It's never a bad time for ramen noodles.
1. Try the egg-drop method.
2. Slice up some green onion and sprinkle it on top for added flavor.
3. Add mixed veggies of your choice.
4. Add bean sprouts for an extra crunch.
5. Add sesame.
6. Make and add a ramen egg.
7. Swap your flavor packet for miso paste.
8. Make it creamier with some coconut milk.
9. Bake your noodles.
If you fancy a bit of crunch instead of silky noodles, try baking them! You can follow the above video for ramen nests, or I've even heard of people swapping the mashed potato on their shepherd's pie for ramen too. Whatever floats your boat.
10. Throw in some fried tofu.
11. Grate some parmesan on top.
View this video on YouTube
Cheesy goodness. Recipe here.
12. "I like to add kimchi, egg, frozen vegetables and/or some meat with spices like garlic powder and chili flakes."
13. Add peanut butter.
14. "Use broth, not water. Buy a carton of beef or chicken stock for a couple of bucks, then simmer that on the stove with some green onions, garlic, chili paste, peppercorns, and fish sauce. Throw your ramen brick in for a couple minutes and you're done!"
15. "Microwave a mixture of peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut milk, ginger, Sriracha, and the spice packet (if it's anything but chicken). When the noodles are done, drain them and add it to the mixture. Boom, pad Thai."
16. "Boil some frozen vegetables with a healthy amount of Sriracha in the water. Once the veggies get soft, put in the noodles."
17. Mix in some butter.
18. "Don't put the seasoning packet in the water. Cook the noodles in water, then drain off 99% of it and then mix in the powder. It will actually flavor the noodles instead of the liquid."
19. "Crack an egg into the boiling water to add some protein."
20. "Add Hot Cheetos with Tapatio and half of a lime. Perfection!"
21. "Put some canned corn and baby spinach in a bowl, then fold a nori paper in half and lean it against the wall of the bowl. Boil an egg for several minutes and cook your ramen separately. Once it's done cooking, add the ramen and egg to the bowl with few drops of soy sauce. Add chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top."
22. Top it with chashu pork.
23. Try your ramen without the broth.
24. "Add a slice of cheese. It will melt into a creamy soup and you'll have bites of cheesy noodles."
25. "Cook the ramen and drain, then mix half the seasoning packet with soy sauce and a couple drops of sesame seed oil. Set aside and turn the burner on high, and then cook some garlic, grated ginger, and dried red pepper flakes in oil. Then add stir-fry veggies and the remainder of the seasoning packet. Set that aside and scramble an egg or two. You can dump them out onto the veggies. Next, fry the noodles with the seasoning/soy sauce you mixed at the beginning for a couple minutes, then dump everything in. Stir fry ramen!"
26. "Add Thai red curry paste, sliced bell pepper, and a splash of coconut milk. I usually sprinkle some garlic and ginger powder in, then add some basil/scallion/peanuts on top if I have some."
27. "I always boil some canned soup on the stove and cook my ramen in that. It works great with any Italian or vegetable soup."
28. "Sprinkle some uncooked ramen on top to add a crunchy texture."
29. "In our house, we call this 'fancy ramen.' Add cilantro, green onions, white onions, jalapeños, and some cheap steak or sandwich grade roast beef. Throw an egg or two in if you're into it. Congrats! You've just made a ramen-pho dish in 10 minutes or less."
30. "Add in a bit of cream of chicken. It's pretty simple but really good."
31. "For cheesy vegan ramen, mix in nutritional yeast and some nut cheese."
32. Add bacon.
33. "Add fresh green onion, black garlic oil, a soft boiled egg, some thin cuts of cooked chicken, a little miso paste, a splash of soy sauce, shitake mushrooms, and bean sprouts. I also add Sriracha and/or some Szechuan chili oil on the side if I want to spice things up."
34. "Adding beef/chicken base paste is hands down the best way to improve the flavor with the least amount of effort. It takes maybe a tablespoon of the paste to get the desired taste, and you can go a step further and add in a poached egg. If you’re really feeling like getting crazy, throw in some scallions."
35. "Use the creamy chicken flavored ramen. Add an egg or two when the water begins to boil, then add the seasoning packet and 1-2 tbsp of cream cheese to the noodles when cooked. Mix thoroughly and enjoy."
36. "I cut some sausage inside the bowl and let it heat up along with the ramen."
37. "Get some frozen dumplings and pop 'em in while the noodles are cooking."
38. And finally, if you really wanna get creative: Make it a burrito!
This article contains content previously curated by Emma Cooke, Kristina Bornholtz, and Farrah Penn. It was compiled by Lavanya Narayanan.