Transform instant ramen into a colorful, flavorful bowl of Easy Miso Ramen with just a handful of ingredients and 30 minutes. This instant ramen recipe is endlessly adaptable and irresistibly cozy.  

If you look in my pantry right now, one ingredient that you’re sure to find is instant ramen. These quick-cooking noodles are inexpensive and can be transformed into a complete meal in minutes. Whether they go into stir-fry, crunchy salad, or a bowl of noodle soup, instant ramen recipes are where it’s at. Keep reading for a few of my favorite hacks for turning quick and easy instant ramen into a killer meal. 

This is a sponsored post with Mike’s Mighty Good. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on my experience and personal views.

How to Make It

1. Start with broth. The broth is the foundation of a great bowl of ramen. Start with low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock. Add flavorful ingredients like garlic and soy sauce. Coconut milk and miso paste give the broth rich flavor and a subtly creamy texture. 
2. Add vegetables. Baby spinach is my go-to because it cooks so quickly, but ramen is also fantastic with mushrooms, shredded carrots, sliced bell peppers, broccoli florets, corn, or snow peas. Pile in any vegetables hiding in your refrigerator for a colorful, nutrition-packed, healthy ramen bowl. 
3. Add protein. Add cooked chicken, pork, beef, bacon, tofu, or eggs for protein. Leftovers work very well here.
4. Cook noodles. Cook the noodles in the broth just until tender. Check the package for the recommended cooking time. 
5. Garnish bowls. Here’s where it really gets fun. Finish the bowls with ingredients that add texture and flavor. Add fresh herbs like cilantro or green onions. Add a drizzle of toasted sesame oil for a toasty flavor. Sprinkle on seasonings like Japanese furikake and toasted sesame seeds or spicy sauces like Sriracha, chili oil, or chili garlic sauce.
6. Enjoy!

Ways to Upgrade Instant Ramen

It couldn’t be easier to create your own instant ramen recipe with an additional ingredient or two. Upgrade your bowl by adding any of these:

• Vegetables
• Aromatics like garlic and ginger
• Cooked chicken, pork, beef
• Tofu or seitan cubes
• Butter
• Chopped green onions or cilantro
• Miso paste
• Coconut milk
• Curry paste
• Fresh lemon or lime juice
• Soy sauce
• Fish sauce
• Sesame oil
• Soft-boiled egg
• Bean sprouts
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Furikake
• Spicy sauces (Sriracha, chili oil, chili garlic sauce)

Ingredients

• Miso Paste – Creamy, savory, subtly sweet miso paste is my favorite way to upgrade, not only ramen, but almost any soup. This common Japanese ingredient is a fermented soybean paste that is so full of flavor that even a tablespoon or two can transform an entire pot of soup. If you’ve ever had miso soup, you know how delicious and comforting the flavor of this ingredient is. Many grocery stores sell white miso paste, typically found in the refrigerated section. It comes in a variety of colors and brands and each will have a slightly different flavor. If not using white miso, add it to your soup a bit at a time, tasting as you go, until you get the right flavor. Looking for what to do with your extra miso paste? Try my Miso Vegetable Soup.
• Garlic – A little garlic cooked with the miso paste gives the broth a flavor like it’s been simmering all day, even though it only cooks for 20 minutes. 
• Low-Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Stock – Any type will work and will add great flavor. It’s best to start with low-sodium because the miso and soy sauce will add salt.
• Coconut Milk – Be sure to use coconut milk found in cans, not the cartons that are used in place of dairy milk. Regular, not light, coconut milk is really worth using here for the most flavor. 
• Soy Sauce – Tamari or Bragg’s / coconut aminos make great substitutes. 
• Instant Ramen – Use about 4 ounces of dried ramen noodles per serving. 
• Baby Spinach – I love how quickly this cooks and adds color and nutrition, but there are many options for other vegetables throughout this post.
• Eggs – In my book, it’s not a great bowl of ramen without a soft-boiled egg, but you can easily skip this or substitute your protein of choice.  

Tips for the Best Bowl of Ramen

For the best results in your bowl of instant ramen, watch the noodles closely. You want the noodles tender but not soggy. Keep in mind that the noodles will continue to cook slowly in the hot broth even when they are transferred to bowls for serving, so it’s a good idea to cook them a minute less than is recommended on the package. If in doubt, you can even cook the noodles separately and then drain them well. Divide them between serving bowls and ladle the hot broth over top just before serving. 

It’s also key to taste your broth as you go and doctor it up to fit your tastes. Using the recipe below or the list above, you can create a crave-worthy broth that you’ll want to make again and again. And while I usually discard most instant ramen seasoning packets in favor of making my own quick broth, it’s worth noting that Mike’s Mighty Good ramen seasoning packets include simple ingredients with a lot less sodium than other brands. They make an insanely rich broth and have lots of flavor options (including miso!).

Variations

• Vegan option – For vegan ramen, skip the eggs in your bowl and be sure to use a vegan-friendly instant ramen, like Vegetarian Miso Ramen for this recipe.
• Add vegetables – As mentioned above, this instant ramen recipe is perfect for piling in your favorite vegetables. Add mushrooms, shredded carrots, sliced bell peppers, broccoli florets, corn, snow peas, or any other vegetables that need to be used from your fridge.
• Add ginger – A great addition to this recipe is grated fresh ginger or ginger paste. If you like that zippy ginger flavor, definitely add some with the garlic in this recipe.

FAQs

More Asian Noodle Recipes

Marinated Beef and Broccoli Noodles

Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad

Sesame Garlic Ramen Stir-Fry

Thai Noodle Mason Jars with Peanut Dressing