Who doesn’t have a memory of a steaming cup of Instant Noodles? For many of us, the infamous food conjures up images of pulling overnighters cramming for the final exam, coming home from a fun night out, or a quick lunch in our dorm room. Popularized by the book River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, we love this wholesome, Homemade “Instant” Noodles version’s convenience, portability, flexibility, and ability to be made with healthy ingredients. Best of all, it’s eco-friendly and fun to eat!
One major tweak we made to boost the nutrition on it was to add Brodo instead of bouillon. Like many of our “recipes,” this is more of a formula than a recipe. Any thinly sliced vegetables will do, and feel free to use whatever flavorings you’d like. You can also use really any type of noodle – however only very thin or parcooked ones can be added to your jar uncooked. This is why we love rice vermicelli for it – sometimes you can even find brown rice vermicelli if you’re lucky. Just make sure the cooking instructions tell you to just add boiling water (you don’t want noodles that you need to boil).
You can certainly use cooked noodles for this recipe, however. If you’re going that route, egg noodles are our favorite. The eggs give the noodles a higher protein content and a slightly lower glycemic index.
Alternatively, used thinly sliced cabbage, enoki mushrooms, or spaghetti squash instead of noodles.
This Homemade “Instant” Noodles recipe is for one soup jar, but it can be easily doubled, tripled, quadrupled – and so on.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs coconut cream (or coconut milk)
- 1/2 lime, squeezed
- 1/4 tsp curry powder
- Hot sauce to taste
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup filler ingredients – small cooked shrimp, diced chicken, shredded carrot, thinly sliced red pepper, sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms, etc.
- 1/2 cup noodles of your choice (see above note re: cooked vs. uncooked noodles)
- ¼ to ½ cup cilantro, bean sprouts, spinach, etc.
- 8-16 oz. Brodo (1-2 pouches)
Special Equipment
- Pint-sized mason jar
- Chopsticks (optional) – you can also use a fork
Instructions
- Make sure your Brodo is thawed or thawing when you start this recipe. Keep in mind the more full you pack your jar, the less Brodo will fit. So if you want a brothy soup, stick to the ¼ cup end for the filler and herb ingredients and add 16 oz. Brodo.
- Add the first 4 ingredients to the bottom of the jar and give the mixture a stir. It’s ok if it’s not completely mixed.
- Add your filler ingredients – preferably add the more robust ingredients first so the more delicate ones don’t disintegrate in the sauce.
- Layer your noodles on top of the filler ingredients.
- Next, layer in your herbs and greens.
- Cap the lid and place your soup jar in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat it.
- When hunger calls, heat your Brodo to boiling temperature, pour over your ingredients, and stir.
- Cap your noodles and let the jar stand for 3-4 minutes to make sure everything is warm and tenderized.
- Bust out some chopsticks (or a fork) and enjoy.
