There are many ingredients to add to your Ramyun to make it gourmet.

Korean instant noodles, so-called Ramyun have gained popularity around the whole world! Even in Norway where I live, I read a news article in a Korean newspaper that Ramyun suddenly became so popular. Then I saw stacks and stacks of Ramyun boxes and packages delivered to the Asian grocery market I usually go to. And among many ramyun, the most popular one is shin ramyun. Then it suddenly got to me that I should teach you how to cook and eat Shin Ramyun better by adding more ingredients.

Although it is instant noodles, we are so particular about our noodles that it has certain rules and ways to cook and eat. You can literally search for “how to cook ramyun” in a Korean web searching tool, and you will get tons and tons of tips. I am here to share some of that with you.

Adding More Shin Ramyun Ingredients?

So in today’s blog post, I will teach you about how to cook shin ramyun and how to make it gourmet and healthy by adding more ingredients. The secret to it is adding more fresh ingredients that Shin Ramyun already has!

Let’s take a look at the ingredient list of Shin Ramyun, then.

Shin Ramyun Ingredients List

Shin Ramyiun Ingredients in a package

Ingredients of Noodles

Refined wheat flour, potato starch, palm oil, salt, mineral salt, INS 452, INS 500, soy sauce, green tea extract, emulsifier, sweetener, flavor enhancer, color

Ingredients of Soup Base

Seasoning (hydrolyzed vegetable protein), maltodextrin, yeast extract, soy sauce, soybean, refined wheat flour, soybean oil, vegetable oil, spices, salt, flavor enhancer, sugar, glucose, emulsifier, corn flour, shiitake mushroom, color, anticaking agent

Ingredients of Flakes

Dried bok choy (25%), dried shiitake mushroom (20%) textured vegetable protein (soy, soy sauce, wheat gluten) 20%, dried carrot 15%, dried red pepper 10%, dried green onion 10%

Vegan & Vegetarian-Friendly Ingredients

So as you can see, there is no animal ingredient in shin ramyun. I find it so amazing that shin ramyun is vegan so I can eat it comfortably knowing that it has only plants in the food.

That’s great, but it still doesn’t mean that it is the healthiest food in the world. So Let me tell you how to make it not only healthy but also delicious by adding more ingredients!

Additional Shin Ramyun Ingredients List

Now that you learned the basics of ramyun cooking, you can learn additional ingredients that can upgrade your ramyun game. These are the ingredients that are already in ramyun seasoning or pair well with the ramyun seasoning ingredients, so by adding these ingredients to your ramyun, the broth becomes deeper and more luxurious. And not only that, they become healthier. I almost never eat ramyun just on its own.

1. Garlic

Garlic is one ingredient that is always in Korean cuisine. You can add one tablespoon of garlic into your broth, and it will become sweet and savory.

2. Onions

Slice it thinly, onion also pairs so well with ramyun! And did you know that onions have propyl mercaptan which is a spicy substance when it is raw but 50 to 70 times sweeter than sugar when cooked? And it’s the sweetness that doesn’t spike up the blood sugar. So add onions to your dish!

3. Tomato paste

This might be a surprise for many Koreans, but a tiny bit of tomato paste makes the broth redder and thus makes it look more appetizing. And it has a slight tartness and sourness that pairs so well with ramyun’s spiciness. Just add one tablespoon of it for one package of ramyun.

4. Vinegar

If you don’t have tomato paste, you can add half a tablespoon of vinegar to ramyun. It gives a clean aftertaste.

5. Gochugaru or pepper flakes

You could use any pepper flakes, but gochugaru, Korean chili flakes, definitely give a nuttier taste than other pepper flakes to the dish. It has a unique flavor that is quite different from other chili flakes. So that’s why I say that you’d need “gochugaru” instead of regular pepper flakes. Gochugaru gives Korean dishes its Korean flavor.

My Gochugaru Recommendation

Try this sun-dried coarse gochugaru for a lot of Korean recipes. It’s a must-have ingredient in a Korean pantry.

6. Green onions

Once you finished cooking ramyun, add some diced green onions right away. I like to stir it in the broth before serving so the green onions are slightly more cooked. That way, the sweetness replaces the spiciness of the green onions and it adds a nice texture to your ramyun. Green onions are a great way to include greens in your diet with ramyun, so do it if you can!

7. Diced carrots

This is not so common and might take a little while to cook your “instant” noodles, but carrots are just another nice addition to ramyun that adds more nutrition and sweetness to the taste.

8. Shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake mushroom is an ingredient that has a lot of umami flavor. But don’t add too much, otherwise, your ramyun might taste only mushrooms. Just half a shiitake mushroom either sliced or chopped for one portion of ramyun would be great.

9. Nutritional Yeast

Last, but not least, add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to your shin ramyun broth to make it super gourmet! It is honestly one of the best ways to elevate your shin ramyun soup.

Organic Non-Fortified Nutritional Yeast Flakes, 2 Pounds 

If you are vegan, you probably already have nutritional yeast at home. But if you are not vegan, let me introduce you to the cheesy world of nutritional yeast! This is the* ingredient that gives vegan food its cheesy taste, and therefore always included in vegan cheese products or recipes.

But even if you are not vegan, you’ll love this cheesy savory flavor!  Not only that, it is rich in protein, B vitamins, and beta-glucans. Moreover, nutritional yeast has a very long shelf-life. So you can make a lot of this delicious sumac fries spice blend and use it whenever you like.

Try this amazing cheesy, savory sprinkles of organic nutritional yeast goodies!

Cooking Shin Ramyun with More Ingredients

So your shin ramyun can be elevated to a gourmet dish with these awesome additional shin ramyun ingredients 🤤

How to cook Shin Ramyun well

1. Be sure to follow the exact water quantity.

You need 550ml of water for one package of ramyun. If you put too much water, you won’t be able to enjoy the full taste of the seasoning. If you put too little water on the other hand, it will taste too salty. The water-to-seasoning ratio has been calculated for you to enjoy the noodles, so make sure to follow it 🙂

2. Put the noodles once boiled, and then stir

If you put the noodles in the water before the water boils, it will start to dissolve in the water. Since the noodles are so soft, you want to put them once the water starts to boil quite vigorously. Then once they are in the water boiling, stir the noodles so all the noodles get cooked evenly and it gets a better chew to the noodles.

3. Once boiled, cook it for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

It is very important that you cook only for that long. Two and a half minutes sounds really short, and that is the beauty of instant noodles ramyun. Again, the noodles are too soft and it will get mushy if you cook ever so slightly longer.

It says to cook for 4 minutes, and you can follow the instructions if you wish. But the hot temperature of the pot will keep cooking the noodles so once you bring the noodles to the table to eat, it will be just right to eat.

And just like how Italians prefer their spaghetti al dente, we prefer our ramyun slightly undercooked when we take our first bite, and then eat softer, more cooked noodles as we eat through.

Side Dishes with Shin Ramyun

1. Leftover Rice

It doesn’t have to be cold leftover rice, but it’s nice to have ramyun with leftover rice. The starch in the rice makes the rice firmer when it is left cold, making it absorb the soup easily. You can cook the rice fresh to have it with ramyun of course!

2. Kimchi

Read Recipe

Kimchi pairs so well with ramyun for its spicy, sour, salty, and umami flavor. The crunchy and juicy texture of kimchi also adds an enjoyable contrast to the softness of cooked noodles.

Besides, Kimchi is always right for a side dish in Korean cuisine.

I’ve shared my delicious vegan kimchi that doesn’t smell so strong, yet has so much flavor and nutrition on my blog! Check it out.

3. Korean Cucumber Salad

Read Recipe

With a similar reason why kimchi pairs well with ramyun, this Korean-style spicy cucumber salad could also be a great side dish with ramyun. Try this spicy, tangy, sweet, and crunchy Korean cucumber salad recipe.

Summary of Eating Shin Ramyun

Shin Ramyun for Vegan and Vegetarian

Shin Ramyun, a popular Korean instant noodle, is a great choice for vegans and vegetarians who are looking for quick and savory meals.

Add More Ingredients

Incorporating more vegetables into a serving of Shin Ramyun transforms the instant noodle dish into a more nutritious and flavorful meal! Vegetables such as mushrooms, gochugaru, and garlic that are already in Shin Ramyun can be added additionally while cooking, enhancing a lot of flavors and making it healthier.

Cooking Shin Ramyun Properly

Once you have the noodles and other ingredients ready, the last step to eating Shin Ramyun like a pro is cooking it properly. Its cooking time is crucial for achieving the perfect texture of the noodles, neither too soft nor too firm.

My Thoughts

These were also quite basic additional ingredients you can try with your shin ramyun. But once you fall in love with cooking ramyun and know your taste profile better, you can be more creative! For instance, I love adding chopped cabbage and cook it until the cabbage is tender and soft. It gives more sweetness to the broth. Or my dad loves eating lettuce with ramyun, which is a quite peculiar taste. Try many different veggies and spices in your ramyun and find your liking 🙂

If you enjoyed this post, you might love other recipes I share on this blog! I have a lot of healthy and delicious recipes on this blog, so check these out below if you are interested.

You might be interested in…

Sumac Fries | Vegan Side Dish, Spice Blend Recipe

Wild Blueberry Oat Pancake & Coconut Cream | Vegan Brunch

Easy Shiitake Mushroom Stir-Fry

 

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