Ramen has gotten more and more fans in recent years. I don’t mean just the delicious ramen dishes you can order in restaurants, but also those ramen dishes from a bag you can easily prepare at home. In this case, however, rather plain ramen dishes. Never really fancy, right?! Well, if you like ramen and want to spice up the store-bought version from bags a little, you should take a closer look at our Ramen Upgrade with Tonkatsu. With little effort, you can turn a simple noodle soup into something much more appealing. ;P
If you look at the picture with the bowl of noodles, veggies, and Tonkatsu, you probably won’t think of a product that originates from a simple plastic bag. Further down, you can see what actually comes out of such a plastic bag – a thin soup with noodles in it. Nothing less, nothing more. ;P If you need something to eat quickly and don’t have high expectations, you will probably be satisfied with this simple meal. But in case you prefer something a little more appealing to the eye and palate, you can easily spice things up.
There are almost endless variations of packet soups. Be it from a plastic bag, where you simply throw everything into a pot with boiling water, or from a plastic container in which you can actually prepare (and serve) the noodle soup directly. If you ever been to an Asian supermarket, you know, how extensive the section for these packet soups can be.
There you can find pretty much everything from simple ramen where you only get a small sachet of seasonings with the noodles to more elaborate packages where you get noodles, spicy sauce and maybe some dried veggies or mushrooms. Some sell even fancier stuff – ramen that comes in pots that can heat themselves. For everyone that need to eat on the go. Like in the middle of the forest without hot water and electricity. ;P
Anyway. What pretty much all ramen packages have in common, is the fact that the picture on the package and the results in the bowl often look very different. On the packaging, a bowl of noodles and soup (or sauce) always looks quite inviting, decorated with various veggies boiled eggs, etc. The reality is typically quite different. Very different. ;P But luckily you can change that quite easily… e.g., with this recipe here.
To be honest, it’s quite easy to spice up ramen or similar noodle dishes from a plastic bag. There are different levels of upgrades you can do, all of which are quite simple and straightforward to implement…
Level 1 Upgrade
If you are generally satisfied with the spices and flavors of your packet soup, you can simply add some fresh veggies to the mix for a small upgrade. Spring onion rings, thinly sliced carrots or peppers, pak choi, baby spinach, sweet corn, mushrooms… there is a lot you can add. If you want to do as little work as possible, you can also use frozen veggies. No problem!
Level 2 Upgrade
If you want to spice up things and add even more flavor to your dish, you can add some curry paste and/or coconut milk to the soup/broth besides the additional veggies. The simple thin soup/broth will immediately turn into a creamy explosion of flavors!
Level 3 Upgrade
If you want your meal to look like you’ve just ordered it in a restaurant, you can go even further with the upgrades. Add Tonkatsu, hard-boiled eggs, and some fresh herbs as well, and the simple packet soup turns into a ramen masterpiece instantly. ;P What might look like a lot of stuff to prepare is actually simple and easy. Use already hard-boiled eggs from the supermarket and some frozen Tonkatsu (or simply breaded pork/chicken schnitzels) and fry that quickly in a pan while the rest is cooking. It’s no biggie…
It is really easy to turn a plain packet soup into something special. If you like to eat ramen more often, you can prepare some veggies in advance and freeze them in small batches so you always have something at hand. Different veggies, mushrooms, etc. – even coconut milk and curry paste or other seasonings can be frozen for upgrades like that. The freezer is your best friend here.
If you still prefer to cook fresh and from scratch, you can also take a look at these recipes here. Both are Asian or Asian-inspired dishes. Our delicious Vermicelli Glass Noodle Salad with Meatballs is quick and easy to prepare and really tasty! A dish that everyone loves at home, an absolute highlight you can cook are our Stir-Cry Singapore Noodles with Pork. Delicious street food you can easily make at home. So good!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 servings)
For the soup:
4 packages Instant Ramen noodles (e.g. Chicken Flavor*)
some oil (e.g. sesame oil*) for frying
5.3 oz. (150g) mushrooms (e.g. beech mushrooms or button mushrooms
1 medium onion, finely diced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tsp. yellow curry paste*
3 cups (750ml) water
1 can (14 oz./400g) coconut milk*
3.5 oz. (100g) snap peas or sow peas
salt, pepper
For the upgrades/decoration (optional):
4 Tonkatsu or Schnitzel (frozen)
4 hard-boiled eggs
2-3 tbsp. spring onion rings
some black sesame seeds*
some fresh mint
some crispy chili oil*
(4 Portionen)
Für die Suppe:
4 Pkg. Instant Ramen Nudeln (z.B. Chicken Flavor*)
etwas Öl (z.B. Sesamöl*) zum Anbraten
150g Pilze (z.B. Buchenpilze oder Champignons)
1 mittlere Zwiebel, fein gewürfelt
2-3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gewürfelt
1 TL gelbe Currypaste*
750ml Wasser
1 Dose (400g) Kokosmilch*
100g Knackerbsen oder Zuckerschoten
Salz, Pfeffer
Für die Upgrades/Dekoration (optional):
4 panierte Schnitzel (TK-Ware)
4 hartgekochte Eier
2-3 EL Frühlingszwiebelringe
etwas schwarzer Sesam*
etwas frische Minze
etwas Crispy Chili Oil*
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Remove the instant ramen noodles from the packets and set them aside. Open the spice packets and collect the powder in a small bowl – about two or three of the packets should be enough, depending on the product.
2. Clean the mushrooms and cut them into smaller pieces, if necessary. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Clean the snap peas and remove the ends, if necessary. Set everything aside. Have a Dutch oven and a large frying pan ready.
3. Heat up some oil in the Dutch oven and fry the mushrooms briefly until slightly browned. Take out of the pot and set aside. Add more oil if necessary, and then sauté the onion and garlic until soft and glossy. Add the spice powder from the ramen packets as well as the curry paste and roast/fry it briefly. Deglaze with water and coconut milk. Add the snap peas, reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
4. While the soup is simmering, heat the large pan with some oil and fry the frozen Tonkatsu/Schnitzels according to the packet instructions until nicely browned. To get rid of excess oil, place them on a piece of kitchen paper and then cut them into thin strips.
5. Add the ramen noodles to the soup and cook them briefly in the soup until soft. Mine took about 2-3 minutes to be done.
6. Add the soup and noodles to ramen bowls, add the mushrooms, Tonkatsu/Schnitzel strips, and boiled eggs (halved) on top and decorate/upgrade with some spring onion rings, sesame seeds, fresh mint leaves, and crispy chili oil.
1. Die Instant Ramen Nudeln aus den Packungen nehmen und zur Seite legen. Die Gewürzpäckchen öffnen und das Pulver in einer kleinen Schüssel sammeln – hier reichen je nach Produkt 2-3 der Päckchen.
2. Die Pilze säubern und ggf. in kleinere Stücke schneiden. Zwiebel und Knoblauch schälen und beides fein würfeln. Die Knackerbsen säubern und ggf. die Enden entfernen. Alles zur Seite stellen. Einen großen (gusseisernen) Topf und eine große Bratpfanne bereitstellen.
3. Etwas Öl im Topf erhitzen und die Pilze darin kurz anbraten, bis sie etwas Farbe bekommen haben. Herausnehmen und zur Seite stellen. Ggf. etwas Öl nachlegen und dann die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch glasig andünsten. Das Gewürzpulver aus den Ramen Packungen und die Currypaste in den Topf dazugeben und kurz mit anschwitzen lassen. Mit Wasser und Kokosmilch ablöschen. Die Knackerbsen dazugeben und die Suppe für 5-6 Minuten bei reduzierter Hitzezufuhr köcheln lassen. Falls notwendig, mit Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken.
4. Während die Suppe köchelt, die große Pfanne mit etwas Öl erhitzen und die TK-Schnitzel nach Packungsanleitung anbraten. Die fertigen Schnitzel zum Abtropfen auf etwas Küchenpapier legen und dann in Streifen schneiden.
5. Die Ramen Nudeln in die Suppe dazugeben und kurz mitkochen lassen, bis sie weich sind. Bei mir hat das etwa 2-3 Minuten gedauert.
6. Die Suppe und Nudeln auf Schüsseln verteilen, Pilze, Schnitzelstreifen und gekochte Eier (halbiert) darauf anrichten und mit Frühlingszwiebelringen, Sesam, Minze und Crispy Chili Oil dekorieren/upgraden.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Ramen Upgrade with Pork Tonkatsu
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 00:25
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: International
Description
A simple ramen package is easy to prepare but also boring. Luckily you can upgrade this dish easily with veggies and delicious pork tonkatsu.
Ingredients
For the soup:
4 packages Instant Ramen noodles (e.g. Chicken Flavor*)
some oil (e.g. sesame oil*) for frying
5.3 oz. (150g) mushrooms (e.g. beech mushrooms or button mushrooms)
1 medium onion, finely diced
2–3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tsp. yellow curry paste*
3 cups (750ml) water
1 can (14 oz./400g) coconut milk*
3.5 oz. (100g) snap peas or sow peas
salt, pepper
For the upgrades/decoration (optional):
4 Tonkatsu or Schnitzel (frozen)
4 hard-boiled eggs
2–3 tbsp. spring onion rings
some black sesame seeds*
some fresh mint
some crispy chili oil*
Instructions
1. Remove the instant ramen noodles from the packets and set them aside. Open the spice packets and collect the powder in a small bowl – about two or three of the packets should be enough, depending on the product.
2. Clean the mushrooms and cut them into smaller pieces, if necessary. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Clean the snap peas and remove the ends, if necessary. Set everything aside. Have a Dutch oven and a large frying pan ready.
3. Heat up some oil in the Dutch oven and fry the mushrooms briefly until slightly browned. Take out of the pot and set aside. Add more oil if necessary, and then sauté the onion and garlic until soft and glossy. Add the spice powder from the ramen packets as well as the curry paste and roast/fry it briefly. Deglaze with water and coconut milk. Add the snap peas, reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
4. While the soup is simmering, heat the large pan with some oil and fry the frozen Tonkatsu/Schnitzels according to the packet instructions until nicely browned. To get rid of excess oil, place them on a piece of kitchen paper and then cut them into thin strips.
5. Add the ramen noodles to the soup and cook them briefly in the soup until soft. Mine took about 2-3 minutes to be done.
6. Add the soup and noodles to ramen bowls, add the mushrooms, Tonkatsu/Schnitzel strips, and boiled eggs (halved) on top and decorate/upgrade with some spring onion rings, sesame seeds, fresh mint leaves, and crispy chili oil.
Notes
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
