, so choose your desired preparation and get cracking.
It should go without saying that sauces are a surefire way to elevate the taste of your microwave ramen. You can deepen the broth by tossing in a bit of butter, and give it a more savory profile with a splash of soy sauce. If you're partial to dishes with a bit of a kick, adding something like chili oil will give your ramen noodles some spice. Furthermore, if you want to make your bowl of noodles more hearty while also adding flavor, you can add either fresh or frozen vegetables to the mix. However, even though these sauces and supplemental foods are great ingredients, if you opt to pre-season your ramen water, the noodles will absorb enough flavor to make the meal satisfying and delicious enough on its own.