Soothing Noodle Soup

When you are feeling under the weather - caught a cold, had one too many the night before, or just are feeling in a slump - there’s nothing better than a warm, soothing, nourishing noodle soup. Or, if you’re like me, sometimes you just get a craving for that kind of cozy warming dish.

Better Than Cup of Noodles

I can’t remember the last time I had Cup of Noodles, but I remember it being such a popular food growing up, as well as a common favorite amongst money-saving college students. Beyond the fact that it’s cheap and super simple to make, there is something delicious and comforting about the hot flavorful broth and the funny squiggly noodles that come with it.

The downside to instant noodles? You won’t find high-quality healthy sources of nutritional value in those styrofoam cups. Instant noodles are highly processed and commonly contain the following ingredients:

Autolyzed yeast extract - substitute for MSG, contains free glutamic acid - a suspected neurotoxin
Caramel color - a potentially carcinogenic artificial food coloring
Corn syrup solids - an additive that can increase the risk of obesity, inflammation, and disease
Disodium guanylate, inosinate, and succinate - flavor-enhancing additives that may have similar effects to MSG
Hydrolyzed corn and soy protein - additives that may contain high levels of sodium and MSG
Maltodextrin - an additive that can spike blood sugar
Natural flavor - can be a combination of >100 preservatives, solvents, and other chemicals
Tripolyphosphate - an additive that can be harmful in high doses
Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) - a potential carcinogen and neurotoxin, along with other adverse side effects

In short, these ingredients are made by chemists in a lab to enhance the flavor, texture, and shelf-life of a food that would otherwise be bland if not for the many powders and chemicals added to it. Furthermore, these chemicals create a response in your brain and body that is meant to trick you into feeling full while simultaneously stimulating your cravings to eat more.

The result? You end up eating a lot of a highly-processed “food” made up of potentially toxic and harmful ingredients that are severely lacking in nutritional value.

This is not meant to harp on Cup of Noodles exclusively. Many highly-processed foods contain these ingredients and a wide variety of others that are harming our health. The more we consume, the greater the risk of experiencing adverse health effects. In other words, the more fast and convenient foods we consume, the greater we increase our risk of negative health consequences like cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and more.

A healthier comfort food

This homemade ramen recipe is absolutely delicious AND completely cozy and comforting. Plus, it is loaded with healthy veggies and doesn’t have any of the processed chemicals that come with the instant stuff.

Yes, admittedly this recipe is going to take more work than pouring hot water in a cup, but I promise it’ll be worth it!

Disclaimer: Okay so this may not technically be real ramen because I didn’t actually use real ramen noodles…If anyone knows of a good gluten-free ramen noodle brand please leave a note in the comments!! But anyway, I used pad thai rice noodles and it still tastes delicious.

Recipe Notes

Coconut Aminos - I love the flavor of coconut aminos but it can easily be substituted for low sodium soy sauce or tamari.
Lower fat - This recipe calls for both sesame and coconut oil, but if you want to replace some of the oil in the recipe you can borrow some of the broth and saute the veggies in that instead.
Make it vegan - The recipe calls for honey in the honey-miso sauce, but you can sub out the honey for a different vegan sweetener or leave the sweetener out altogether.
Speed up the process - I made this recipe again using the miso-ginger broth from Trader Joe’s and left out the miso-honey dressing altogether to speed up the process. If you can find a similar broth option at your local store you can try this too. It won’t have the same flavor but it will still be yummy! You could also try sauteeing all the veggies in the bottom of the large soup pot at the very beginning then cook it altogether in the broth instead of dirtying another pan at the end, but I have not tried it this way so I can’t guarantee you’ll get the same flavor.
Noodles - I used pad thai rice-based noodles in order to make this recipe gluten-free, but you can use real ramen noodles if that is not a concern for you.

Healthy TRIPLE MUSHROOM RAMEN

INGREDIENTS

BROTH

1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp ginger paste or grated ginger
1/2 tsp granulated garlic or sub fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp TJ’s 21 Seasoning Salute (optional)
10 or more shiitake mushrooms, fresh or dried
1 carton mushroom broth
1-2 tbsp coconut aminos

NOODLES

1 small handful pad thai rice noodles (about 2 servings worth) - use real ramen noodles for full gluten version

MISO-HONEY VEGGIES

1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp coconut aminos
2-3 tsp honey (sub alternative sweetener of choice for vegan version)
1-2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp coconut oil
2 cups kale, chopped and stems removed
1 portobello mushroom, sliced (feel free to use additional wild mushrooms as well)
1/3 package extra firm tofu, cubed

TOPPINGS

Chili flakes to taste
Additional coconut aminos if more flavor is desired

DIRECTIONS

Heat sesame oil in a large soup pot. Stir ginger, garlic, and spices into the oil. Add 1/2 cup of mushroom broth and remove any browned bits from bottom of pot with a wooden spoon.
Stir in mushrooms and coconut aminos. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add remaining mushroom broth and bring pot to a boil. Lower to simmer and cover.
Prepare noodles according to package instructions. Set aside.
Mix miso, aminos, honey, vinegar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Heat coconut oil in a large pan and add kale, mushrooms, and tofu. Saute on medium-high heat until starting to soften and brown. Add miso-honey sauce and continue to saute until veggies are fully cooked.
Divide noodles into individual bowls. Add even amounts of sauteed veggies to each. Cover with broth. Sprinkle with chili flakes and serve hot.

Enjoy!