Instant Ramen Upgrades | Basics with Babish

This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. For 16 free meals with HelloFresh across 7 boxes AND 3 free gifts, use code BABISH16 at bit.ly/3aTawrh!
Today we're seeing just how much lemonade we can make with one of life's most ubiquitous lemons, mountains of instant ramen. A favorite of damn near everyone at some point in their life, ramen is capable of being the backdrop to many ingredients you may have around the pantry or fridge even as you're reading this. Which, if you are, thank you for reading this, you are going the extra mile.
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[@cathe196]

I admire this man’s determination to both carbonara everything and flip off those Italian chefs at the same time.

[@songohan3321]

Then they gonna make a 30 minute angry rant video.

[@dansattah]

@@songohan3321 I haven't really been paying much attention to Babish's channel recently. Are there actual critiques like this?

[@alverygrissom2544]

i admire this man's courage, because he won't escape us for long

[@Danirio96]

Hate those guys. Obviously he's probably not doing 100% true to original but even two towns from the birthplace of a dish they make it different how about a continent. Probably those italians won't replicate some traditional dish from the US or even France. At this point they are a sad meme

[@Alex-vl1mk]

@@dansattah they appear everywhere on any cooking video. Idk why Italians choose to be so obnoxious

[@michenerkruse]

I really love the old school babish feel. I love the babish culinary universe, but sometimes I just want Andrew to walk us through a couple basic recipes in a simple kitchen setting.

[@Izzy-bq1rc]

J Kenji Lopez Alt has a great channel, it’s largely unedited and varying in complexity. All his recipes that I’ve tried have been great

[@Deathraze1]

@@Izzy-bq1rc Kenji is the best

[@Gojeto346]

I hate the babish universe, it went from a relatable home chef to Bon Appetit Jr. i unsubbed the day I realized I had gone like a week without seeing Andrew himself upload.

[@bichen-up-ur]

@@Gojeto346 i see an asian dish on the channel then see who’s cooking and find something else.

[@XYZ8901000]

+

[@mpwarkk2601]

Babish swirling ramen like pasta was like my dad eating spaghetti with chopsticks

[@darkmatter9643]

Your father… he’s a monster

[@Ben-rz9cf]

I'm a true man of culture so I eat Mexican food with chopsticks

[@ZaxorVonSkyler]

@はんじろ You haven't lived until You've eaten ice cream with chopsticks it is a game changer!

[@Wanderer24]

Reminds me of the time I decided to eat cheese balls with chopsticks

[@carbonice8283]

…I see this while I eat spaghetti with chopsticks, are you in my walls?

[@VERsingthegamez]

You should do more college budget kinds of recipe's to help people save money while also getting a great meal option.

[@neahantwine2512]

Yess he should

[@briansmith1765]

Budget with Babish

[@shelbypowell9919]

You’re looking for Struggle Meals with Frankie Celenza

[@harrybitternoff1923]

Fr

[@aldar8240]

@@shelbypowell9919 surprisingly, having multiple sources of information is more valuable than only having one

[@lisapop5219]

Ramen moves up to a meal with the addition of almost any canned or leftover meat & veg. Our favorite is spicy Korean Ramen, fried hot & spicy spam chunks, onions, zucchini or squash, garlic & mushrooms with a little more broth to make it like a soup. It's so versatile that you don't even have to use the packets & create all kinds of concoctions.

[@WintersMinion]

Yeah my go to ramen meal is to slice and heat up some leftover steak or roast either beef or pork doesn't mix into a couple packs of beef ramen and add a couple fried eggs.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

Though I hate most spicy foods, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms, that still sounds amazing 😂. But I'm going to take a look around my local Walmart to maybe find some other vegetables that I like and can pair with it. I sadly have never considered adding veggies to my ramen and I definitely don't eat enough of them, so thank you for the idea!

[@Saito57G]

Mmm Budae jjigae is no joke, it's amazing how you can utilize stuff like this

[@Faetter-Blobs-Filmbiks]

Spam is dogfood

[@rivkatadjer]

My go-to is Spicy Korean Ramen with some Vegetables, either leftover ground beef or Hot Dogs, and two eggs. Absolutely hits different

[@camdencope6373]

Can't believe no one does a really brothy ramen. Like a full on soup with the ramen that needs a fairly deep bowl

[@bigdingus6052]

it's called ramen noodle SOUP!!! draining ramen is a cardinal sin

[@ijustquitmyjob]

for real!! & the wide shallow bowls just lose all the heat immediately too 🤦‍♀

[@EraidFreefire]

I was also wondering where the broth or all the liquid went to. It's like huh?!?! I came here for Ramen soup hacks not ramen pasta hacks.🤔

[@ashleydaniels4091]

I grew up on very brothy Ramen noodles and would smother them in saltiness until all the liquid was gone lol never even considered just using less water and having noodles.

[@therussmort259]

Ya it was seriously disappointing there just make pasta at this point without the broth

[@fattdamon5342]

I make one pretty regularly. Chicken ramen base, drain off most of the water. Add a glob of chunky peanut butter, soy sauce, chili garlic etc, really any Asian sauces play here. Throw in some chopped grilled chicken and greens as you see fit. Thai peanut ramen chicken ramen. Deliciousness in 10 mins.

[@megxxns2657]

lemon/lime juice is also great with this to cut a little richness from the peanut butter!

[@jessicashisler105]

Came here to see if anyone else was on the peanut butter ramen train! I like seasoning packet, a little soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin, the biggest dollop of peanut butter, little sesame oil and a bit of sugar. Once my sauce is heated up I add in the noodles and some broccoli florets. Top with kimchi. Boom. It's been my go to dinner this last week while I wait for our furniture/house stuff to be delivered to our new house haha

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

I know different countries have different types of peanut butter. American peanut butter is sweet and salty, is the one you use the same? And does that make the ramen taste sweet?

[@DaniJHollis]

Josh Scherer calls it "White Trash Pad Thai"

[@jessicashisler105]

@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley it depends! If I get Jif or something similar I don’t need to add sugar. But there are lots of peanut butters that are just peanuts and salt - when I use something unsweetened I feel a little bit of sugar helps balance everything out.

[@ianm1049]

Since some of these leave you with extra ramen flavoring packets, might i suggest adding them (or part of them if you want to be subtle) to your next omelette or scrambled eggs. Tastes amazing! 😋

[@roxymanasquan9087]

I added a packet to my rice cooker the last time I made a small batch of rice. It was the best!!

[@Talmorne]

I quite often make fried rice with any leftover ramen seasoning i might have or even add it to sauces (like spaghetti sauce with some spicy Korean noodle seasoning to add a kick)

[@narazdjgirl]

@@roxymanasquan9087 I'm definitely trying this since I eat rice often

[@MythicFox]

Oooh, I've never thought of that. When I have extra packets of ramen seasoning, sometimes I use them to make chip dip. Mix one up with a cup of mayo and a cup of sour cream. Adjust seasoning to base proportions to taste, obviously.

[@jbaby362]

@@MythicFox oh that sounds lovely!

[@rkmugen]

The Ramen-ara's no joke. That kept me going when I was in college too! Btw, have you ever added some Cajun or Creole seasoning to your shrimp ramen? It's great too if you can add fried okra and garnish with sliced green/spring onions, and a dash of cayenne hot sauce. Edit: I made my own Cajun/Creole seasonings by scratch because I needed to watch my sodium intake.

[@pothospathic]

Can I score a recipe for your seasoning? I never turn down the opportunity to up my Creole seasoning game.

[@JiMMyCalrissian]

Same!!!! I had to watch my sodium intake so I make my own seasonings as well!

[@rkmugen]

​@@pothospathic I'm sorry, but I actually don't have a written recipe with instructions, since I based my blend off of the ingredient list from a discontinued bottle of "Cajun" seasoning from Archer Farms (ie. Target's private label), and also adjusted everything to suit my own personal taste. The date on the bottle I have says '2008', so they definitely don't make this specific blend anymore. Also, I'm fully aware that Cajun seasoning is really just salt, cayenne pepper, garlic, and black+white pepper, while Creole seasoning can begin with a Cajun seasoning base, PLUS some dry herbs (usually an Italian herb blend). The first ingredient listed on the bottle is _*sea salt*_, but I omitted that from my blend, since I wanted to be able to add the salt, separately from the spice blend. I also omitted sugar, since the sweetness from my particular dry basil is plenty sweet as-is. Please also note that I've changed the order in which the ingredients are listed, as they are in DECREASING order, in terms of ratios. For example, since onion is at the top of the list, my recipe has more onion than garlic, and more garlic, compared to cayenne pepper, and so on. All that being said, here is the ingredient list: +onion (ie. dry onion flakes, granulated onion, or onion powder) +garlic (granulated garlic, or garlic powder) +cayenne pepper +sweet paprika +black pepper (whole black peppercorns, or freshly-ground black pepper; OR 3-color peppercorn medley) +mustard seeds +dry oregano +dry thyme +dry sweet basil +crushed red pepper flakes +allspice -- My own additions to the above list, but also in decreasing order/ratios: +celery seeds +chili powder +smoked paprika Add all of the above into an electric spice grinder and grind until everything is into a fine/medium-fine powder. At that point, you can add either an amount of rosemary powder and/or some coarsely-ground dry rosemary needles, depending on whether or not you want some texture contrast.

[@robspiess]

Poor(er?) man's ramen-ara uses cut up hotdogs instead of bacon.

[@pothospathic]

@@rkmugen Hey thank you so much! I really like what you're slinging in your kitchen. I wrote this all down to stick in my spice recipe bo. Especially the additions sound great.That's a great kind thing you did, I appreciate you.

[@TreyMcDonaldAnimator]

One of my favorite ramen hacks is this Miyazaki ramen - it's regularly made ramen with an egg beaten into the broth and topped with sautéed shitake mushrooms. I add green onion and a sprinkling of sesame seed oil to it and... man, if you want a satisfying late nite dish, that's one of them. Even with my slight egg allergy.

[@a_headless_chicken]

Dang... having an egg allergy must be egghausting.

[@TreyMcDonaldAnimator]

@@a_headless_chicken --_______-- ... yeah.

[@Guzioo]

Appreciate people like you just giving out a nice food hack/recipe to try

[@violetopal6264]

Something I've done recently was save leftover gravy. Stirfry some veggies, add the gravy with some ground ginger, garlic, and a cup of water. Bring to a boil. Take off the heat. Add a packet of ramen (not seasoning, just noodles) and some soy sauce. Let sit three minutes

[@andriealinsangao613]

Yum!

[@christopheralleman8373]

Hey Babish, wondering if you could do a spices video sometime? I know it's a very general topic, but I'd love to learn about how each of the major spices are used in cooking.

[@rebeccafoster-faith6647]

ChefJonKung did a series on spices. look in the KZbin Shorts.

[@Me547]

This would be amazing. I have a very full spice cabinet with a few go-to spices and a whole lot of nonsense I’ve only used once. It would be great to see Babish help people avoid my folly.

[@ashleyshanks6821]

I'd like to see this, myself

[@andriealinsangao613]

Agreed!

[@hakonsgaming535]

my ramen upgrade has always been pretty simple, I almost always have cooked chicken around because I buy costco rotisserie chickens for sandwich meat. So I just throw some of that in some chicken ramen I hard boil an egg and toss a few slices in, add some soy sauce to the broth. and finally just throw in some cooked frozen carrot and sweet corn bits.

[@matthewrempel6646]

The way Babish just casually had THE most overly complicated “normal” method of making package ramen I’ve ever seen is a perfect representation of what I feel the main content of this channel has become.

[@slylover123]

He ruined them fr

[@CrazyPenguin712]

Why are you hating lol

[@totallynotdelinquent5933]

its just not for you then. dont hate, just go away and shut up if you dont have anything nice to say.

[@notahotshot]

@@CrazyPenguin712, expressing criticism is not hate. Or maybe it is. Why are you hating?

[@m_uz1244]

Nah tbh it doesn't take that long nor does it use that many dishes, it just has a lot of steps. Plus, Babish isn't the guy who normally goes for minimal effort and most focus on the audience's situation, for that I'd say just watch Adam Ragusea videos

[@shrekfrog]

my most recent ramen hack is using a portion of the seasoning packet as a base for dipping sauce. then, i add the dried veggie pack, peanut butter, and lemon. i dont have specific measurements, its all just to taste. to make sure the noodles dont dry out too much, i keep them in some of the noodle soup base

[@TexasNationalist1836]

I miss these just babish episodes and I hope we have more like this

[@MarvinConman]

Yeah who tf cares about Alvin or Soy Boys, I came here to watch Babish!

[@ivyadie7570]

@@MarvinConman it’s kind of a bummer that there’s less of him these days :(

[@joshwertheim]

@@MarvinConman nothing wrong with Alvin's stuff, most of those videos have been great. But Babish definitely needs to get back to the kind of content he used to do more often.

[@andriealinsangao613]

@@MarvinConman YESSSS!!!!!

[@pennyforyourthots]

@@MarvinConman honestly, I kinda like Alvin more lol. At least when it comes to the TV food recreation stuff. Babish is obviously better for the basics series (which is where I hope he begins to dedicate most of his time).

[@boomgoesthedynamite4323]

I just mashed bits of each of these recipes together, and it's the best thing I've ever made. This continues to be my favourite cooking channel

[@paulwagner688]

I have always done my instant the following: Boil, drain, but don't use a colander so there will be water left, add seasoning and butter off the heat and vigorously stir. I've been cooking like Babby for DECADES!

[@snow2460]

And by the way, as someone who's eaten a lot of ramen in his life, here's a tip: leave a few noodles uncooked and then sprinkle them on top afterwards like a garnish. Gives you an extra little fun bonus crunch.

[@wmchu]

Especially with picante beef?

[@marichica3565]

@@wmchu I was hoping someone commented this

[@annewoods1048]

When in doubt: soy, ginger, garlic, green onion, and soft boiled egg. Beef ramen is superior, and I'm amazed it didn't make it into this video. Add veggies or meat as you see fit (my favs are thin-sliced fried spam, broccoli, or roast chicken bits).

[@carlyemcgregor7958]

We were going to make ramen tonight already and I took to KZbin to find some simple ways to upgrade instant ramen. Found this video a mere hour after posting, and decided to try the quick tonkatsu. IT IS THE BEST RAMEN I’VE EVER MADE. Thank you for the tips!!

[@VanNessy97]

My ramen upgrades involve dried seaweed, boiling shrimp tails with leftover shrimp juices, toasted sesame oil, bonito flakes, thinly sliced green onions (I don't have any scallions) and half a hard boiled egg in each bowl of noodles. I may add in some slices of narutomaki if I ever get my hands on any.

[@Geny444]

Another tasty one is using curry powder and coconut milk. I then add shredded cooked chicken(rotiserie is great), cilantro, as well as cooked carrots, onions, bell peppers. It's delicious

[@Knoxsinn]

You can also use ramen for a stir fry. Great way to use up leftovers and produce.

[@MolecularMachine]

If you think I'm even touching a cutting board when it's ramen night, you've got another thing coming. Here's how you do l'assassina del rey. Heat plenty of olive oil in a pan, and add frozen pepper and onion mix before it gets to medium high. Add your dry block(s) of ramen. For every block, put one seasoning packet in a mug of water and microwave it until warm. Add the broth to the pan to halfway up the height of the ramen block and don't touch anything until you can hear it sizzle for a minute or so. Once the noodles look a little browned on the bottom, flip them and add broth again. Add smoked paprika, soy sauce, and mirin to taste, or whatever seasonings suit your fancy. Keep adding broth and frying until the noodles are soft and they and the vegetables gain a light char. Delicious, easy, truly one pan.

[@fluffycritter]

My favorite in grad school was to throw out the seasoning packet, and sautee some minute steaks in soy sauce, chili, garlic, and ginger, and use those to top the plain noodles along with some sliced green onion and maybe a boiled egg.

[@flamebloom4659]

Just as I finished my instant ramen dinner! Saving me on a late night shift yet again.

[@ArchOfWinter]

My college go to ramen: Boil frozen vegies with the water, either add frozen meatball that matches the flavor of the soup packet or scramble eggs. Quick and no more clean up than plan ramen. If I feel a little fancy, I chop up some mushroom, a few leaves of random greens, and leftover meat from the night before. Adjust seasoning or soup base depending on how flavorful the leftover meat is.

[@neonshadow5005]

I was hoping for some straight, "true" as you put it, ramen upgrades but these are still some interesting ideas.

[@milknhoneyhoney]

Me too, these are all great but definitely not something a broke and tired person like myself would have the money or energy to do.

[@CrispySkinwalker]

Any kind of meat or veggies thrown in will make a ramen better. I personally keep a bunch of green onion to cut up and put on top of my bowl, it's simple but it makes it visually more appealing, adds some freshness and some light crunch

[@TheBrianJ]

My favorite part of this is the soft-boiled egg that you definitely put on it!

[@songohan3321]

He made it invisible.

[@superspider64]

what I've seen on a post online a few times, one of the easiest ways to upgrade a ramen packet is to just add in some of the meat that the ramen is trying to imitate, so for beef ramen add in beef chunks, chicken bites for chicken ramen, pork for pork ramen and so on

[@Kelaiah01]

Whenever I want to 'upgrade' my ramen, I just add in butter, shrimp, bits of imitation crab and a boiled egg. One time I added in some corn, too.

[@OfficiallyMaidenless]

The fact that he just called the broth "pasta water" man's in too deep

[@evelynpayne5995]

wow these are all so advanced… when i’m feeling fancy i add walmart brand curry powder, black garlic , dried vegetables and an egg.

[@joshandallo2170]

Just a heads up, I think you might have meant "tonkotsu" when you said "tonkatsu." They sound similar, but they are very different pork products. ;)

[@lemar5944]

miss the old times when we were tossing salad and scrambling eggs

[@ovanicus1808]

Literally eating instant Ramen right now in my first week of college so could not be better timing 😭

[@zolo49noname45]

When you get sick of instant ramen (and you will), get a rice cooker if you haven't already and fixings of your choice (soy sauce, nori, kimchi, spam, etc) to go along with it. Rice is super cheap and the cooker is perfect for dorm rooms.

[@MRBACKBLOWER_74]

Can you make microwave wings from the regular show

[@toast_thebread]

I think he already has

[@Walking.supernova]

IVE BEEN WANTING THIS

[@kamrenmendis7764]

He has

[@chrisstraley2002]

Oh, don't worry Babbish; college students ALWAYS have "Herbs" around lol.

[@notAshildr]

"herb" ramen does sound interesting.

[@clippedwings225]

I liked this! Feels almost like a return to older Basics style.

[@DeathBatBabe97]

I miss that style.

[@clippedwings225]

I do too-- but things change I suppose! It's not like the new style is worse, just different.

[@mylesfoxx1383]

A way I reuse bacon grease is by making eggs and potatoes (you use leftover baked potatoes, brown them, then add egg. I personally put like, onion and garlic powder on them but I’m thinking about experimenting with real onion and garlic soon)

[@Klingonmastr]

It also depends on what flavor of ramen noodles you are using. I got a 5 pack from the 99 Cent Store of Nongshim Ramen Noodles that are beef flavor with seaweed. Personally the seaweed thing doesn't really bother me. I just add some green onions and carrots to liven up the soup and make it slightly more healthy.

[@sirpeaches5086]

23 years old and just finding out you can unfold the bricks.

[@KuldarJ]

BRO WHERE IS THE BROTH, IT'S LITERALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE TRUE RAMEN EXPERIENCE!

[@Blackplague17]

Oh, have I got news for you, Babs! I’ve been making some excellent dressed up ramen lately after I had a bunch of inspiration. Gochujang, kimchi, sesame oil, pickled onions, chicken thighs, cilantro, dill, Indian curry, roasted garlic paste, ginger, cumin-these are just some of the ingredients I use with my cooking, there’s others I just can’t think of them off the top of my head at the moment. Bacon is great for “pork belly”-like flavors

[@Blackplague17]

I do have a full list of ingredients somewhere of ones I use and need to get to fill my pantry. Soy sauce is definitely already in the previous list, but fish sauce and hoisin are on the grocery list

[@Blackplague17]

Also crunchy chili garlic oil

[@Blackplague17]

I love watching cooking techniques, and yours are great!

[@gateguardian44]

Kimchi ramen with imitation crab sticks are one of my and my fiancée’s favourites when “elevating” instant ramen. My mother often makes pork and shrimp balls and freezes them. Also a great addition to instant ramen, especially since the balls absorb the broth incredibly well.

[@praetorfenix69]

Protip: tonkotsu and tonkatsu are not the same thing, do not get them confused

[@queenofdaydreams3825]

Is that a threat?

[@GordonRamseyIsMyLifestyle]

@@queenofdaydreams3825 yes

[@jimmyoutlaw9384]

For anyone curious, tonkotsu refers to a pork broth for ramen while tonkatsu is a fried pork cutlet usually served with curry

[@MrGrimsmith]

My go to is a lightly fried egg (faster than boiling, time is important!), chopped spring onion and grated cheese. Oh and chili flake. Fry egg while making ramen, add cheese and chili, break the egg yolk and stir the lot together before topping with the spring onion. Not pretty but quick and tasty so I'll take it :)

[@bobd2659]

I love instant ramen. Stuff like this, which I do a lot, makes it a meal. Otherwise, to me at least, it's just a snack pack! It's a great way to use up leftovers, or if you grow some plants/herbs of your own - to use up 'trimmings' if your plants are 'overambitious'. I do find that one flavour pack each is generally not enough, so I usually add a teaspoon of a generic matching or complimentary soup base like mushroom or seafood. Possibilities are endless if you think of instant ramen as a base ingredient instead of the meal...same goes for things like Mac and Cheese...

[@madameghostly]

That quonkatsu looks amazing! And the soft-boiled egg you added is perfectly cooked!

[@paulkieffer4536]

As someone who always has dozens of Ramen on hand...I love this. Thanks Andrew! Rochester pride brother!!

[@TheCardq]

My take on Ramen upgrades is to make it with whole milk, and add enough of every spicy thing in my cabinet that the additions equal about half of the seasoning packet

[@Pixie_beans]

Made the high school babish version today! It’s 6am and I was hungry and it’s the only food I had, absolutely satisfying and filling!! Did chicken and shrimp

[@thisgoestoeleven]

my go-to ramen hack is just the noodles, and I add 1tbsp each tahini/sesame paste, soy sauce, black vinegar, and chili crisp to a bowl with a teaspoon or so of toasted sesame oil. Add the noodles and a few tablespoons of pasta water, top with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. I'll also add cooked veg or protein I've got handy. Save the chicken seasoning packets for adding to fried chicken breading.

[@LucasBenderChannel]

You just know I immediately went down to the kitchen to make some Ramen. Late at night.

[@kristenp1606]

Spicy Chili Crisp is the answer to almost every dish, I love the stuff! I always add it to instant ramen, but also to eggs, avocado toast, mix it with sour cream and serve with pierogies or quesadillas, you can not go wrong! I haven't met a savory dish that it doesn't improve.

[@dannym2359]

I used to be able to get Tonkatsu ramen bowls, but the grocery store I shop at stopped carrying it. It was the best instant ramen I've ever had, without adding anything extra

[@reviewdle6173]

I get that the other recipes are like what we're kind of actually supposed to be here for but honestly the way you just make ramen on its own there in the beginning is amazing, I started doing it because of this video and it's actually insane how cooking it this way makes it taste so much better than following the package instructions without adding *anything* else to it. I like cooking roast chicken and creamy chicken together!

[@寝子猫-j4y]

Thanks for giving me an appetite for ramen. It's all I really have to eat right now.

[@woahfi]

Love this. I always go shin ramen, poach the egg with the noodles, drain the water and mix in packets, sesame oil, and fresh green onions.

[@ryoryo9936]

I was really confused when he kept saying tonkatsu, but didn’t bring out any pork cutlet or panko (and also because tonkatsu and ramen is a weird combination).

[@calamaribowl8683]

Tonkotsu with an O. Very different, apparently.

[@matthewbenson6283]

my fave ramen upgrade is vietnamese chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar, add that to a pan of browned pork, reduce, add ramen. absolutely out of this world.

[@flamingoodness4923]

Can you make that bacon Parmesan one without the bacon? I don’t eat pork but I love the thought of Parmesan cheese and egg mixing into an sauce so I’d love to know

[@Ghaidaa]

Same question

[@SquareSquidStudios]

This way of cooking ramen noodles works amazingly for every pasta I have tried. THANK YOU! I am never cooking pasta the old way again.

[@VictorMTaveras]

Wow, I've got a few boxes of ramen sitting around since the start of pandemic that I gotta use up lol I'm gonna have to try a few of these. Thanks

[@similaritiesendhere]

Actual instant ramen upgrade: adding frozen vegetables and your choice of seasoning.

[@bourne8636]

I’ve mastered the art of cooking instant ramen. 🤣

[@beckelspek4850]

Ramen tip: Mix hot sauce and smooth peanut butter in equal parts to make some 30 second spicy peanut sauce. It works in a pinch if you’re too lazy to make actual peanut sauce

[@Abelhawk]

Here's a trick: Put the ramen in the water. Turn the heat on. As soon as it starts boiling, it's done.

[@TheVelourFog]

Peanut butter, siracha, fried egg, chili crunch, green peppers, that's our go to.

[@JJ.McCorley]

Andrew, my dude, Ramen is a soup, I feel that when you remove the soup element that it's no longer ramen.

[@Jonkree]

And here I thought I was crazy. Thank you!

[@ejensen]

Jesus wept I was losing my mind. WTH is all that draining the noodles business about? And sprinkling the seasoning on top of the drained noodles?!? Why are people ok with this?

[@heatherrockwell9012]

I suspect it's because this is about upgrading the components, and upgrading the soup might require more effort or ingredients.

[@heatherrockwell9012]

@@Kriizikaan That's debatable. I would argue that, with the prevalence of prepackaged ramen, the noodles are more commonly understood as ramen themselves. It's a case of usage changing due to a product.

[@wrenjablonka6090]

‘ramen’ is a soup. ‘instant ramen’ is a seperate food altogether and is definitely eaten dry just as commonly as it is with the soup.

[@pokiou]

boil noodles, drains. butter in pan once melted added noodles and chicken noodle seasoning and toss and serve with fried egg ontop. My go to comfort food when the wife and kids are out for the day!.

[@my_granny]

Usually, I make two packs of ramen in four cups water, then use just one of the seasoning packets, plus whatever spices I'm feeling at the time. I find using the recommended ratio of seasoning to water is far too salty for my taste, so I don't really see much appeal to anything more concentrated. Most of the time, my spice choices resemble taco seasoning (cumin, lemon pepper, garlic, cayenne, cilantro, etc), but sometimes I go with a lot chili powder and a couple big spoonfuls of peanut butter.

[@nanaasmah938]

as I prep to go back to college, this is the perfect video for me. I already have a Costco sized box of ramen, now I just need to prep some upgrades!

[@lloydcollins]

Dude… I would love to see you try some of the soul food from any of the African-American films (like the movie Soulfood). you never try to make anything like this.

[@curlyfreis]

on the way to the hospital the paramedic needed the defibrillator, took it out, pressed the start button and a hello fresh add came up informing us and the dying patient about our 30+ meal options.

[@pixelpastiche]

Love seeing Babish on the Channel

[@kingjeremysircornwell7847]

Try cream of mushroom soup with beef Ramen. Noodles/seasoning in bowl, add hot water, cream of mushroom soup on top. microwave 2 minutes.

[@IsaacKuo]

Oh yeah! Cream of mushroom (or celery) is great with pasta.

[@GitzenShiggles]

Skip to 0:34 to avoid the annoying advertisement. You're welcome.

[@jhilamadhikary5551]

We need a Part 2 of this!

[@rocknrollmanic]

I’ve been looking for ways to spice up instant ramen and make it less of a carb bomb. Thank you so much

[@LwaziSidinile]

I like the home kitchen feel in this video. Especially for this particular topic of budget meals

[@jammy008]

I usually add tahini, toasted seeds & chorizo or some kind of precooked meat you can cut up easily. totally transformational 😍

[@organizerbmo]

Chorizo is like bacon for me, just makes everything better but is kinda too overpowered lol

[@tenzhitihsien888]

The most interesting thing about this video for me was cooking ramen noodle soup in a skillet in such a way that it was just noodles rather than soup.

[@renegadeliam398]

You should do a series called upgrades with babish, featuring common low budget/college grade foods that can be upgraded with small tweaks to the basic recipe/cooking instructions. One of my most simple adjustments is taking some frozen orange chicken and adding a little bit of sesame oil and chili flakes to the sauce, then glazing the chicken once it's cooked, on the occasion I also add some bits of bacon to it to make it like panda express

[@NadiaSeesIt]

Sorry that's gross, that stuff is only appealing in college. There are plenty of channels for budget cooking, don't ruin this one

[@emosaurus66]

Currently stuck at home with covid. Definitely needed this.

[@professoreinstein6]

I literally just made a bechamel sauce and mixed it with my ramen. I mean it was a cheddar cheese sauce with the nutmeg and Dijon mustard but all the same it was great. Definitely salt your noodles before adding accompaniments if you're not using the seasoning packet

[@Katie_OvO]

Forget the package instructions, just put your noods and seasoning in your soup bowl, put the kettle on, pour over the water, and cover for 5-6 minutes, then stir. Low involvement instant ramen!

[@Knoxsinn]

I just cooked the carbonara using microwave bacon. It's fantastic! Can't forget about the pepper flakes 🌶️ (Eating and typing)

[@adambarron4015]

Easiest ramen upgrade ever: ground turmeric. Adds both depth of flavor and golden color. Recommended upgrade: residual oil of dry aged brisket trimmings rendered under low heat in neutral oil with a dash of smoked bonito flakes.

[@littlevickietee]

This is perfect for me! Just got into my first apartment in junior year of college :)

[@joe_ferreira]

Variety is the spice of life. Try many different ramen recipes it will get old quick. A cheap bunch of green onions and a dozen eggs adds a lot. Also adding protein is very important. I lost weight to an unhealthy level when I was younger eating too much ramen without anything added in it.

[@Choppini]

One of my occasional and favorite emergency foods: I add some small cut Teriyaki Beef Jerky to the (less) water while boiling a pack of noodles. Plus some frozen peas, grating coarsely a bit of a carrot, add a teaspoon of miso, perhaps some squirt of oyster sauce, when the noodles are done adding the seasoning pack. Perhaps a soft boiled egg. The variation is shrimps w. garlic. I had to become 65 years to try a Mr.Noodles package, they were on sale for 27cents, and I thought: I want to see what the hype is about... Now I am hooked, LOL. And I went back the next day to buy 10....Never say never, right?

[@aquadraco20]

I love this! I'm looking forward to more if you make more "upgrade" videos!

[@kurtislawler]

I make spaghetti with my ramen. Just add one can of tomato soup to two drained packs of beef and season to your liking.

[@Phillip_Duck]

I used to eat ramen after school. I wish I knew these recipes! Especially that last recipe, wow

[@yeldarb141983]

eating ramen too often is how i figured out how to make my own (admittedly probably fairly mediocre) spaghetti sauce (entirely by accident), so this video kinda comes full circle for me

[@quize21]

After this ep, Andrew won't need any sodium for a month

[@sirderpington7704]

A tip I personally had and how my mama did it was boil th noodles on their own and not in the soup. here is why. cause noodles are fried and thats how they hold their shape. they has a lot of oil in them. so boil the noodles in its own water. drain out the noodles. drop it in the soup. this way the soup is clearer and less oily makes drinking the broth a lot more digestable.

[@syd-nee]

Adding shrimp to instant Ramen. Truly a genius.

[@y0blo]

Just did the ramen-ampi and it was incredible. I may have cooked the ramen a tad too much (and added more salt than I would have liked) but it was still delicious. Thank you Babish!