Step-Up-Your-Ramen Recipe

 

Step up your ramen with this recipe, centered on James Chang’s cult-favorite chili oil.

 
Photos by Tyler Shane

Photos by Tyler Shane

 

Here is your go-to recipe for stepping up your ramen game! It includes the pantry staple of ramen noodles but with a slightly more extensive veggie prep and more importantly, James Chang Kitchen chili oil. The vegetables provide texture while the chili oil adds heat and spice, giving the broth that extra depth of flavor. It’s a simple enough recipe to be made in one pot, but more satisfying than your basic “just add water” ramen packet. With just a few more ingredients you can dress your ramen to impress!

 
ramen prep.jpg
 

Chili-Oil Ramen

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients: 

2-3 Tbsp. sesame seed oil

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 cup Shiitake or Portobello mushrooms, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced diagonally

1 carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally

½ onion, sliced

1 Tbsp. JChang Kitchen chili oil

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 quarts chicken stock

2 packets Maruchan Ramen Noodles (or 2 servings of whatever ramen noodles you have on hand)

2-3 scallions, chopped


Preparation: 

1. Heat the sesame seed oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat.  Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, onions and cook for two minutes, stirring continuously. 

2. Add garlic and chili paste to vegetables, stir and continue to cook for one minute.

3. Turning the heat to high, add the soy sauce and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil. 

4. Add the ramen noodles to the boiling pot and cook as instructed on package.

5. Remove pot from heat and transfer ramen to serving bowls.

6. Garnish with scallions and enjoy!

Take your prep up a notch with a soft-boiled egg:

Before making your ramen, bring water to boil in a small pot over high heat– just enough water to cover the egg. Using tongs, add the egg from the fridge to the boiling water and boil for six minutes and thirty seconds. Use tongs to transfer the egg to an ice bath to cool. Once cooled, peel and slice in half to garnish when ramen is ready to serve!