Forget chicken soup: In Patricia Wong’s house, a hearty bowl of ramen soothes the soul. The Pasadena, California-based founder of video recipe collection Farm to Table Baby Mama makes the nourishing Japanese comfort food at least twice a week (since her boys, Patrick, 3, and Clive, 1, slurp it with gusto).
We doubted a restaurant favorite could be easy enough for a weeknight, until Wong created this delightful demo and shared her recipe, below.
I particularly love ramen because it’s so tasty, and you can get creative with the toppings. To be honest, it’s the easiest family recipe I know! I usually make fresh broth over the weekend and freeze it — so getting dinner on the table is quick and easy.
Ramen with Farm Fresh Eggs and Spring Vegetables
Serves four
Ingredients
1 leek
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 peeled garlic cloves
6 pieces fresh, sliced ginger
6 c. chicken broth (homemade or store bought)
½ c. soy milk (optional)
4 packets fresh ramen noodles
2 c. corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame oil (for drizzling)
Topping options
Pea tendrils
Scallions
Squash blossoms
1. Cut leek into quarters, then halves. Saute in 1 tbsp. olive oil with garlic and ginger over medium heat until dark brown (about 20 minutes).
2. Add chicken broth and simmer with sauteed ingredients for about 1 hour. Strain broth to remove leek mixture. Add salt (to taste) and soy milk (optional).
3. Meanwhile, saute corn (or your favorite vegetables) with remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and a little sea salt and cook noodles in boiling water until al dente. Drizzle noodles with sesame oil for extra flavor.
4. For perfectly medium-boiled eggs, gently add each egg to a pot of boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath for 4 minutes, making sure eggs are completely cool before removing. Peel and slice.
5. To curl scallions, cut cleaned and trimmed stalks lengthwise into very thin strips. Add to an ice bath and refrigerate for about an hour.
6. Add corn and ramen to broth. Assemble bowls with toppings or let each family member create his/her own.
