Weeknight / noodles

neoguri copycat ramen

My favorite instant ramen, rebuilt from pantry staples. Gochujang broth, seaweed, shrimp and an egg, on the table as fast as the packet version.

10 min serves 1 quick
A steaming bowl of red ramen broth with noodles, shrimp, seaweed, zucchini and sliced green onions

ingredients

Tick things off as you go.

make it yours

  • Silken tofu for an extra protein boost
  • Frozen edamame for more protein (add it with the shrimp)
  • 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder with the gochujang for a big hit of umami

method

  1. heat the broth and seaweed

    Pour 2–3 cups of broth into a pot, depending on how brothy you want it today. I love chicken bone broth from Costco for the extra protein, and I always have a box on hand. Crumble a handful of dried seaweed into the broth with your fingers; it expands as the broth heats up. I use the Korean brand Clean Water (usually at H Mart), but any seaweed meant for miyeok-guk, Korean seaweed soup, will work.

  2. dissolve the gochujang

    Once the broth is boiling, add the gochujang. The heat helps it melt in. Stir well and make sure it's fully dissolved before you move on.

  3. add the veggies

    If you're adding vegetables, now's the time, since they need a little longer than the noodles. Zucchini and bok choy are my favorites.

  4. add the noodles

    Drop the noodles straight into the broth. From here, time everything around them. Mine take 6–8 minutes, so I let them cook for about 3 minutes before the toppings go in.

  5. add the protein

    Add the shrimp, or frozen seafood of your choice. The protein here is really up to you: the mixed seafood bag from Trader Joe's works, and so does diced rotisserie chicken (a great use for a weeknight Costco roast chicken; it's already cooked, so it just needs to warm through). I like, and usually have, raw Argentinian wild-caught shrimp from Costco in my freezer. Frozen protein cools the pot down, which is why it doesn't go in earlier: the noodles need a head start. Once it thaws and starts to cook, give everything a really good stir.

  6. egg, lid, low heat

    Crack in the egg, cover the pot and turn the heat to low for the last few minutes until the noodles are done. Don't let them go too long. Overcooked ramen noodles are the worst.

  7. bowl it up

    Once the noodles are tender and the egg is cooked through, tip everything into a bowl and top with plenty of green onions.

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