Ramen packets are undeniably great, but who says they HAVE to be eaten together? No one! So let’s put those precooked, pre-portioned noodles to use in a stir fry. Stir frys happen over high heat and come together really quickly, so fear not, we will still be putting the “instant” in instant ramen.
Ingredients
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp fresh ginger
1 packet ramen noodles
1 stalk green onions
½ cup broccoli
½ cup button mushrooms
1 lime for serving
Equipment
1 large pan
1 small bowl
1 set of measuring spoons
Step 1 - mis en place
This dish comes together really quickly, so we're going to get all the prep out of the way first! The culinary world calls this “mise en place” or “everything in place.”
Let's make our stir-fry sauce. In a measuring cup or small bowl, add 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1/2 tbsp of sriracha (or more if you're feeling spicy), and 1 tbsp of honey. This baby is gonna bring flav to those noods.
Now listen up, bub. This next part is important. If you have a microplane or zester, mince about 1 tsp of fresh ginger directly into the sauce. If you don't have a microplane, mince your ginger as finely as you can and add to the sauce.
Find your ramen packet and get out the noodles. We're not going to use the seasoning packet but you should save it for another use (try it on popcorn). Start a pot of boiling water.
Next, slice your white button mushrooms (use however many you'd like), and cut off a few pieces of broccoli and into small florets since we'll be cooking them quickly in the pan. Slice 1 stalk of your green onions (the green and white part, avoiding the very end with the root) into pieces about half an inch long.
Step 2 - stirring and frying
Place a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat with a generous splash of neutral oil and wait for it to heat up (1 min). In the meantime, gather all of your veggies together.
When the oil is hot, add all of your chopped veggies and season with salt and pep. Stir frequently, making sure nothing sticks or burns. Cook to your liking (probably about 6 minutes for softer, 3 minutes for firmer. Don't be afraid of a little color on the veg!)
Once the veggies are close to done, add your ramen noodles to your boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Don't stress out about timing the veggies and noodles, two things at once can be overwhelming! Just remember you can always turn down/off the heat on the veggies if you're worried about burning them. Stay calm! No need to rush.
After the noodles have cooked, use a pair of tongs and add them directly to the pan with your veggies. Don't worry about a bit of water carrying over. Pour in your sauce mixture then stir everything together until the sauce has stained the noodles and veggies and slightly thickened (1-2 mins). Sometimes it's hard to mix the veggies into the noodles, but do your best.
Plate your noodles and optionally garnish them with some more sliced green onion, sesame seeds, and a wedge of lime. You made a stir fry! There are endless combos to stir fry, so keep this formula in mind for the future. Love ya!