Poor Man’s Ramen

January 4, 2018

I know that January can be a big month to reboot your eating habits in hopes of eating a little healthier. Lemme tell you, I was this close to trying Whole 30…but, um, carbs.

I am not ready for that quite yet.

In our house we are putting our finances on a diet. Cutting way back.

During the holidays spending and dining out got a little out of control. We initially thought to call this no spend January, but that’s not realistic. So, we decided to stick to a daily budget. That allows some spending and roll-over from day to day.

We are also looking to our heavily stocked pantry and freezer for weeknight inspiration.

And by we, I definitely mean just me.  Mike is merely there in the background asking why there have to be so many beans in every meal.

Oh, also, I have a husband that wants a soup and something—sandwich, wrap, salad…whatever. However, when I make ramen, he never asks for a sandwich because it is filling enough.

Ya know, for a man?

 

That leads me to this recipe.

Sometimes, those days before payday, pickings are slim. Fresh produce is all used up or sadly wilting away, forgotten on the bottom shelf. These are the days I retreat to my college style of eating.

I swear for years I lived off of canned chili, ramen, and Uncle Ben’s microwaveable rice bowls. Throw in a random Subway lunch and a late night pizza or two and that was my college sustenance in a nutshell.

I know ramen is not the healthiest, but hear me out. I skip the seasoning package, use low sodium stock, and add in a lot of carrots and celery and whatever green things I do have on hand.

If you wanna take this a step further, add in a soft boiled egg, bacon, or chick peas.

For me, all that extra cooking is usually a step too far. I want to keep this cheap and easy.

I hope this helps you out of a cooking rut next time you run out of groceries and have a few more days until payday.

Poor Man's Ramen

When you are in a pinch and running low on groceries spice up your instant ramen by adding in lots of spice and veggies.
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 19 minutes
Servings 1 Bowl of Ramen

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock
  • 1 Package of Instant Ramen noodles only
  • 1 Tablespoon Goya Recaito Cilantro Cooking Base Salsa or 1 TBSP Kimchi will substitute as well
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper
  • 1/2 of a Carrot peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 1/2 Celery Stalk cut into matchsticks
  • Big Pinch of Fresh Parsley or Fresh Cilantro
  • Lots of Sriracha for topping
  • Sesame Seeds for garnish optional
  • Green Onions for garnish optional

Instructions

  1. Add the stock to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  2. Mix in the cooking base or salsa or kimchi to the cooking stock along with salt and pepper.
  3. Crack the ramen noodles into smaller hunks and add them to the broth. Cook for 5-7 minutes until tender.
  4. While the noodles cook, prep your vegetable toppings.
  5. When the noodles are cooked, transfer to a large bowl. Top with veggies, fresh herbs, sesame seeds, green onions, and lots of hot sauce.
  6. Let slightly cool and then serve.

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  • Stephen Block
    January 4, 2018 at 10:03 am

    Nicely done. Ramen is a good pallet to do some creative vegetable spice work. I am wondering if they will come out with a whole grain Ramen noodle that is cheap.

    • Stefanie
      January 4, 2018 at 12:18 pm

      I hope they do soon! That would make this a little healthier then!