Kimchi Ramen

Do you know what Koreans love to eat? Ramen. Spicy broth, wavy noodles, bits of vegetables and sometimes and egg. It's a bit chilly in Seattle today, so the soupy goodness goes well with the weather. The great part about ramen is that you can add almost anything you want to it. Normally I will an egg to the pot while its still bubbling, and give everything a quick stir. This will make the broth a little creamy in consistency. Today I decided to poach the egg instead, just for fun. I used the Food Networks instructions to poach the egg, found here.

The stone pot used here is used for soup and stews in Korean cooking. You can find one in a Korean market for about $5. Get the tray that is usually sold separately. This pot gets REALLY hot and I have burned through a couple pot holders on accident. 

This recipe can be made vegan by omitting the egg and using cubed tofu instead. If using the poached egg, start the egg water at the same time as the soup broth.

Check your kimchi to see if any fish products were used to make it (shrimp paste, fish sauce, etc). Vegan kimchi is often found on refrigerated store shelves, even in American ones.  If using kimchi (kimchee), the trick to well flavored kimchi food is making sure its fermented well. Normally, store bought kimchi is fermented yet still considered "fresh". If you let it age a little, the flavor deepens and the cabbage gets a little softer. In the fridge it can take a week or so, so if you are in a rush, take out some kimchi and leave it in an air tight container (don't use plastic, the smell will never come out) in the kitchen. It'll usually age in a day or so. 

Here, I halved the ramen noodles from a Neoguri package. Shin Ramen noodles also work really well. The noodles in these two packages are a little thicker than the kind you usually see in American stores (think Top Ramen). If you look at the nutritional information on the ramen packages, you'll notice that one package is for two servings, therefore I halved the noodles for this recipe. You can toss the flavoring package or give it someone who likes using it. The flavoring package normally contains some sort of meat flavoring product.

KIMCHI RAMEN

2 CUPS of water

1 tsp vegetable base

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/4 CUP aged kimchi, sliced

1 serving of ramen noodles

1 stalk of green onion, sliced

1 medium or large egg (optional)

1. Bring water to a boil. If using stone pot, bring the water up to medium heat first before going medium high. 
2. Once water is boiling, add the vegetable broth and garlic and bring to boil again. 
3. Add the noodles and kimchi to the broth. 
4. Once the noodles soften, add the green onions and egg.