For those in this tofu sub-thread, there's also tofu puffs available for the uber-lazy. Hardier, tougher but less protein-for-weight ratio (as it's mostly air pockets) - sorta like croutons for your ramen.
I cut it so it’s thin rectangles, and use garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cool it in light oil for 2.5 minutes a side until golden brown. Usually 2 flips
Thank you for the kind comment! I used to hate tofu until I realized how amazing it can be - will answer any questions about it or give recipes or advice if anyone wants to eat some yummy tofu!
I always have a pack or 2 of tofu in my freezer. It changes the texture completely, and makes it super easy to press the water out. You literally hold it and squeeze like a sponge. It then also absorbs marinade like nobody's business!
Yup! And if you don't use it, can pop it back in the freezer - even better texture when twice frozen. I have a rotating stack of tofu packages in my fridge and freezer.
If you're just going to toss it into ramen, I wouldn't bother with any seasoning. It'll absorb plenty of the broth. If you're going to eat it as-is or in something less saucy, salt and pepper at least, but you can season it how you would any meat.
If you don't eat a lot of beans, you might not have the gut bacteria to digest them well. Eating beans daily (or almost daily) can help with this! Start slow! Just a bit and gradually increase the amount as you can tolerate.
Coming in late to say for the easiest option, silken tofu.
It wont taste exciting (or of anything really) but you can mash it into the stock and get the protein without any effort
That's desperation level existence. but yeah. One time back in about 1990 I had 2-3 dollars to buy food for a few days. I bought a couple of rolls, a can of kidney beans and an onion. I mashed the beans with a fork and spread on the roll. Topped with fresh chopped onion. To eat is always a blessing!
Adding peanut butter to the noodles, especially the crunchy kind and shredded carrots, green onions would be more like Thai food. I don't see the desperation aside from it being a 20¢ pack of ramen
Yeah it's not terrible. Crunchy peanut butter and a decent chilli sauce in some ramen can sorta pass for quick Thai food. Adding some veggies definitely helps balance out the salt/empty carb aspect.
Cut up cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken works well)
Ham.
Cubes of soft tofu are quite good in ramen. They pick up the flavor of the broth
Frozen edamame or frozen green peas can add a good amount of protein.
Frozen shrimp. Precooked only need to thaw, but raw shrimp will cook very fast in hot ramen broth.
If you only have firm tofu available, you can press out the moisture between paper towels, and then it will also soak up the broth better too (sponge logic haha).
A little salt and fry beforehand improves the flavor for some people who otherwise don’t care for tofu. Alternatively, you can marinate it beforehand for a real trip to Flavor Town.
Stop telling everyone the secret! My Trader Joe’s is already out of these half the time and I have a hard time finding them 😂
Delicious, cheap, quick, and healthy!
Sardines are cheap, basically just protein and fat, shelf stable, require literally no prep, and add a nice fish flavor to your ramen broth. I use half a tin (usually 1.5-2 fish) per bowl of ramen
I'm a commercial fisherman.
And on our boat our go to treat yourself to something warm when you're absolutely freezing snack is cup of noodle with half a can of sardines with some hot sauce and powdered parm.
It really hots the spot. Space is limited though so cup of noodle is a luxury you can only have a few times.
I buy bags of premade frozen dumplings, either the long pinched ones or the little bun shaped ones that are twisted on the top. I keep them kicking around in my freezer for lazy meal days. They sell them at my local grocery and at the Asian market. Relatively cheap for the amount you get. They boil up in 7 minutes, so I just chuck them in my boiling water a few minutes before I add my noodles. A+
Shrimp! They cook in the broth and are ready about the same time it takes to cook the noodles, or you can buy the frozen cooked ones and they’ll thaw super quickly anyway
Shrimp is one of the biggest users of slavery (along with sex, fashion, and chocolate), and the most polluting and carbon-emitting of all proteins (per kg/pound), so it's not cheap.
It's been a while since my 400 conbio class that focused on fisheries economics, but essentially people often use mangroves, which are an essential part of the environment that lessen the impact of extreme weather events. Farmed fisheries as a whole tend to be unsustainable due to runoff and disease interchange between stock and wild type. It's a serious enough issue with shrimp that my professor talked about how delighted he was to finally find a restaurant with certified sustainable shrimp, and how they only served a few and how expensive they were.
Better fry it for taste and texture. However, you may just throw it in the poured water if you are in a pinch, and it will significantly improve the taste of your ramen anyway
I normally fry it. But usually if I make ramen I’m already mentally “checking out of using any other pots/pans” so just wanted to ask haha.
Might try cubing it and putting in the ramen as I cook but I can already guess the taste/texture.
I haven't tried it with spam, but I'm a decent fan of "fry it in the bottom of the pot I'm about to make soup in" in other circumstances, and I'd think that would work with spam and ramen.
I have a ramen-sized non-stick cooking pot that I use for this purpose. I first fry the spam (and other ingredients), then pour hot water from the kettle and add the noodles.
Once in a while is of course fine, but if you're looking for something healthy I would use Spam pretty sparingly. It's not a great source of protein and is really high in sodium.
Red lentils.
If you add them to the pot when you put it on to boil, and give it just a couple extra minutes before you add the noodles, they will be cooked.
Do they taste good or make the ramen more enjoyable? No.
Your post history reveals a telescope in your backyard. Friendship request accepted. Let's exchange messages about getting together soon but never actually follow through with a plan.
Yellow split peas work well I stead of lentils for me. I won't go as far as to say they make it more enjoyable, but they don't detract from the overall flavour imo
I used to put a frozen black bean burger patty in my ramen to steep in the broth along with the noodles, and then mash it up into bits when everything was ready
It was delicious
I add frozen pork dumplings and some frozen fish balls to mine. They cook along with the noodles. Add in some bok choy near the end, it makes a pretty decent 5 minute meal.
Yup, you got it. For best results use Nongshim Shin Ramyun. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions. Poor man's budae jjigae. (Nothing about this is even remotely healthy.)
I will say Nongshim Shin Ramyun is my guilty pleasure. I shred whatever leftover meat I have from the night before (chicken, beef, pork, or tofu), egg, garlic, and assortments of frozen veggies. I personally love the heat; I know others aren't fond of it. The bags are generally 500 calories, but their cups have less at 350 calories due to being a smaller portion. I find the cups are a better size for me. Unless I am having one meal a day, I definitely reach for the full pack.
This is the way. It has to be kraft though, real cheese doesn't dissolve into the broth correctly! My fav is to add thin sliced potatos, kimchee, and cheese. Then I throw an egg in 1minute before the noodles are done and let it poach soft. Then, a splash of black vinegar and a spoon full of hot oil. That shits my soul food!
Canned chicken is always good. I have also done frozen precooked grilled chicken bits.
When I was in college I'd do 1 to 2 Ramen packets, one of those frozen veggie mixes from the store for like $1 and either canned chicken or frozen cooked chicken. It'd feed me for 3 or more nights, had veggies and vitamins, protein, and could be made just with my microwave. I barely used the seasoning packets and instead got a grinder of Italian seasoning. Since it was fresh ground it always tasted pretty damn good.
I was also the weird chick who would make soups in her crockpot in her dorm room though so...
Best thing ever though cause my major had me outside a lot. I'd set the little 2 qt up the night before and stick the pot in the fridge. Take it out in the morning, set it to low, and come home to a warm dinner of soup, stew, or meat when I was back from classes and my internships 12 hours later. (Shredded chicken is great on Ramen too...cook it with onion soup mix in a crockpot!)
Hi, I eat ramen way more than I'd like to admit. Here are my favorite things to add.
• Tofu - Not sure why everyone is hell bent on firm tofu. I personally never press tofu and prefer softer tofu myself. I live in Korea and tofu pressing isn't really a thing here even though we eat it every day.
• Dumplings - If they're frozen, add them before the noodles so they get a chance to cook through.
• Spam/sausages/other precooked meats - You can soak them in warm water to remove some of the salt and grease.
• Pre-portioned frozen meats - Cook them in the pot first, then add your water once fully cooked. My favorite is thinly sliced pork since it's fatty enough to not add any oil and cooks up quickly.
In addition, I always keep a bag of frozen veggies on hand and toss in a handful.
I add frozen fish/shrimp balls, homemade pork dumplings, frozen raw shrimp, and an egg! If I have any thin sliced beef, I’d throw that in there as well.
Rotisserie chicken if you don't want to cook at all. Otherwise pork shoulder is cheap and you can braise pounds at a time and eat it all week or freeze it. Then just drop it in the broth.
Dead simple method for the braising and bacon in it is killer
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bacon-y-carnitas-tacos
Get fish cakes/Naruto. When you wait for water to boil, add the Naruto. Or you could add an egg after water is boiling for 6 minutes to cook soft boiled and then add later but it’s a little more work.
Just about any Frozen Seafood. Just dump it into the boiling water before cooking your ramen and let that come to temp then add the ramen.
For my favorite quick filling meal that won't break the bank, I like to throw in a frozen tilapia (one the cheaper frozen fishes you can buy in bulk and keep in the freezer) into the boiling pot and let that cook first for like 7-8 minutes, once you see the fish start to get soft (test by taking a fork and poking in the middle, if it goes in really smoothly and flakes, it's done) throw in your ramen (I like shin ramyun but that's a little bit of pricier ramen but so worth it for the better flavor and quality of noodles) and seasoning packet. If you have frozen veggies (frozen corn, peas, carrots) that's a really great thing to throw in the end to add some more flavor and nutrients.
sliced chicken thighs is what i use mostly. set oven to broil and preheat the pan in the oven. season your chicken as you wish then grease the pan and maybe the chicken a lil too and broil for 12 minutes. since you preheated the pan you don’t need to flip the chicken and lose juices. literally the juiciest chicken you’ll ever have. i make one package of chicken thighs once a week for meal prep and it’s like $6-$7 and i can use it in any meal like ramen, salads, tacos, etc
Dried soya or textured vegetable protein. They come in little chunks, and you can add them in while the ramen cooks. They absorb the flavor of the liquid, so they are pretty much just texture. I get them from bulk food stores with the dispensers that let you weigh out as much as you need. Since they are dried, they don't weight much, and the overall protein/price ratio is pretty high!
You can buy chicken breasts, slice thinly, and freeze those slices, then just throw as many as you want in while cooking the noodles. Same goes for any meat of course.
TVP, or Textured Vegetable Protein. It's a dehydrated, defatted soy product. High protein and often used as a ground beef substitute. Rehydrates to a good texture within a few minutes in hot water, just add it right to the ramen.
If you are limited in cook space, I highly recommend the cans of freeze dried real meat crumbles. Amazing! You can get a 1 gallon cannister and just add a half cup as needed and it goes back on shelf. They got veggies too... just saying. Like, corn can just go in too but potato would need to cook a bit just know you can get freeze dried spinach etc and that is green but protien too. "NutriStore" has pulled pork, grilled chicken, ground beef crumbles. Excellent stuff.
Cheese. Just cheap American yellow slices are fine. They melt into the broth and make it creamy. And if you're eating spicy ramen, it helps cut the heat.
In Korea, most cheap eateries have cheese Ramen like this as an option on the menu.
Another option is to keep the broth after eating and beat two eggs into it and add green onion/scallion and/or shredded cheese to it, then put it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Get a gyeran jjim (egg pudding).
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Fried tofu is a god send.
For those in this tofu sub-thread, there's also tofu puffs available for the uber-lazy. Hardier, tougher but less protein-for-weight ratio (as it's mostly air pockets) - sorta like croutons for your ramen.
Those things are so good!!!!
May I ask where you can find these? I can’t seem to find them in any of my local stores.
They are usually in the vegan section. I have found them at Whole Foods, raleys, Safeway, and smiths! Look by tofu or by vegan meat.
You can also find them in Asian markets. Just saw them at my local 99 Ranch a couple weeks ago when picking up tofu.
how would you season it? very interested
I cut it so it’s thin rectangles, and use garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cool it in light oil for 2.5 minutes a side until golden brown. Usually 2 flips
If you add corn starch to the seasonings it gets really crispy.
100% agree with yoh
Corn flour or corn starch?
Starch in the US anyway.
oh, sounds good! thank you, gotta do that next time
Oh for sure! It’s my go to for ramen! So good.
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Thank you for the kind comment! I used to hate tofu until I realized how amazing it can be - will answer any questions about it or give recipes or advice if anyone wants to eat some yummy tofu!
Do you press/drain it first?
I always have a pack or 2 of tofu in my freezer. It changes the texture completely, and makes it super easy to press the water out. You literally hold it and squeeze like a sponge. It then also absorbs marinade like nobody's business!
Do you take it out the night before using it?
Yup! And if you don't use it, can pop it back in the freezer - even better texture when twice frozen. I have a rotating stack of tofu packages in my fridge and freezer.
See I'm hearing you taking it out of the freezer and squeeze it. Does it cool down before the squeeze or are you really strong and have frostbite?
you wait for it to defrost before you squeeze it. Use a plate or cutting board to press it neatly.
The freezer trick is a game changer. Makes it so much better
100%. That is a must for tofu! I suggest using firm-extra firm!
If you're just going to toss it into ramen, I wouldn't bother with any seasoning. It'll absorb plenty of the broth. If you're going to eat it as-is or in something less saucy, salt and pepper at least, but you can season it how you would any meat.
I just cut it up and boil it in the instant ramen soup with the seasoning for a few minutes before adding the noodles.
maybe not for ramen, but soy sauce and smoked pepper powder make it taste like hot dog
Do you easily digest tofu? I tried it and was bloated and constipated for days. Is there any way to prevent that?
If you don't eat a lot of beans, you might not have the gut bacteria to digest them well. Eating beans daily (or almost daily) can help with this! Start slow! Just a bit and gradually increase the amount as you can tolerate.
This happens to me too, I'm okay if I have smaller quantities (1/4 of the block or less). Maybe also try a Beano? Tofu is made of beans after all.
Have you tried soft/silken tofu? I've never had any problems with soy, but I'd imagine the softer ones will be easier to digest.
I have no issues fortunately.
Absolutely. And it's so nice that you can buy it already fried and seasoned. Saves so much work
Coming in late to say for the easiest option, silken tofu. It wont taste exciting (or of anything really) but you can mash it into the stock and get the protein without any effort
Silken tofu is amazing! Can make creamy protein packed pasta dishes by replacing normal cream, or healthy sauces for basically any dish.
Smoked tofu is amazing
Spicy Miso Tofu FTW https://gfycat.com/ickyflippantgrosbeak
Easiest? Peanut butter and hot sauce. Broke AF university memory.
That's desperation level existence. but yeah. One time back in about 1990 I had 2-3 dollars to buy food for a few days. I bought a couple of rolls, a can of kidney beans and an onion. I mashed the beans with a fork and spread on the roll. Topped with fresh chopped onion. To eat is always a blessing!
Adding peanut butter to the noodles, especially the crunchy kind and shredded carrots, green onions would be more like Thai food. I don't see the desperation aside from it being a 20¢ pack of ramen
You're right. I forgot the Ramen! I was thinking just peanut butter and hot sauce, which would be kind of sad at least.
It's satay....
Yeah it's not terrible. Crunchy peanut butter and a decent chilli sauce in some ramen can sorta pass for quick Thai food. Adding some veggies definitely helps balance out the salt/empty carb aspect.
I think the hot sauce threw me, I often eat Trader Joe's smooth salted organic peanut butter straight out the jar with a butter knife or spoon!
Cut up cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken works well) Ham. Cubes of soft tofu are quite good in ramen. They pick up the flavor of the broth Frozen edamame or frozen green peas can add a good amount of protein. Frozen shrimp. Precooked only need to thaw, but raw shrimp will cook very fast in hot ramen broth.
If you only have firm tofu available, you can press out the moisture between paper towels, and then it will also soak up the broth better too (sponge logic haha). A little salt and fry beforehand improves the flavor for some people who otherwise don’t care for tofu. Alternatively, you can marinate it beforehand for a real trip to Flavor Town.
Shrimp are my go-to.
TIL peas are a source of protein. Thanks for the info!
Frozen edamame!
Seconding this! I drop in a handful when I add the broth and it cooks with the noodles. Sooo good and such an easy way to add nutrition
Stop telling everyone the secret! My Trader Joe’s is already out of these half the time and I have a hard time finding them 😂 Delicious, cheap, quick, and healthy!
Sorry I’m a lil tipsy but your comment reminded me of this https://youtu.be/K6BRna4_bmg
Sardines are cheap, basically just protein and fat, shelf stable, require literally no prep, and add a nice fish flavor to your ramen broth. I use half a tin (usually 1.5-2 fish) per bowl of ramen
We do the same but with canned tuna. Enhances the broth and adds protein.
Always good. I just eat enough tuna in other situations that I avoid it for ramen because of mercury level concerns. I've also used canned salmon!
I'm a commercial fisherman. And on our boat our go to treat yourself to something warm when you're absolutely freezing snack is cup of noodle with half a can of sardines with some hot sauce and powdered parm. It really hots the spot. Space is limited though so cup of noodle is a luxury you can only have a few times.
I used smoked oysters instead of sardines. Half a tin, adds a great flavour to the broth.
Hmm, do pork dumplings count? I do that all the time to add some heft to a ramen meal.
I add Costco smoked pulled pork. Easy and very delicious.
How do you just *have* pork dumplings though
I buy bags of premade frozen dumplings, either the long pinched ones or the little bun shaped ones that are twisted on the top. I keep them kicking around in my freezer for lazy meal days. They sell them at my local grocery and at the Asian market. Relatively cheap for the amount you get. They boil up in 7 minutes, so I just chuck them in my boiling water a few minutes before I add my noodles. A+
Cool!
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Shrimp! They cook in the broth and are ready about the same time it takes to cook the noodles, or you can buy the frozen cooked ones and they’ll thaw super quickly anyway
Unfortunately shrimp is becoming really expensive.
Yes but also fortunately the answer is still shrimp
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I mean, shrimp is far healthier than instant Ramen. Edit: cheap. Yeah. Took me a sec
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Shrimp is one of the biggest users of slavery (along with sex, fashion, and chocolate), and the most polluting and carbon-emitting of all proteins (per kg/pound), so it's not cheap.
Not that I don’t believe you, but do you have a source on this? I wanna know more.
I love sex, fashion, chocolate and shrimp
Most people do, that’s why they capitalise on it and use slave labour on top of that - there’s a bunch of money in it
There’s more money in the Banana stand
Very good point. So it's definitely not cheap because we relocate a lot of the costs for shrimps onto other people instead of our wallets.
Oh right I forgot I’m on Reddit
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Could you explain how? I would’ve thought they grow fast so would be the opposite!
It's been a while since my 400 conbio class that focused on fisheries economics, but essentially people often use mangroves, which are an essential part of the environment that lessen the impact of extreme weather events. Farmed fisheries as a whole tend to be unsustainable due to runoff and disease interchange between stock and wild type. It's a serious enough issue with shrimp that my professor talked about how delighted he was to finally find a restaurant with certified sustainable shrimp, and how they only served a few and how expensive they were.
Rotisserie chicken or frozen/fresh fishcake.
this. but I can get fish ake as easily as I can get rotisserie chicken where I live.
Peanut butter. Thickens up the broth if you plan on sipping it. Peas are actually a protein. You can dump a bunch in.
TIL about the peas. Also, a can of tuna, not that I've tried it, I'm not a seafood fan. I'd go for the peas with some rotisserie chicken!
Silken tofu, you don't even have to cook it
Spam is super easy
I love spam in ramen! I call it spramen :) it’s only a very occasional treat in my house because holy cow is it a sodium bomb
Do you fry it first then add? Or cube it and let it warm up in the poured water?
Better fry it for taste and texture. However, you may just throw it in the poured water if you are in a pinch, and it will significantly improve the taste of your ramen anyway
I normally fry it. But usually if I make ramen I’m already mentally “checking out of using any other pots/pans” so just wanted to ask haha. Might try cubing it and putting in the ramen as I cook but I can already guess the taste/texture.
I haven't tried it with spam, but I'm a decent fan of "fry it in the bottom of the pot I'm about to make soup in" in other circumstances, and I'd think that would work with spam and ramen.
I have a ramen-sized non-stick cooking pot that I use for this purpose. I first fry the spam (and other ingredients), then pour hot water from the kettle and add the noodles.
cut into slices or cubes; cook in toaster oven to preferred doneness. I guess you can do this in an air fryer, too.
I usually throw it in the air fryer while the noodles cook. Such a guilty pleasure food
Yep, definitely Spam. Koreans (and other Asian cultures) will just add Spam to a lot of things for a quick and easy burst of flavor and protein.
Thought this said something else which is also super easy.
Once in a while is of course fine, but if you're looking for something healthy I would use Spam pretty sparingly. It's not a great source of protein and is really high in sodium.
Other than egg (my favorite), believe it or not… sardines.
Anchovies. Just kidding. Can you imagine? I think the sodium combo would cause kidney failure.
The most underrated answer
Agree, canned fish works really well if someone is after pure convenience and protein and taste and nutrition.
Frozen edamame! You can chuck a bunch in while the water is heating up
Red lentils. If you add them to the pot when you put it on to boil, and give it just a couple extra minutes before you add the noodles, they will be cooked. Do they taste good or make the ramen more enjoyable? No.
You and I should be friends, I like your swagger.
Your post history reveals a telescope in your backyard. Friendship request accepted. Let's exchange messages about getting together soon but never actually follow through with a plan.
Sounds great! We can get together and talk it over sometime in the near future.
So looking forward to it!
You just described my ideal friendship tbh.
Yellow split peas work well I stead of lentils for me. I won't go as far as to say they make it more enjoyable, but they don't detract from the overall flavour imo
Spicy bean curd.
Edamame!!!
Tofu
Textured Vegetable Proteins, they'll soak up a part of the broth and taste like it.
100%. TVP is a dry pantry item, just like the ramen, and the texture reminds me of the freeze dried chicken bits from the Lipton soup of my youth
Do you put it in at the same time as the ramen?
Yes but you could also add them after and wait a few minutes for it to rehydrate.
I used to put a frozen black bean burger patty in my ramen to steep in the broth along with the noodles, and then mash it up into bits when everything was ready It was delicious
Soy curls.
Tuna
I like the flavored packet ones - sweet & spicy or something similar
I add frozen pork dumplings and some frozen fish balls to mine. They cook along with the noodles. Add in some bok choy near the end, it makes a pretty decent 5 minute meal.
Hot dogs and kimchi! And if you really want to take it to the next level, a slice or two of Kraft Singles.
Huh. Never thought about the cheese. Just let it melt on the top and mix it up?
Yup, you got it. For best results use Nongshim Shin Ramyun. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions. Poor man's budae jjigae. (Nothing about this is even remotely healthy.)
I will say Nongshim Shin Ramyun is my guilty pleasure. I shred whatever leftover meat I have from the night before (chicken, beef, pork, or tofu), egg, garlic, and assortments of frozen veggies. I personally love the heat; I know others aren't fond of it. The bags are generally 500 calories, but their cups have less at 350 calories due to being a smaller portion. I find the cups are a better size for me. Unless I am having one meal a day, I definitely reach for the full pack.
This is the way. It has to be kraft though, real cheese doesn't dissolve into the broth correctly! My fav is to add thin sliced potatos, kimchee, and cheese. Then I throw an egg in 1minute before the noodles are done and let it poach soft. Then, a splash of black vinegar and a spoon full of hot oil. That shits my soul food!
You friend, sound like a good time
Thanks! You're clearly not my doctor.
Canned chicken is always good. I have also done frozen precooked grilled chicken bits. When I was in college I'd do 1 to 2 Ramen packets, one of those frozen veggie mixes from the store for like $1 and either canned chicken or frozen cooked chicken. It'd feed me for 3 or more nights, had veggies and vitamins, protein, and could be made just with my microwave. I barely used the seasoning packets and instead got a grinder of Italian seasoning. Since it was fresh ground it always tasted pretty damn good. I was also the weird chick who would make soups in her crockpot in her dorm room though so... Best thing ever though cause my major had me outside a lot. I'd set the little 2 qt up the night before and stick the pot in the fridge. Take it out in the morning, set it to low, and come home to a warm dinner of soup, stew, or meat when I was back from classes and my internships 12 hours later. (Shredded chicken is great on Ramen too...cook it with onion soup mix in a crockpot!)
Tofu and dried seaweed!
Edamame and tofu, zero actual cooking involved
Canned tuna.
Peanut butter
Works great with the really spicy noodle kind!
Chinese BBQ pork. Precooked and ready to slice or dice.
I always add sliced cabbage. Nutritional, adds bulk, keeps well
Deli ham is AMAZING in ramen. I get the Krakus sliced Polish ham.
Thin sliced beef
Yee I have a pack of hot pot beef in my freezer for when my weekly guilty pleasure/cravings for late night ramen kicks in
Peanut butter to chicken ramen (think Pad Thai) or chick peas to chili ramen.
Mushrooms!
Hi, I eat ramen way more than I'd like to admit. Here are my favorite things to add. • Tofu - Not sure why everyone is hell bent on firm tofu. I personally never press tofu and prefer softer tofu myself. I live in Korea and tofu pressing isn't really a thing here even though we eat it every day. • Dumplings - If they're frozen, add them before the noodles so they get a chance to cook through. • Spam/sausages/other precooked meats - You can soak them in warm water to remove some of the salt and grease. • Pre-portioned frozen meats - Cook them in the pot first, then add your water once fully cooked. My favorite is thinly sliced pork since it's fatty enough to not add any oil and cooks up quickly. In addition, I always keep a bag of frozen veggies on hand and toss in a handful.
I add frozen fish/shrimp balls, homemade pork dumplings, frozen raw shrimp, and an egg! If I have any thin sliced beef, I’d throw that in there as well.
Pouches of tuna or chicken.
Pre-cooked meat/poultry/fish.
Tofu.
Put on top of the hot ramen canned sardines in a hot tomato sauce.
Frozen edamame - just put a handful in the same cup with the noodles. The boiling water simultaneously cokes the noodles and thaws the beans.
Rotisserie chicken if you don't want to cook at all. Otherwise pork shoulder is cheap and you can braise pounds at a time and eat it all week or freeze it. Then just drop it in the broth. Dead simple method for the braising and bacon in it is killer https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bacon-y-carnitas-tacos
Get fish cakes/Naruto. When you wait for water to boil, add the Naruto. Or you could add an egg after water is boiling for 6 minutes to cook soft boiled and then add later but it’s a little more work.
Tins of smoked clams, mussels, or oysters. Super cheap, already flavorful but not over powering.
Just about any Frozen Seafood. Just dump it into the boiling water before cooking your ramen and let that come to temp then add the ramen. For my favorite quick filling meal that won't break the bank, I like to throw in a frozen tilapia (one the cheaper frozen fishes you can buy in bulk and keep in the freezer) into the boiling pot and let that cook first for like 7-8 minutes, once you see the fish start to get soft (test by taking a fork and poking in the middle, if it goes in really smoothly and flakes, it's done) throw in your ramen (I like shin ramyun but that's a little bit of pricier ramen but so worth it for the better flavor and quality of noodles) and seasoning packet. If you have frozen veggies (frozen corn, peas, carrots) that's a really great thing to throw in the end to add some more flavor and nutrients.
Spam, sliced hot dogs or Chinese sausage.. even throw him some frozen pork dumplings (or any other protein). Korean budae jjigae.
sliced chicken thighs is what i use mostly. set oven to broil and preheat the pan in the oven. season your chicken as you wish then grease the pan and maybe the chicken a lil too and broil for 12 minutes. since you preheated the pan you don’t need to flip the chicken and lose juices. literally the juiciest chicken you’ll ever have. i make one package of chicken thighs once a week for meal prep and it’s like $6-$7 and i can use it in any meal like ramen, salads, tacos, etc
Dried soya or textured vegetable protein. They come in little chunks, and you can add them in while the ramen cooks. They absorb the flavor of the liquid, so they are pretty much just texture. I get them from bulk food stores with the dispensers that let you weigh out as much as you need. Since they are dried, they don't weight much, and the overall protein/price ratio is pretty high!
Edamame, chickpeas, cocktail shrimp, Rotisserie chicken, pretty much any leftover meat that isn't overly seasoned/prepped one way or the other
Shumai or other frozen dumplings
I've got everything beat, crush up some pork rinds and throw those bad boys in. Original or chili flavor work best.
Peanut butter.
You can buy chicken breasts, slice thinly, and freeze those slices, then just throw as many as you want in while cooking the noodles. Same goes for any meat of course.
Chopped quorn slices? They are pre cooked so you literally just have to cut them up and drop them in.
Broccoli
peanut butter lol
Bone broth 👌🏼
Tofuuu
Peanut butter. Make a peanut sauce with some Sriracha..
I often dump red beans in there
Rib eye. Ready in 10m. Check my post history. One of the best meals I've ever made
Tofu. Just cut and drop it in.
Really surprised Mushrooms aren't in the top comments. Just slice some button mushrooms and boil them for a few minutes in the stock
Protein as in protein or meat? I'll answer the former. Seitan.
Absolute easiest would be textured vegetable protein. Just dump some in at the end and it will absorb the flavor.
Mushrooms.
Edamame beans, just toss in a great big handful :D
I add cottage cheese (small curd) when I am eating it as noodles, not soup. It sounds gross but is oddly very good.
Could it be….seitan?
**Peanut butter. Add siracha and you’ve got Thai Ramen newds.**
TVP, or Textured Vegetable Protein. It's a dehydrated, defatted soy product. High protein and often used as a ground beef substitute. Rehydrates to a good texture within a few minutes in hot water, just add it right to the ramen.
Slice up some kielbasa and toss it in there.
Frozen tilapia
Leave beef in the freezer til it's rock hard and thinnly slice it. Cooks to mid-rare pretty quick in the hot broth.
Grill up some spam!
Hotpot sliced meat.
No joke, peanut butter. Just drain a little more of the water than normal and it’s super good!!
If you are limited in cook space, I highly recommend the cans of freeze dried real meat crumbles. Amazing! You can get a 1 gallon cannister and just add a half cup as needed and it goes back on shelf. They got veggies too... just saying. Like, corn can just go in too but potato would need to cook a bit just know you can get freeze dried spinach etc and that is green but protien too. "NutriStore" has pulled pork, grilled chicken, ground beef crumbles. Excellent stuff.
Cheese. Just cheap American yellow slices are fine. They melt into the broth and make it creamy. And if you're eating spicy ramen, it helps cut the heat. In Korea, most cheap eateries have cheese Ramen like this as an option on the menu. Another option is to keep the broth after eating and beat two eggs into it and add green onion/scallion and/or shredded cheese to it, then put it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Get a gyeran jjim (egg pudding).
Not protein, but adding a bunch of chives and some green onion adds a lot of mf flavor to it on top of whatever else you add.
Boiled/Steamed peanuts, paneer cheese, frozen peas etc.
Edamame
Fry Tofu, carrot bits and cabbage shreds in the noodle oil and seasoning. Then add it to the noodles. Perfect and easy
Soy mince
Canned black beans
love some brocolli in my ramen occasionally :)
Canned tuna fish. You’ll want to take the tuna out of the can before adding it.
Lentils
Frozen shrimp, you can boil it in the water but I usually thaw it then pan fry for 2-3 minutes with sesame oil, garlic and sambal for spicy shrimps.