Homemade Ramen Bowls

All the children I have cared for the past three decades love ramen noodles. So I started the new year off right for the kids in my care by making their favorite dinners. The parents I work for found this easy homemade ramen recipe at the killingthyme website. I hope the children in your care enjoy this ramen dish as much as mine did!

You Will Need:

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil 
1 clove, garlic minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 cup shredded carrots shredded carrots
1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, (more to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha sauce (optional more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
3 portions Ramen (discard the flavor packets)
Sliced scallion
Sesame seeds, sprinkle
Soft- or hard-boiled eggs

What to Do:

1. Heat oil in a medium-large saucepan over moderate heat. Add garlic and ginger, and simmer until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Do not brown the garlic, or else you’ll get a bitter flavor.
2. Add the carrots and mushrooms if you’re using them, and simmer until they soften, about a minute, stirring frequently.
3. Add the broth, Sriracha sauce, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir, and bring to a simmer; let it go for about five minutes. Taste, and adjust heat and taste to your liking by adding more Sriracha and soy sauce if needed.
4. While the broth simmers, cook the Ramen noodles in a separate pot as per the package’s instructions. (You could cook the noodles in the broth directly, but I don’t recommend it as they will soak up some of the broth and it also makes for a messy transfer to the bowl. It’s much easier to transfer drained cooked noodles to a bowl and spoon the broth over top). Once the noodles are tender, drain and rinse under cool water, place into a soup bowl, and set aside.
5. When the soup is ready, spoon the broth over the noodles. Allow to cool. At this point, make your soft-boiled egg if you’re garnishing with one, and add the rest of your toppings to serve.
6. Bring water to boil and make the ramen and drain. 
7. Add the eggs and let them boil for 5 minutes. In the meantime, prepare an ice bath in a bowl.
8. Once five minutes are up, remove the eggs and dunk them into the ice bath for about a minute to cool them off enough to handle. Then, lightly crack and roll them on a flat surface, peel, slice in half, and place on top of your Ramen soup. Adults may want to add more Sriracha sauce.

References:

Recipe by killingthyme
Photo by Stephanie Felzenberg