Homemade ramen with spring vegetables

Ramen with Spring Vegetables

Ramen and I go way back…I’m serious. In grad school I worked on a project to create a healthy ramen. I wanted to start a ramen truck in Berkeley, before food trucks were a thing. I even went to Japan to take a tour of all the best ramen restaurants. Today, noodles still have my heart. I make noodle soup weekly because the kids love it, the broth and veggies are nourishing, and to be honest, it’s the easiest family recipe I know! I usually make fresh broth over the weekend and can freeze it if I have a big batch. Getting dinner on the table is so quick and easy. I particularly love ramen because it’s so tasty, and you can get creative with the toppings. With all the possibilities, it’s never a boring bowl!

SERVES 4 people

INGREDIENTS

1 leek
6 pieces of fresh sliced ginger
4 unpeeled cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of soy milk (optional)
6 cups chicken broth (fresh or store bought)
For a recipe on how to make chicken broth, check out our video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNEyqW…
4 servings ramen noodles
2 cups of corn
4 eggs
salt
pepper
olive oil
sesame oil

Extras:
pea tendrils
scallions
squash blossoms

1

Cut 1 leek into fourths and then halves. Sauté garlic, ginger, and leeks with olive oil over medium heat until dark brown about 20 minutes.

2

Add 6 cups of chicken broth (fresh or store bought) and simmer together with the sautéed ingredients for about 1 hour. Strain broth and add some salt to taste and 1/2 cup of soy milk.

3

For a perfect medium boiled egg, gently add eggs to a boiling pot of water and cook for 7 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath for 4 minutes, making sure it is completely cool before removing it. Peel and then slice.

4

Cut scallions as desired. Or to curl scallions as we did in the video, cut lengthwise into very thin strips. Add to an ice bath and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until they begin to curl.

5

Sauté two cups of corn (or your favorite vegetables!) with olive oil and a little sea salt. Other vegetables that we like to use are spinach, pea tendrils, sliced onions, and bean sprouts.

6

Cook ramen noodles until they are slightly firmer than the final consistency you want, since they will continue cooking after you remove them from the water. Final texture should be not to hard and not too soft.