These ramen noodles are Korean flavor inspired, and my version of everything I love about Korean food! They’re spicy, savory, and perfectly slurpable! They’re quite simple to make too. The key ingredients for the spiciness and that flavor umami, comes from gochujang, and gochugaru, two quintessential korean ingredients.
What is gochujang?
It is a korean red pepper paste, and a fundamental ingredient in Korean cooking. It’s made from korean red chili flakes (or gochugaru), glutinous rice and fermented soybeans. The fermentation gives it a slight sweetness, and the red chili flakes packs a spicy punch. It’s the perfect amalgamation of fermented funk, spicy, salty, sweet and savory. This classic red tub of sticky awesomeness is a staple in my pantry. They’re available these days in the international section of most markets, and available definitely in asian markets or via Amazon.
What is Gochugaru?
It is Korean red chili flakes and has a sweet and smoky aroma but also packs a punch.
Both these ingredients are incredibly versatile and can be used in everything from soup broths, noodles, marinating tofu or tempeh, to using it in dipping sauces for dumplings or potstickers. You only need a little to bring an immense amount of flavor to your dish, so definitely a pantry must have!
Now let’s get to our recipe!
serves 2-4
Ingredients for the broth:
8 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)
3 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp extra hot gochujang (goes from a scale of mild to extra hot, use any you prefer)
1 tbsp gochugaru
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (bottom inch roots discarded)
Ingredients for the noodles:
1 cup frozen edamame
2 cups soy bean sprouts
3 packs/squares of ramen noodles
Prep Notes:
Definitely feel free to add any other greens or veggies you have.
I used extra hot variety of gochujang. You can certainly buy and use any kind you prefer. They’re available from a mild to an extra hot scale.
If you don’t have vegetable broth, you could certainly use just water. Or if you’re running low on broth, you can use half broth/half water.
Method:
Bring 8 cups of broth to a simmering boil. Add the gochujang, and mix well until it’s completely dissolved into the broth without any lumps.
While simmering over low heat, add the remaining broth ingredients one by one and mix everything thoroughly.
Let the broth simmer over low heat for at least 10-15 minutes. This creates a cohesive and intense flavor!
In the meanwhile, thaw the edamame to room temp. Wash the soy bean sprouts well, drain and set aside.
Drop the noodles, edamame and soy bean sprouts into the broth. Bring this all to a boil together. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the noodles are cooked, and you’re done!
