3 Easy Ways to Upgrade Ramen Noodles

In a perfect world, we’d all shop at Whole Foods and eat healthy whole grains and organic fruits and veggies. If this is you, awesome! But honestly, life is expensive and we can’t always afford to splurge on premium produce.

Luckily, it’s totally possible to cook a vegan meal for less money than you’d spend on your morning latte. No kidding! All you need is a few cheap ingredients and the ultimate pantry staple for a vegan on a budget – ramen!

Once known as a cheap way for broke college students to fuel themselves through finals, high-end real ramen shops are popping up from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. While the fancy stuff is great, the cheap-o instant packs can make a really fantastic meal for a vegan on a budget.

Aside from being easy on your wallet, ramen is also extremely versatile. This makes it a perfect base for mixing in whatever veggies, protein, sauces, seasonings, and other toppings you may have on hand.

If you’re craving a sweet and spicy meal but don’t have the cash to order takeout, here are three different ways you can upgrade your ramen without busting your budget. By the way, we’re only talking about the noodles here. Throw away those yucky flavor packets! Not only are many varieties not vegan, they have a lot of scary ingredients and enough sodium to send your blood pressure through the roof.

Okay, rant over. Now it’s time to sip, slurp, and enjoy.

Spicy Thai Peanut Ramen

Ingredients

2 packets ramen noodles
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons sesame oil
½ cup vegetable stock
2 teaspoons of Sriracha sauce (more or less to taste)
Chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Boil ramen noodles per package directions and drain about ⅔ of the water.
2. In a separate saucepan, heat the peanut butter, sesame oil, vegetable stock, and Sriracha sauce.
3. When heated through, add noodles, sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Edamame and Ramen Stir-Fry

Ingredients

2 packets ramen noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ napa cabbage, thinly shredded
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

1. Boil ramen noodles per package directions. Drain, and rinse under cold water; drain again, and set aside.
2. Add oil to skillet; add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 1 to 3 minutes. Add cabbage, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Add edamame, vinegar, soy sauce, and noodles; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until noodles and edamame are warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Tofu Miso Ramen

Ingredients

2 packets ramen noodles
2 tablespoons miso paste
1 cup silken tofu, cubed
¼ cup green onion, sliced

Instructions

1. Boil ramen noodles per package directions. Drain and set the ramen aside in a bowl. Add cubed tofu over the ramen.
2. In the same pot, add 2 ½ cups boiling water and two tablespoons of miso.
3. When the miso broth is boiling, pour over the noodles.
4. Garnish with green onion and serve.

Do you have a favorite ramen mix-in? Let us know!