#2,799: Gluten Free Home Made Ramen Noodle Cups

Ramen noodles may be so bad for you, but they are a guilty pleasure of mine!  I am not a fan though of the ramen noodle cups (eck!) which are just loaded with sodium and weird spices.  So when I found a healthier version with real veggies I knew I wanted to give this a try.  I've been eating gluten free ramen noodles lately (I like the millet and brown rice ones from Lutus foods...I get it off Thrive) so this was even a little more exciting.  

The first time I made these I didn't pre-cook the carrots and I really regretted that.  Have you ever choked on a shred of carrot?  No?  It hurts. The second time I made these I sauteed them in a little olive oil until they softened up and I also chopped the spinach a little finer, and I LOVED this more.  I have eaten this both with shredded chicken and cooked chicken sausage (you can see it in the photo above) and I like it both ways.  I also added some edamame after I took this picture...that was a good idea!  

This is made with homemade bouillon seasoning and it is quite good in my opinion.   The recipe makes a ton though so you might want to halve it! 

This makes a super easy, make ahead lunch!  Just add some hot water, let it sit for a few minutes, and you are ready to eat! 

This is for FOUR ramen cups

Bouillon Powder

1/2 cup (40 g) nutritional yeast flakes*

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons onion flakes (can substitute 1 tablespoon onion powder)

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder (if you can’t find it, leave it out)*

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (can substitute regular granulated sugar)

Instant Soup

4 “nests” gluten free ramen or rice noodles

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves (I like mine chopped a bit)

3/4 cup shredded carrots (from about 2 medium carrots) (I used grated carrots and sauteed them to soften a bit)

1 cup cubed extra-firm tofu or diced cooked chicken

2 tablespoons gluten free miso paste (I omitted)

4 teaspoons gluten free soy sauce

1/4 cup Bouillon Powder

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped fresh scallion greens

1 cup edamame

First, make the bouillon powder. Place all of the bouillon ingredients in a medium-size bowl and mix to combine well. Place in a resealable glass container (a small mason jar works great), and set aside.

Next, cook the noodles one nest at a time according to the package directions or by boiling them in about a quart of water until they separate and begin to soften.  Do not cook them all the way.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set them aside briefly.

To assemble the instant soups, set out four heat-safe jars that can accommodate about 20 fluid ounces in volume. 

In each jar, layer the ingredients in the following order: 

1/2 cup spinach leaves 

1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup edamame
1/2 cup tofu or chicken
1/2 tablespoon miso paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 nest of softened noodles
1 tablespoon bouillon powder and, finally,
scallion greens to taste (at least 2 tablespoons).

Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, fill each container with boiling water (leaving a small space to permit covering the container) and cover tightly. Allow the container to steep for 2 minutes. Open, stir gently and enjoy.