Ramen was a staple at my house growing up. Whenever my mom would make me ramen, she usually left out the packet and would add satiable ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, cubes of braised pork, bok choy and fresh herbs. But when time is of the essence, I use half the packet and make up the rest with whatever is laying around in the fridge.
It's comfort food that doesn't take all day to cook and works great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
This is one of my favorite breakfast ramens and the ingredients are common staples found in almost everyone's fridge. Feel free to substitute bacon for greens like spinach or bok choy for a veggie friendly version or a simple tomato and egg will do the trick.
BACON AND EGG BREAKFAST RAMEN
(makes 1 serving)
- 1 package of ramen
- 1 large egg
- 1 slice of thick-sliced bacon
- 1/2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 packet of soup base
- 1 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp korean chili paste
- drizzle of sesame oil
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1/4 sheet of nori, thinly sliced
Place egg in a medium pot with 3 cups of water and bring to boil over medium heat. Cook egg to desired consistency and remove from water using a slotted spoon. Place into an ice bath, peel and set aside until ready to serve. Be sure to reserve the cooking water to prepare the noodles.
I cook my egg for about 6 minutes for a nice runny yolk. Here's a great guide from Serious Eats on how to boil eggs.
Cook the bacon in the skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until just browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
In a small pot, add the chicken broth, a few pieces of sliced tomato, water, chili paste and 1/2 of the flavor packet, and bring to a gentle simmer for 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust to your liking. Remove from heat.
Bring reserved cooking liquid (from the egg) to a boil. Add the noodles, separating them with chopsticks as they soften, about 3 minutes. Drain immediately and place into serving bowl. Carefully pour soup over noodles and garnish with bacon, tomato slice, scallions, nori and sesame oil. Cut the egg in half and gently place on top of noodles. Serve immediately.
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