I know, I know–“healthy” and “ramen” can’t coexist, right? Well, I was determined to find a way to enjoy ramen noodles without breaking nutritional bank, and decided that in these scenarios, less is more. Or, maybe, less is less? Either way, I wanted to create a super simple ramen recipe that has the least amount of ingredients as possible. And that is when my Homemade Soy Milk came to the rescue!! Yup, in case you missed it, I actually made my own soy milk (hence the name, “Homemade”!) and it was absolutely freaking GLORIOUS.
If you haven’t made this yet, RUN AND I MEAN RUN to your local Korean grocery store and pick up some dried soybeans ASAP so you can revel in the creamy deliciousness that is a no-additive, no-filler, only natural ingredients non-dairy milk that is truly the STUFF OF DREAMS. And then, you will be able to make this recipe. 🙂 Ok, even if you don’t make your own soy milk (I get it, like who really has the time (oh, but you really do…!)?), you can also make this with store bought soy milk (though I recommend getting Korean soy milk–it tastes 10x better).
Either way, this recipe has like five (5) ingredients:
- Ramen noodles
- Soy milk
- Salt
- Cucumber
- Kimchi
Yup. That’s it. Unless you count water (which I don’t), then it’s six. Either way, this may be the most low maintenance recipe on this blog. You start cooking the ramen noodles like you would normally:
I even add in the dried packet of vegetables that’s included. Also, you can totally use gluten free ramen noodles for this, as well, to keep this entire recipe gluten free.
After cooking the noodles, remove them from the pot and place them in a large bowl. Add a little bit of the cooking liquid from your pot, which will help thicken your soy broth.
And then you pour in your beautiful soy milk. Just look at how it swirls with the noodle water and creates this gorgeous creamy sauce!!
For texture and flavor, I added some cucumber and kimchi. These are actually very typical garnishes to add to the traditional Korean noodle dish called “Kong Guksu” (which translates into soybean noodles). At first, I didn’t think I’d like eating noodles with cucumbers, but I was so so wrong. The cucumbers add a really refreshing note to this otherwise rich noodle dish and cut through some of the heaviness of the soy milk. The kimchi, of course, provides that pop of acid and heat that makes every mouthful interesting.
QUICK TIPS FOR YOUR HEALTHY RAMEN NOODLES
- Use gluten free ramen noodles to keep this recipe entirely gluten free.
- Utilize the dried vegetables that come with the ramen noodles, but save the soup packet for something else.
- Make your own soy milk for the best results, but if you can’t, head over to the Korean grocery store and pick out Korean soy (they taste oh so delicious). Otherwise, use your favorite brand of soy milk and make sure to heat it up before pouring over your noodles.
- Try and keep the salt to a minimum–this recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon, but if you could ditch the salt altogether, that’s great! Remember, you’ll get plenty of brine from the kimchi!
- Do not go light on the cucumbers. This recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of julienned cucumbers, but you could easily add more–they taste so good with the broth.
Healthy and Creamy Ramen Noodles
Equipment
- small pot
Ingredients
- 1 packet ramen noodles
- 1 cup homemade soy milk (you can use store bought, but it will be healthier and more delicious if you use the recipe)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup julienned cucumber
- 1/4 cup vegan kimchi
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups water to a boil and then add ramen noodles.
- Add any dried vegetables that come with the package but NOT the soup mix.
- Cook according to package instructions. In the meantime, heat your soy milk (on the stovetop or microwave) so that it is hot (not boiling).
- Remove the noodles from the pot and add them to a large bowl.
- Add about 1/2 cup of the noodle cooking liquid.
- Next add soy milk and salt.
- Garnish with julienned cucumber and kimchi.
