October 29, 2012
updated
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Looking for a homemade ramen noodle soup recipe so you can ditch the packaged type? You’ve found just the recipe, and in this post, I’ll show you how to turn it into a thermos ramen soup you can pack for lunch!
This is a budget-friendly recipe that’s just as delicious as the classic and much better for you! Let me show you how to make it with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Healthier Ramen Noodle Soup at Home
What kind of thoughts comes to mind when I say Ramen Noodles? Maybe college days?
Late-night study breaks? Living on a tight budget? A styrofoam cup of hot soup filled with yellow broth and dehydrated vegetables? Yes, all those things come to mind when I think of Ramen Noodles too.
I’ll tell you what doesn’t come to mind… a healthy lunch in a thermos like this one! Or a quick dinner that takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish!
Related: Top 5 Thermos Containers We’ve Tested
It’s been quite a few years since I had a cup of Ramen, but the thing I probably remember most about them was their convenience.
As parents, we’re always looking for something that is easy to put on the table, but sometimes that can mean sacrificing good nutrition.
We all know the original Ramen isn’t too high on the nutrition scale, but then again, isn’t that kind of how it goes in college?
Today, I’m here to share a homemade version of Ramen Noodle soup. Although it requires a few more minutes in the kitchen than the original styrofoam cup variety, I can promise you it is worth the extra effort.
The flavors are simple, and many of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry.
Bring the kids in the kitchen to help while you make it, and maybe, share a few stories from your college days while you’re cooking.
See how easy it is to make this healthy Ramen Noodle Soup!
How to Pack Ramen for Lunch
Now that you know how to make this soup let me show you how to pack ramen for lunch!
- Reheat
If packing chilled ramen, reheat the noodles and broth in a microwave-safe dish until it’s piping hot (212F). - Prep the thermos
Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Fill the thermos with boiling water and close. Wait 5 minutes and empty the thermos. - Pack it up
Transfer the hot soup to the thermos and seal. Pack it into a lunch bag with your desired snacks, adding an ice pack if necessary.
Having a double-insulated thermos container is key when it comes to packing hot lunches and leftovers. You can check out a few of my favorite options in this post, as well as the video below:
Keeping the Noodles from Getting Soggy
If you’re packing noodles for lunch in a thermos, they won’t get soggy before it’s time to eat.
However, if you’re cooking up a big batch of this homemade ramen to last for a week’s worth of lunches you will need to take one extra step to avoid bloated noodles a few days in.
To prevent the noodles from getting soggy during storage, you’ll want to store them separately from the broth. That’s right, unlike your standard chicken noodle soups, this is one where you cook the pasta and broth separately and then combine the two before serving or packing for lunch.
Not only is it easy to assemble, but it’s convenient to store and refrigerate for future meals and lunches like this one.
You can even extend the shelf-life of this recipe and freeze the pasta and broth in individual portions. Both will keep up to a month in the freezer; when you’re ready to pack lunch, thaw the ingredients and reheat them in a microwave-safe dish. Easy peasy!
If you are doing a Whole30, Family KickStart, or on the Paleo diet, you can try this same recipe with zucchini noodles as I did with my Healthy Homemade Ramen Recipe with Zoodles.
I love how easy it can be to make simple ingredient swaps that help make old favorite recipes healthier! You and your family don’t have to sacrifice having your favorite meals in order to eat clean.
In fact, I created a comprehensive 30-day program that will help you and your kids eliminate processed foods for 30 days while still eating delicious meals you love.
Want to check it out? It’s called the Family KickStart Program, and you can try out a free sample here!
Homemade Ramen Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ inch ginger, minced (optional)
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 medium leek or 2-3 green onions, white part only, sliced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 lb package whole wheat angel hair pasta
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add carrots and leeks (or green onions, if using). Continue to saute until leeks/onions are translucent. Add in vegetable broth, water, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add in frozen peas and continue to cook on a low simmer until peas are no longer frozen. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add angel hair pasta. Cook until al dente and drain. Pasta remains separate from soup to keep it from getting soggy during cooking and storage.
- To serve, place a small serving of pasta in a soup bowl and ladle Ramen soup over pasta. Serve immediately.
lasertest
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Look forward to finding out about your web page repeatedly.
MOMables - Laura
Welcome! I am happy to have you. :)
Jasbir @jasbeeray
Thanks! Just joined your mailing list. Love your ideas.
Kate
I’m looking for a good, healthy ramen noodle recipe for my son to have when I’m not at home. I’m tired of buying cup of noodles because I would rather he get the flavor AND the nutrition. SO here’s my question. I’m a once a month cooker, meaning that I bag up meals at the beginning of the month to last us the month. Things I can throw in the crockpot, and especially things that will freeze. Have you tried to freeze and thaw this yet? I want something I can put a bowl in the fridge the night before to thaw and Ethan can heat up on the stove the next day for lunch.
– Kate
MOMables
I don’t see how this will work for once a month cooking. perhaps you can make the broth separate and freeze that.
Kat
I look forward to trying your ramen recipe. I love that you thought to use whole wheat noodles. Sadly I love the texture of instant ramen. I just make sure that I buy air-dried noodles vs. The deep fried noodles that come in the regular packets.
Nancy@livininthegreen
This is great! I want to make some but didn’t want to use the msg packets. Will use the noodles though so we can use chopsticks…thanks for posting this!! :)
Laura
Nancy, which msg packets are you talking about? There aren’t any in our recipe. We hope you enjoy!
Pam
I made this tonight…it was fast enough, easy enough and good! The only thing I noticed was that it was pretty salty (and I didn’t add any salt), so I would recommend low sodium soy sauce for those that are watching their sodium intake. However, I am sure in no way does it have as much as the packages!!! I refuse to buy them because of that and the other ingredients I would rather do without! Thank you for the recipe!
Laura
Hi Pam!
Thank you for letting us know you enjoyed the soup! It does not have nearly as much as the packages. I edited the recipe -we used low sodium soy sauce ourselves.
Sheri
Having this for dinner tonight. YUMMY! I used beef broth instead of vegetable, yellow onions instead of leeks/green onions and egg noodles instead of spaghetti. I will definitely be making this again! No more little square packages for us!
Laura
So glad!!
Astrid
The problem is, I would miss the squiggly noodles! For some reason, those are my favorite part! :)
Laura
totally ok to miss the noddles lol
Homemade Soups
yummy..