A quick one today: When I need to fix something quick (and cheap to eat), here’s my current go-to.
Ingredients:
2 packs of instant ramen noodles. The flavor doesn’t matter because I just toss the flavor packet.
Maybe a 1/2 tsp of Better than Bouillon. I prefer the chicken flavor, but you do you.
1/2 tsp of soy sauce. Reduced sodium is a good choice here.
I tsp of Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisps.
Whatever chopped veggies you want to add.
A small amount of butter or butter substitute (avocado-based butter is good).
Boil the noodles with whatever veggies you want to include. Mushrooms, celery, and carrots are my faves. I drain most but not all of the water. Add the bouillon and soy sauce to taste. Do that first! Stir ’em in and get the flavor of the broth right. This is 90% of the job. 1/2 tsp of each may not work for you, but both are concentrated and SALTY. I leave it a little short of what my mouth wants because the salt will build up and I haven’t added the chili crisps yet.
Add the chili crisps next. I am…generous…with them. Very generous. Crazy generous. Your mileage may vary. Then, if you want a little more oil, just for the mouth feel, add a little butter or something butter-esque. The LGM can be pretty oily, so you may not need it. Top with green onions if you’re of a mind, and you’re done.
It takes about 5-10 minutes depending on how many veggies you want. It’s pretty filling, pretty tasty, and very cheap. Now, I’m not normally one to go hard for specific brands, but the Better than Bouillon is an absolute must for me, as is the LGM chili crisp goodness. The BtB is (slightly) less salty and much more broth-y than any other bouillon I’ve tried. It ain’t cheap, but it IS good and most grocery stores have it.
That’s it. I apologize for not telling a thousand-word story before getting to the recipe as is the current tradition. Bonus points of if you recognize the source of the title.
-RK