Lots in Ramen

Nothing makes me much happier than eating rich, indulgent ramen soup—not the kind that comes in styrofoam cups, either, but the stuff that’s homemade with a poached egg to top it off. But up until a few months ago, I was certain I did not have half the culinary skill to make a batch of that kind of ramen on my own. It looks so complicated! What even is a poached egg? How do you get the complex flavors just right?

And then, as usual, Pinterest swooped in and saved my life with this recipe I found . Let me be clear from the get-go: this recipe is so easy. Time-consuming, yes, but not difficult at all. And I am a whiner when it comes to difficult tasks, so you can go ahead and trust me on this. I’ve thrown in a few of my own tweaks (including way more Sriracha sauce than the original recipe calls for and jalapeños to up the spice factor even more, because I’m a rebel like that), but all in all, this is one of my absolute favorite comfort meals. Plus, it makes enough to feed a small tribe—or me for, like, a week and a half.

So, go ‘head with your gourmet self, and cook this up to impress all the ramen-adoring people in your life like I do. Go on. I dare you.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 inch of ginger root, diced
• 2 c. green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 c. Sriracha
• 6 c. vegetable broth
• 4 c. water
• 12 oz. dry udon noodles
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 c. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
• 2 jalapeños, sliced
• 1 c. steamed spinach
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Heat sesame oil in large soup pot. Sauté garlic, ginger, and half of the green onions for 3-4 minutes. Add curry, coriander, and Sriracha and cook for 1 more minute.

Stir in vegetable broth and water. Let simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes.

Add the noodles and cook until softened, about 7-8 minutes. They absorb liquid–quick–so add more water if they soak it up too fast.

In a large sauce pan, sauté the mushrooms, red pepper, and jalapeños in coconut oil over medium-high heat until supertender.

To poach the eggs, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add vinegar and continue stirring in a swift circular motion while maintaining a slow boil. (The water circulating in this circular motion will help keep the egg from dropping to the bottom and sticking to the pot.) As the water is still spinning, crack an egg into the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Repeat for all eggs.

To serve: ladle noodles and broth into a bowl. Top with sautéed veggies, steamed spinach, a poached egg, fresh green onion, and cilantro.