Description
This Easy Saucy Ramen Noodles recipe is a quick and flavorful dish perfect for a comforting meal in under 30 minutes. Featuring tender instant ramen noodles tossed in a savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce with your choice of tofu, vegetables, or mushrooms, it’s a versatile and satisfying meal that can be customized to your taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles
- 2 servings dry instant ramen noodle cakes (around 140 g total)
Sautéing
- 10 oz extra-firm tofu, veggies, or mushrooms of choice, sliced
Sauce
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth
- 5–7 tbsp soy sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce (optional, for color)
- 2–3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1–3 tbsp sugar, maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener (adjust for sweetness)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice (adjust for sourness)
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tbsp chili garlic sauce or other hot sauce (optional for spice)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
For Serving
- Chopped scallions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a bowl, thoroughly mix all the sauce ingredients including water or broth, soy sauces, cornstarch, sweetener, vinegar, pepper, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Adjust the balance of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and spiciness to your liking before setting the sauce aside.
- Cook the Noodles: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the dry ramen noodles. Cook them until just half done—about 2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions recommend. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch, then set aside.
- Sauté the Veggies or Protein: Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of oil. Add your sliced tofu, vegetables, or mushrooms and sauté until they are cooked to your preferred tenderness and lightly browned if desired.
- Cook the Sauce: Stir the prepared sauce again to ensure the cornstarch is fully mixed and hasn’t settled. Pour the sauce into the pan with the sautéed ingredients. Simmer everything together for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Combine with Noodles: Add the partially cooked ramen noodles into the pan with the thickened sauce and sautéed ingredients. Toss thoroughly to coat the noodles evenly with the sauce and cook for an additional 3 minutes to let the noodles absorb the flavors.
- Adjust Seasoning and Serve: Taste the dish and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce, sweetener, or ground pepper as needed. Garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds before serving immediately for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- You can substitute tofu with your choice of mushrooms or vegetables like bell peppers, snap peas, or baby corn.
- The dark soy sauce is optional and mainly used to deepen the color of the sauce without heavily altering flavor.
- Adjust the level of spiciness by varying the amount of chili garlic sauce or leaving it out completely for a mild dish.
- Use vegetable broth instead of water for a richer sauce flavor.
- For gluten-free preparation, use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari and ensure the instant ramen noodles are gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
