Meatless Mondays: Grown-up Ramen Noodle Soup {Series}

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Meatless Mondays

If I were going to choose an adjective to describe my culinary style, it would be semi-homemade (aka, lazy but embarrassed, so let me make this look like I tried). At our house we’re pretty big fans of meat in general, but sometimes it’s frozen, I didn’t put it in the crockpot on time, or (usually) I haven’t been to the grocery store in roughly an eternity.

The recipe below is one of our go-to meals and can easily be augmented with some tasty meatballs or chicken to make it not so meatless. It’s easy, cheap, and delicious, and it looks like I know what I’m doing, so a win-win-win-win.

Without further ado, I bring you Grown-up Ramen Noodle Soup:

Ingredients (2 to 4 servings, depending on your appetite):

  • Ramen noodles (duh), just like from college x2
  • A bag of your favorite frozen vegetables (or you can clear out whatever produce is in your fridge and on death row)
  • 32oz. of vegetable stock (if you aren’t into the MSG packets that come with Ramen; use water if you use the packets)
  • A handful of kale or leafy green of your choice
  • Red pepper flakes, just a sprinkle to taste
If we were having adult Ramen tonight…lots of produce on death row.

Instructions:

Start with a large pot, like the one you use to make spaghetti. Boil the liquid (32oz. of water if you’re going to use the flavor packets). While it’s boiling, chop up whatever vegetables you find into half-inch cubes. Toss the veggies in and return to a boil for six minutes. Next, break the Ramen blocks in half and toss them in. Return to a boil and tear kale leaves from the stems into tiny pieces (PERFECT TODDLER JOB). Toss them in the soup with the flavor packets after the Ramen has been boiling for three minutes. Return to a boil then remove from heat. Sprinkle red pepper flakes and serve with chopsticks and a spoon. 

Voilà! Adult Ramen noodle soup!

If you want to make this meat-ful, try frozen turkey meatballs–you’ll need to boil these for about 18 minutes before you start the process of adding other goodies in! 

The meaty, less vegetably version.